The most common cause is aging or the side effect of medications such as blood thinners or chemotherapy. The discolorations can be caused by rare bleeding disorders or other rare medical conditions. Furthermore, if alcohol bruises are a result of liver damage, you likely have alcoholic liver disease, which causes severe dysfunction in the liver. Alcohol is known to be toxic to the liver, and a majority of people who regularly consume 4 or more drinks per day will develop a fatty liver. Your body uses vitamin C to make collagen, a protein that is the substructure of your blood vessels. When you have very low vitamin C levels, your blood vessels are weaker, and one of the signs of this is easy bruising.
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- Blood thinners such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin can cause you to bleed and bruise more.
- Alcohol is a major contributing factor to liver disease, but the condition can also result from cancer and other health issues.
- Strong cravings for alcohol are typical at this stage, and drinking isn’t just for enjoyment anymore.
- But sometimes your blood isn’t able to form clots as it should.
- If a person continues to drink despite health-related problems, bruises after drinking may be a consequence that arises from alcohol misuse.
However, if you bruise easily, you have unexplained bruising, or the bruising is accompanied by bleeding elsewhere, it could be a sign of a condition that needs medical attention. Older adults bruise more easily than younger people due to thinning of the skin and a loss of the cushioning fatty layer around the blood vessels. Chronic sun exposure can lead to senile purpura and actinic purpura. “As people get older, skin becomes thinner and the fatty layer that helps cushion or protects the blood vessels from injury is significantly thinned out or gone,” explains Dr. Conroy. Your legs and arms are the most common places to get bruises.
What is the most common cause of easy bruising?
ARLD does not often cause symptoms until it’s reached an advanced stage. If you misuse alcohol, you may have liver damage, even though you have none of the symptoms above. However, if you https://ecosoberhouse.com/ bruise easily, even a minor bump can result in a substantial bruise. If you’re experiencing easy bruising, you might have questions about what’s causing it and what you can do about it.
Focusing All Attention On Drinking
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After two to three weeks of abstaining from alcohol, fatty deposits disappear and liver biopsies appear normal. Older adults often bruise more easily because the skin becomes less flexible with age, and there is less fat to protect the blood vessels. Some people bruise more easily than others, and the do alcoholics bruise easily bruising can take longer to heal. The mental and physical health of alcoholics are rapidly deteriorating at this stage, and unless they seek alcohol rehab, they may drink themselves to death. By the time they’ve reached the third and final stage of alcoholism, drinking has consumed their lives.
- They may wish to discuss the risks and benefits of continuing treatment.
- In this article we’ll take a closer look at what can cause you to bruise easily and when it’s important to see your doctor.
- Corticosteroids are used to treat severe alcoholic hepatitis by decreasing inflammation in the liver.
- And that’s especially true when it comes to heavy drinking.
- Once detox is complete, alcoholics can begin tackling problematic behaviors related to their addiction and learn how to live sober again.
- Birth control pills can help control the amount of bleeding during menstrual periods.
Early-Stage Alcoholism
- They may have such a high tolerance that they do not show any overt signs of intoxication, despite drinking large amounts.
- In the long term, these vessels can over-dilate, leading to spider veins on the skin.
- In fact, they may mistakenly believe that drinking actually helps them to function better.
- An elastic bandage over the bruise can help reduce swelling, but make sure it is not too tight.
- If you’re in the latter category, that means you bruise easily, which should raise a red flag and prompt further investigation into your health.
- Going to the bathroom can be painful, so make sure you eat plenty of fiber and drink plenty of fluids to avoid a bout of constipation.
Low blood platelets due to rare disorders such as von Willebrand disease or thrombocytopenia can result in increased bruising due to slow or reduced clotting ability. If your injury affects a joint, like an ankle or elbow, excessive bruising or bleeding could mean it’s sprained or broken. Although 90% of people who drink heavily develop fatty liver disease, only 20% to 40% will go on to develop alcoholic hepatitis. Fatty liver disease can also develop after binge drinking, which is defined as drinking four to five drinks in two hours or less. About 90% of heavy drinkers will develop alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Alcohol Bruises FAQ
When to See a Doctor About Your Bruises
- According to the National Library of Medicine, a bruise is a mark under the skin, usually painful and swollen, that occurs because of blood trapped beneath the skin’s surface.
- How a bruise looks depends on a lot of different things, including your natural skin tone, how bad the injury that caused it was, and how long you’ve had it.
- Alcoholic fatty liver disease appears early on as fat deposits accumulate in the liver.
- Over time, the damage done can lead to alcoholic neuropathy, where the peripheral nerves in your limbs have been badly damaged by alcohol.
- An elastic wrap worn for the first couple of days can decrease pain and bruising.
