Bruising from Leukemia with Picture

Overall Symptoms of Leukemia

Leukemia can be determined by a variety of signs and symptoms. Many of these come about due to a severe deficiency in your healthy blood cells. Some of the more common symptoms of leukemia include extreme feelings of fatigue and weakness, frequent and unexpected nosebleeds, sudden and unexplainable weight loss, and the appearance of rashes and bruises on the skin, in some cases all over the body.

Two Common Symptoms

Bleeding tendency. Aside from failing to cover up broken blood vessels, the significant lack of platelets you will get if you have leukemia will also cause you to bleed excessively. Even very small injuries, such as a small paper cut, may cause you to lose a lot of blood. Areas on your gums or nose that have not been hurt may also start bleeding and may be difficult to stop.

Paleness of skin. Pallor (paleness) is a common indicator of leukemia, in spite of the fact that this illness can also leave dark bruises, rashes and marks on your skin and body. If you have anemia, your complexion will have a tendency to look very pale because of the lack of red blood cells circulating in your bloodstream. This lack of red blood cells is also what causes you to experience fatigue, lightheadedness, weakness and irregular breathing.

Leukemia Bruises. You will experience bruising when the blood vessels underneath your skin are damaged. If you are suffering from leukemia, you have a bigger tendency to bruise easily because your body is no longer able to produce a sufficient amount of platelets to plug up your bleeding blood vessels. Although bruises from leukemia are similar to ordinary bruises, they make more frequent and unexplainable appearances in unusual areas, such as the back.

Red Spots. It is not unusual for you to develop tiny red spots on your body if you have anemia. These red spots are called petechiae and are actually little pinpoints of blood manifesting on the surface of your skin. They occur when your tiny blood vessels, specifically your capillaries break under your skin but are not sealed off by the platelets in your bloodstream.

Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). AML is the type of leukemia that most often affects children. It causes the gums to swell and bleed and also causes a cluster of dark spots to form on the surface of the skin. This dark spotting may look similar to rashes, but it is actually something completely different. Chloroma, otherwise known as granulocytic sarcoma, may also manifest on the skin’s surface as lumps in the cells of the skin.

Other Skin Rashes. If you notice red rashes on your skin that do not look too strange or unusual, it is possible that they are not indicative of or caused by leukemia. Rather, they could simply be from allergic reactions to medications or other substances you may have ingested. They could also be from infections, which may be more difficult for your body to fight if you lack white blood cells. Aside from rashes, some infections may also cause you to develop headaches, fevers and mouth sores.

If you observe some bruising or rashes on your skin, there is no need to jump to immediate conclusions. These markings may simply be from an ordinary allergic reaction or some kind of injury. However, if they occur frequently and are difficult to get rid of, it would be best for you to contact your doctor immediately.