Why You Bruise More Easily When You Drink Alcohol

do alcoholics bruise easily

Because alcohol is a potent diuretic, it can quickly dehydrate you, leading to the characteristic symptoms of a hangover, including a throbbing headache. Research reviews have also listed alcohol as a culprit for triggering migraine attacks. If you’ve ever had to nurse a hangover, nausea and vomiting are commonly part and parcel of the ordeal. While throwing up can make you feel miserable, it is one of your body’s self-defense mechanisms to remove excess toxins from the alcohol consumed.

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They’re not the larger veins that run through your wrist and hand, for instance (although you could get a pretty good sized bruise from even a little ding on one of those veins). Ruptured capillaries happen on a micro level throughout the day and the body almost instantaneously reabsorbs the blood. But if a bang on your thigh, as an example, is big enough, the process will happen slowly enough that you’ll notice. Sometimes bruises can be a serious problem, especially if you have other symptoms.

  • The symptoms of hemophilia can be mild or severe, depending on how much clotting factor is present in the affected person’s blood.
  • It can be caused by wearing old or worn-out shoes while you train, running or walking on hard surfaces like concrete, or training for too long.
  • Call your doctor if you’re bruising more frequently than usual and if bruising is accompanied by bleeding from anywhere else.
  • Bruising (ecchymosis) happens when small blood vessels (capillaries) break under your skin.

How to Support Liver Function

do alcoholics bruise easily

Because of this, a person may have excessive bleeding and bruise easily. When you bruise easily, it can sometimes seem just as easy to identify the cause, such as advancing age or a blood thinner medication you’re taking. But some people who develop large bruises, multiple bruises at the same time, or bruises (also called contusions) that happen without a known cause, may have an underlying medical condition. However, if the disease progresses, it is often not reversible. Medications and lifestyle modifications may also be prescribed depending on the stage. To find the cause of your bruising, your health care provider will likely do a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms and medical history.

What Causes Bruising?

  • As a result, you may find yourself having frequent sore throat pains, catching colds and infections more often.
  • Attempts to stop drinking can result in tremors or hallucinations, but therapy, detox, and rehab can help you get your life back.
  • How alcohol addiction physically affects different parts of your body.
  • Bone bruises usually last longer (1-2 months) than soft tissue bruises, and they’re more painful, but most will heal with rest and the same home care as for other types of bruises.
  • Strong cravings for alcohol are typical at this stage, and drinking isn’t just for enjoyment anymore.

On people with darker skin tones, bruises can look purple, dark brown, or black. Low vitamin C levels can cause scurvy, which in turn can cause easy bruising. This is because vitamin K helps the body form clots to stop bleeding. Hemophilia involves low levels of blood clotting factor VIII (hemophilia A) or factor IX (hemophilia B).

do alcoholics bruise easily

Bleeding disorders

Alternatively, they may crave high-fat foods as alcohol produces the hunger-increasing hormone, ghrelin. In addition, some alcoholic beverages, such as wine and beer, are high in calories, so regular consumption of these drinks can lead to weight gain. While bumping into https://ecosoberhouse.com/ something while drinking may seem relatively harmless, the truth is that excessive drinking can set you up for serious injuries from falling or other accidents. Furthermore, in extreme cases, bruises from drinking can be a sign of liver damage, which can be dangerous.

do alcoholics bruise easily

Other physical signs of alcoholism

Easy bruising can cause large bruises in multiple areas of the body, often at the same time. Bruising also can occur due to bleeding disorders or other rare medical conditions. Even with a normal number of platelets, bleeding may occur if these cells don’t function properly. Platelet disorders interfere with the body’s do alcoholics bruise easily ability to properly clot blood because there is a lack of proteins in the blood (clotting factors) that help platelets form blood clots. If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider.

Signs Your Body Is Telling You You’re Drinking Too Much

do alcoholics bruise easily

Alcoholic liver disease is caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. There are three stages—alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. Your healthcare provider may also test you for individual nutrient deficiencies. Many people with alcoholic liver disease are deficient in B vitamins, zinc and vitamin D and it may become necessary to take supplements. Although stopping drinking alcohol is the most effective treatment for alcoholic liver disease, it is not a complete cure.

do alcoholics bruise easily

Treating bruises