Bursting Blood Vessels in Hands

Wow, I did not know so many others had this issue, too. I didn't have too much of a concern about it, it was only happening in my fingers and maybe hands (with pain mostly PRIOR to what I have always said was my blood vessel/vein bursting) until it happened on the top of my foot and left a HUGE, non-painful bruise. What in the world is this? Well, I'm going to try 2 suggestions I found online (nothing medical really!).....bioflavonoids and Calcium Fluoride. Maybe after a couple of months I'll no longer have these?

Next time I see my doc, I'll ask him what he thinks. My worry is what if this happens in the brain? I read where this happens in the eyes (thank goodness I've not had that), and one where it was the reason (per her ENT) for her PERMANENT hearing loss. Certainly sounds like this is an issue that needs answers!

I do agree, as I've read, that possibly it is more of a deficiency than anything else. I would rather take safe homeopathic then drugs, especially if doctors are just guessing at why these is occuring (or even worrying about it!).

Good luck to all of you!

I have had incidences of veins spontaneously bursting in my hands and face for years. This in conjunction with very easy bruising. In the past month, after a course of prednisone for severe migraine, it has become worse. I have always been worried about this, but never had any source for information, and was so glad to finally see this forum. I am a neuroscientist and used the information I gained from this forum to search the medical literature. Like others, I noticed some major common themes: *a history of auto-immune disorders or inflammatory conditions (IBS, SLE, asthma). *possible use of corticosteroids like prednisone or dexamethasone (common treatment for all of the above conditions, although not everyone used them) *possible dietary insufficiency (common with IBS sufferers who can't absorb enough vitamins) I researched the factors governing vein strength. The summary is that the protein collagen gives structure to veins. If collagen is disrupted, the veins will become weak. Collagen is also used in structure of skin, joint ligaments, hair and nails. There are SEVERAL things that can decrease collagen: 1) some people genetically have poor collagen production. If they have very low collagen it is referred to as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and is severe. But, like most genetic mutations, it is a spectrum, and there could be many of us walking around with lower collagen production than most folks, but no obvious problems. The symptoms would be hyper-extendable joints (me), bruising (me), burst veins (me), and smoother than average skin for your age (me). 2) Use of corticosteroids like prednisone or dexamethasone actually impairs collagen production! So folks who use corticosteroids can often have increased bruising. If you use corticosteroids and ALSO have somewhat low collagen to begin with, we would expect you to have more trouble (it appears this is what happened to me). 3) Dietary insufficiency of Vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Both of these vitamins are crucial to collagen production (backed up by hard science data). Citrus is a good natural source of these, but you have to eat the pulp to get the bioflavonoids, not just juice. For those who have poor nutrition either because of food choice or because of IBS, they may not be getting enough of these in a normal diet and may need to seek supplements. But beware IBS sufferers- too much vitamin C can be very GI irritating! 4) Systemic Lupus Erythmetosis. This is an autoimmune disorder that several posters suffer from. While this disorder does not decrease collagen production, the antibodies produced during the disease can actually bind to and destroy collagen. (this is why the joints are so affected in SLE) SLE sufferers may see more bruising/vein bursting during flare-ups, or after taking steroids (discussed above). The take home message of all this is that some of us have less collagen than others, and disease, pharmaceuticals, and nutrition can all impact this. Some things we can't help: our genetics is unalterable, and those who need steroids probably really need them and aren't going to be able to stop. However, increased bioflavonoids and healthy vitamin C intake may help. Hope this helped at least somewhat. A major source is listed below.

Am J Physiol 206: 179-182, 1964; Effect of bioflavonoids and methylprednisolone on collagen biosynthesis

I don't know if anybody is still trying to find out the cause of blood vessels bursting in the hands or feet. I've had this on and off for a few years (I'm 55). I have always had poor circulation in my hands and feet and I have Reynauds. I was told I had irritable bowel syndrome for many years and suffered terribly with bloating and cramps that doubled me over. Finally it was discovered that I had oral allergy syndrome, now called pollen oral allergy. I have to cook my fruits and vegetables before I eat them or I get itching in the mouth, throat, runny eyes and nose then intense stomach cramps for several days. I just mentioned this in case somebody with irritable bowel syndrome may want to look in to this. I've been cooking my vegetables and fruit for 20 years and have had no further problems with my bowel. I was wondering about the Reynauds and allergy connection as I do use antihistamines during pollen season or when I'm exposed to smoke or dust. Did anybody find out if there was a connection to the blood vessels bursting. I still get blood vessels bursting now and again. It seems to be in particular when I've been doing a lot of writing with a pen or chopping with a knife. Also, I seem more prone to it when cold weather or very hot weather makes the air dry out. I also get bleeding in the nose a bit during these times and had problems with nose bleeds when I took flying lessons and changed altitude a lot. I think my veins probably are fairly close to the surface. Due to my obvious nutritional problems from being unable to eat raw fruit or vegetables, I have been using a supplement called monavie which does seem to help with comfort of my joints. This can be ordered from monavie.com (my distributor number is 2555493 is anybody wants to see if it helps). I haven't noticed any difference with the vein problem. I'm usually fairly active, but feel like I get more than the usual circulatory problems when sitting for prolonged periods such as long flights or driving. Could there be a connection there with the vein bursting and should I be worried?