What Are the Causes of Blood Vessels Breaking?

Vein breakage commonly occurs on the face, legs and eyes. While broken blood vessels are not usually life-threatening in themselves, some of their multiple causes may require medical care.

Types

• Broken blood vessels can lead to bruises or blood spots, such as petechiae or purpura. Bruises typically look like black-and-blue welts, while blood spots are red or purple discolorations of the skin surface that do not blanch with pressure.

Bruises

• According to WebMD, bruises usually result from accidental minor trauma, such as bumps and. Other causes include: abuse, aging blood vessels, thinning skin, as well as damage from sun exposure.

Purpura Blood Spots

• Causes listed in the Family Practice Notebook include: deficiencies of clotting proteins, certain genetic defects, violent coughing, vomiting, strangulation, certain medications and diseases that affect platelets and blood vessels.

Petechia Blood Spots

• According to Forensic Med, petechia spots most commonly occur in capillaries (small blood vessels). They may result from obstruction of blood flow to and from the heart (due to pressure on the upper chest or neck, for instance); low oxygen; severe infection; platelet deficiency; and trauma.

Sub-Conjunctival Hemorrhage

• According to the Mayo Clinic, the following may cause blood vessels in the eye to break: sneezing, coughing, increased pressure in the veins of the head, eye rubbing, putting contact lenses on, conjunctivitis, severe eye infection; head or eye trauma and eye or eyelid surgery.

Considerations

• WebMD indicates that when bruising and blood spots suddenly increase in frequency, possible causes include medications, such as aspirin or blood thinners; generalized infection (sepsis); bleeding disorders; blood vessel inflammation (vasculitis); certain cancers; liver disease; lupus; and deficiencies in vitamins B-12, C, K and/or folic acid.