Why Drinking Alcohol Can Cause Bruising

do alcoholics bruise easily

Find out what role aging plays and when to consult a health care provider. Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking. You might not recognize how much you drink or how many problems in your life are related to alcohol use. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems.

do alcoholics bruise easily

Blood Cancers

  • A fall, blow, or other impact that exerts sudden high pressure on the skin can cause a bruise.
  • Petechiae may not be visible on dark skin, but a person may see them on areas with lower levels of melanin, such as the forearms.
  • If your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life, you likely have alcohol use disorder.
  • Alcoholics in this stage have a hard time controlling their drinking.

If you need help because of domestic violence or sexual assault, talk with a healthcare professional, or access resources and assistance through our domestic violence resource guide. As with adults, if a child seems to be getting bruised more easily than usual, it could be due to certain medications or underlying conditions. Bruising (ecchymosis) happens when small blood vessels (capillaries) break under your skin. You’ll see discoloration from the bleeding under your skin, which is a bruise.

do alcoholics bruise easily

Medical Professionals

A severe lack of vitamin C — or scurvy — could also be the culprit because the vitamin is involved in building the walls of blood vessels, Waldman said. Scurvy is rare in the U.S. — symptoms include bleeding around hair follicles and bleeding gums. In this case, you should go see your doctor to find out do alcoholics bruise easily what’s going on. 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. Your doctor will likely suggest you use a brace or crutches for bone bruises in your legs and feet.

do alcoholics bruise easily

How Mindful Drinking Helps Improve your Physical Wellness

Other organs, such as the kidneys, and body systems such as the respiratory system, may also begin to fail. Alcohol hepatitis can lead to liver failure and can also gradually damage the liver and lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is when normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue, which causes the liver to lose its ability to function well. Bruises that take a long time to heal or getting bruised for no apparent cause could be signs of a bleeding disorder. When someone develops an alcohol use disorder, they will show signs or symptoms that are characteristic of this condition. When people use the term “alcoholism,” what they are really referring to is an alcohol use disorder, which is the clinical term for an addiction to alcohol.

healing a bruise

However, eligibility may depend on being abstinent from alcohol for a specific length of time. In some people, the initial reaction may feel like an increase in energy. But as you continue to drink, you become drowsy and have less control over your actions.

How can I prevent or treat bruises?

If necessary, your doctor can pierce your nail to drain the blood and fluid built up underneath. Don’t do this yourself because you could hurt yourself further, cause an infection, and slow your healing process. This article explains why some people may bruise more easily than others. Immune systemDrinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than moderate drinkers. Drinking a lot on a single occasion slows your body’s ability to ward off infections–even up to 24 hours after getting drunk.

Alcoholic Hepatitis vs. Viral Hepatitis

  • Petechiae (pronounced puh-tee-kee-uh) are very small areas (pinpoint, or less than 2 millimeters around) of blood under the skin or in your mucous membranes (such as in your mouth or on your eyelids).
  • Heavy drinking can lead to easy bruising and bleeding, and not just because you’re more prone to falling and hitting table corners when drunk.
  • In some cases, supplementation with vitamins may be recommended.
  • If you have confusion or feel disoriented, that’s even more reason to get swift medical attention.
  • Other organs, such as the kidneys, and body systems such as the respiratory system, may also begin to fail.

Symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, muscle cramps, easy bruising, and jaundice. Along with the dreadful, painful, bordering-on-psychedelic hangovers I used to get when I was a drinker, I remember I would also often wake up with bruises on my body after a night of heavy drinking. They may lose feelings of hunger or no longer have a desire for food, as their focus shifts to alcohol.

Have you ever found a bruise on your body and wondered how it got there? Most cases are benign and can be evaluated during a physical exam. Here, Shinkle shares reasons some people may bruise more easily than others. “Generally, bruises should fade completely in a couple of weeks,” Dr. Johnston https://ecosoberhouse.com/ says. “If your bruise doesn’t heal after roughly three to four weeks, you should seek medical attention because it could be a sign of a more serious medical issue.” If your kidney issues are a result of a medical condition, managing the condition properly can slow further kidney damage.


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