New bruising has me scared it's taking over my life!

[DisgracedAngel]

I've been going to the doctor a lot lately to try to get to the bottom of a few things. Surely it all can't be anxiety (although there is a small voice in the back of my head saying it possibly could).

First I was worried about my white tongue being thrush. Doctor said it wasn't thrush, but I still have it so my anxiety was gone for a bit but now back.

Then I had red dots appearing on my body. They're not raised, just broken capillaries, pinprick sized red blood dots. This too has be worried.

Now I'm starting to bruise a bit. I don't normally bruise easily but today when seeing the nurse (for my annual blood pressure check) I thought the cuff was particularly tight, and on the first go it took ages. Now after I got home I realised I have small bruises, almost looks like scratches, on my arm where the cuff was. My blood pressure also was a bit high, despite being on medication :-/

Like I said I don't normally bruise easily. I have had my blood pressure taken many times and not had anything like this. I pretty much only guarantee bruising when I get blood drawn.

I'm so worried. The nurse says all of my blood tests have come back normal. And also I need to take on board what the doctor said about my tongue not being thrush but I can't seem to shake it! I am too concerned that all of this isn't a coincidence.

I'll see him again in about two weeks but I was wondering if there was any room for concern? Is this mind over matter and my high stress and anxiety can be wreaking the havoc?? This has literally stopped me.from functioning. I am a shell of my old self and it makes me so sad :-(

[Beckybecks]

I do exactly the same. My mind is constantly scanning my body for any little symptoms that I can worry about.

The thing is we all have little ache and pains, spots and bruises on a daily basis. There's always something. The trick is to understand that they're not serious, everyone has these things. Normal people are able to ignore them while we focus on and magnify them.

Are the red dots really significant? Or just little marks on your skin that everyone gets from time to time?
Your blood tests are all normal. I would be celebrating!

People do bruise and it's very possible your bruising could be caused by the tightness of the BP cuff. You would have to have lots of great big bruises that appeared for no reason for you to need to worry about it.
I think you can relax about the marks, it doesn't sound like anything serious at all.

[DisgracedAngel]

The red dots just sort of appeared over the last few weeks and I got worried because I had a couple on my face even. They weren't just like moles, but blood red. One or two I probably wouldn't worry about...but I have maybe 20? But because everything was normal on my blood tests (apart from high wbc when I had sinusitis but nurse said that means my immune system is in fighting order), then yes I know I should relax. Like you said, everything magnifies when you have HA! I'm hyperaware of every little mark, tingle and bruise and I seem to notice every little hair that comes out of my head (even though realistically I couldn't) and put that down to something bad too!

I hope the doctor can help me with my HA. I hadn't really wanted to be on medication but this is taking over my life.

Thank you for your kind words. I have been crying off and on and it's good to come here and get a voice of reason.

[Captain irrational]

The red dots just sort of appeared over the last few weeks and I got worried because I had a couple on my face even. They weren't just like moles, but blood red. One or two I probably wouldn't worry about...but I have maybe 20? But because everything was normal on my blood tests (apart from high wbc when I had sinusitis but nurse said that means my immune system is in fighting order), then yes I know I should relax. Like you said, everything magnifies when you have HA! I'm hyperaware of every little mark, tingle and bruise and I seem to notice every little hair that comes out of my head (even though realistically I couldn't) and put that down to something bad too!

I hope the doctor can help me with my HA. I hadn't really wanted to be on medication but this is taking over my life.

Thank you for your kind words. I have been crying off and on and it's good to come here and get a voice of reason.

Those little red dots on the skin are completely normal, pretty much everybody has them. I have at least a dozen I know of on my body, and I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find even more.

Stop googling anything health and medical related and stop examining your body constantly. Following those two rules is one of the most effective ways of overcoming health anxiety, I speak from experience.

[DisgracedAngel]

I can say that this past week I have done sooo well to stay off Google! Things have stuck in my head though from when I looked in the past but still...hooray for small victories! Next step...stop examining myself!

Thank you :-)