Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause splinter hemorrhage. Several patients complain of a splinter protruding from their skin. The doctor may look at the patient’s medication list and discover that they are taking one of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, Aleve, Motrin, or aspirin.
The blood vessels in our skin are more fragile than we might think. This is because they are surrounded by only a thin layer of tissue; when you rub your arm, this layer gets thinner and thinner as it nears the skin’s surface. Taking an NSAID like Ibuprofen or Naproxen reduces the amount of fluid around these delicate blood vessels, making them even more vulnerable to damage if they are subsequently scratched or cut by a sharp object, such as a splinter. This damage can cause bleeding and pain on its own, but sometimes it can also lead to a breakage in the blood vessel wall, which allows some blood to leak out from inside the vessel.
