Preventive measures to avoid falls, bruising and bleeding-

• Use good lighting in your home
• Avoid clutter and throw rugs, especially on stairs
• Arrange furniture and electrical cords so that they're not in your way when you walk
• Have vision and hearing tested. Even slight changes in sight or hearing can cause one to fall
• Find out about the side effects of medications you take

• Large or frequent bruises that you can't remember getting (especially on the trunk, back or face)
• Bleeding that doesn't stop after 10 minutes
• More than five nosebleeds in a year
• Periods that last more than seven days or periods so heavy you have to change your pad more than every two hours
• Family members who also have problems with bruising or bleeding

• Bruising/bleeding starts suddenly, especially if you recently started a new medication
• Symptoms of serious blood loss, such as sweating, weakness, faintness or dizziness, nausea, or extreme thirst
• Pregnancy or recent delivery
• Signs of infection, such as fever, chills, diarrhea, or feeling ill all over
• Headache, confusion, or other sudden symptoms related to the brain or nervous system