Understanding Bruising and Popped Blood Vessels: Causes & Family History

Question
The only other person I know who has this is my Mother, so it runs in our family. For absolutely no reason - for me it was taking a candy bar wrapper out of my stepson's pants doing laundry - you hear, rather feel, a pop in a finger or thumb and it immediately starts to bruise and swell up. It doesn't hurt when it happens, but will hurt for the next couple of days till the swelling goes down. Is this a circulatory problem? Weak blood vessels? Air pockets? I work with my Mother and showed her my incredibly bruised swollen finger this morning because I knew she gets the same thing and she told me to see if I could find an answer on the internet. I am NEVER doing anything remotely strenuous when it happens, there is no rhyme or reason to when it happens and it doesn't happen anywhere else in my body.

Answer
This has happened to me before, in my thumb also.  It's normal.  It's just a small burst blood vessel.  Symptoms of circulatory problems in the hands will be very obvious to you (extreme sensitivity to cold or heat, finger pain, numbness), and won't just be occasional.
--Maggie Smith, RN, MSN