It is very important to make sure that
you don't get injured or hurt when you're taking medication like blood
thinners. When your blood is thin you have a much harder time healing if you
cut or bruise yourself. A blood thinner is a kind of drug called a
anticoagulant. Blood thinners work well when they're used correctly but your
blood clots very slowly so if you get a cut it can continue to bleed for a long
period of time.
When people get older their skin
becomes more fragile and they lose the layer of fat that lies underneath the
skin this layer is what protect them from bumps ,bruises and cuts when they were
younger. If you're on a blood thinner like aspirin Coumadin or Plavix, which
are commonly used to prevent strokes and heart attacks in older patients you
are at a even higher risk of easy bruising as well as getting infections from
cuts. Other medicines that can cause thinning of the skin is prednisone and
cortisone steroids. A lifetime of too
much exposure to the sun can cause thin skin in the elderly as well. Once your
skin becomes thin it becomes much easier to tear or bruise and if you have
medical conditions like diabetes or psoriasis these tears can take much longer
to heal and put you at a much higher risk serious infections. There are many
different things that you can do to stay safe and protect your arms when you
are on blood thinners or have thin skin.
·
Use
thin skin arm protectors / bruisestoppers to prevent bruising and cuts.
·
Install
rubber mats and safety rails in your bathtub to help prevent falling.
·
Be
aware of your surroundings! Pay
attention to those everyday things that have sharp edges.
·
Avoid
activities and sports that could cause injury such as bicycling. Swimming and
walking are considered safe exercise activities
·
Be
careful when you use knives, scissors, or any sharp tool that can make you
bleed.
·
Wear
shoes or nonskid slippers in the house to avoid falls
You can still do almost all the things
you enjoy if you are taking blood thinners or have thin skin. You just need to
take a few extra steps to make sure you stay safe, bruise and cut free. If you
do get it cut or a skin tear there are many over-the-counter products that are
available to help seal the cut or skin tear and help prevent infection .
Seal-on is one of these products and is available as a spray, powder or sterile pad. Bruise protection can
be worn over these type of cut sealing products after they have dried.
