This can further contribute to impaired motor control and increase the likelihood of falls or accidents. Additionally, alcohol has blood-thinning properties, affecting platelet production and reducing their effectiveness in forming clots. This prolonged bleeding time can result in visible bruises, even from minor injuries that typically would not cause bruising. But long-term and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to liver inflammation (liver hepatitis).
Why do alcoholics get easily bruised?
- Bruising easily can be as simple as a side effect of taking a blood thinner, or it could signal a vitamin deficiency or another underlying issue.
- Some people bruise easily because of mild bleeding disorders they’ve inherited, says Dr. Angelini.
- Bill Zimmerman is a Greater Cincinnati Area native who has worked in substance use disorder/co-occurring mental health disorder treatment since 2018.
- Hemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder that causes the body to be unable to produce one of the specific clotting factors crucial for clotting.
For instance, if you have a blood clot in your leg, you may have pain in your calf, behind your knee, or in your thigh or groin. One study showed that the development of a yellow color was the can alcohol cause bruising most noticeable change in a bruise over time. The development of a yellow color happened much faster in people who are younger than 65 years old. This study also showed that yellow bruises were generally older than 18 hours. We don’t mean you woke up with a black-and-blue mark because you bumped into something after one too many cocktails.
Types of Bruises
A missing or defective clotting protein causes one of the most common bleeding disorders, von Willebrand disease. You may get it if you hit your thumb with a hammer or stub your toe, but you may also get it from wearing tight shoes or training for a marathon. At the time of injury, your nail may feel sore or tender, but the pressure that builds up under your nail as the blood pools can cause severe pain. Your nail may Alcoholics Anonymous lift off your finger or toe, and the color of your nail may change.
Alcohol is a vasodilator, increasing blood flow and making blood vessels larger
Some people are born with low levels of important factors that help the blood clot when it Substance abuse needs to control bleeding. If you notice that you have increased bruising, do not stop taking your medications. Most of us get bruises from bumping into objects from time to time. Alcohol can have a significant impact on the body’s ability to clot blood, which can result in more frequent and severe bruising. This is due to alcohol’s effect on the liver, blood vessels, and blood platelets.
Alcoholic skin sores
It’s possible that this can cause you to bruise more easily as a result of platelet function and other changes. With mastocytosis, too many mast cells (a type of white blood cell) grow in the body. The main types include systemic conditions that affect the body, and cutaneous conditions that affect only the skin. In many cases, people with alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) do not have any noticeable symptoms until their liver is badly damaged. Additionally, alcohol can affect blood clotting by thinning the blood and reducing the ability of platelets to clump together, further contributing to easier bruising and bleeding. Alcohol use disorder, or alcoholism, is characterised by compulsive drinking and difficulty controlling alcohol intake.
Thinning Skin: Alcohol accelerates skin aging, reducing protection against injuries
- Mindful drinking offers that middle ground where you’ll proactively improve your drinking habits without any pressure to quit.
- Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your cognitive functioning enough to make driving dangerous.
- Keeping your home clear of mess and furniture you can easily bump into can avert bruises.
- Other medications that may lead to easy bruising include ibuprofen, naproxen, certain antibiotics, corticosteroids, glucocorticoids, and antidepressants.
- You probably know throwing back shots or chugging beers on the regular can damage your liver.
These high-risk populations most prominently include first-degree relatives of alcoholics. Trait markers also could provide important research tools for evaluating the genetic and environmental factors that may predispose a person to alcoholism. Consider talking with someone who has had a problem with drinking but has stopped. Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal. For resources related to AUD, including how to get support, please visit the NIH website. Ultraviolet light from the sun breaks down https://ecosoberhouse.com/ collagen, accelerating thinning of the skin and leaving blood vessels more vulnerable to injury.
Are some individuals more susceptible to alcohol-related bruising?
If you’re having nosebleeds for no reason, if your gums bleed a lot after you brush or floss, or if small cuts or scrapes seem to bleed heavily, call your doctor. Also, if you never bruised easily, but all of a sudden, bruises keep popping up out of nowhere, it’s worth seeing a doc, says Dr. Elliott. “If your symptoms arise out of the blue, as in you never had issues before and then suddenly you start bleeding easily, it’s important to seek medical attention,” she explains. If you’re unsure as to whether you have any of the above issues, but you still wake up with bruises a lot, consider where you see the marks.
