Mitch McConnell’s badly discolored hands may have a simple explanation, a pair of medical experts claim.
The U.S. Senate majority leader sparked concern this week when he was seen with bandages and black-and-blue bruises on his hands along with what appeared to be more bruises on his face. The appearance sparked speculation that he may be suffering from a serious health ailment, but a Manhattan dermatologist told the New York Post that the explanation is likely more mundane.
Dr. Doris Day told the newspaper that the discolored patches are likely the result of his advanced age combined with some kind of recent incident that left him bruised.
“Your skin just naturally becomes more fragile as you age,” Day said, adding,”I think it’s just a bruise — a solid good bruise.”
She added that any kind of blood-thinning medication can make the potential for bruising even worse, even something as simple as baby aspirin. And it may take a while — and some changes in color — before they go away entirely, she added.
Dr. Jeremy Fenton, New York-based dermatologist, also told the New York Post that it appeared to be bruises and said that McConnell may have had a simple medical procedure in recent days that caused it.
“If someone was trying to draw blood from him — especially if someone is on blood thinners — that can cause significant bruising,” he said. “But why does he have the bruising on his lips too? That wouldn’t be explained by someone drawing blood.”
The discoloration was seen when McConnell leaned over to pick up a face mask that had fallen at an event his week. He kept the appearance mostly hidden otherwise, with pictures showing him walking the halls of the U.S. Senate with hands in his pockets.
As The Inquisitr reported, the Kentucky Republican denied anything was wrong, telling a journalist there was no issue to worry about, though he did not offer an explanation as to what caused the discoloration.
The incident drew attention to McConnell as he faces an unusually close race to hold onto his seat and the potential that his party could soon be in the minority. After winning re-election easily in other elections, McConnell has been close with his Democratic challenger this cycle. His party is also at risk of losing control of the Senate, with many now favoring Democrats to come out of the election with greater than a 50-seat majority.
