This “additive” effect means those with a history of heavy alcohol usage are at greater risk of bruising and abnormal bleeding as they age. Seeking medical care for proper nutrition and managing any underlying liver conditions can help recover normal clotting ability. For the average healthy guy (say, drinking one or two drinks per night, or fewer than 14 drinks per week) the alcohol-related effects on bruising are temporary, and no real cause for concern. Other alcohol-related liver diseases resulting from consistent liver inflammation, like alcoholic jaundice (aka alcoholic hepatitis), are also common with chronic drinking. If you’re struggling to control your drinking or are worried about the health effects, reach out for professional help. Some of the common symptoms of alcohol dependence are not being able to restrain your consumption, withdrawal reactions, or drinking despite such negative effects.
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Your skin also thins and loses some of the fat that would otherwise protect your blood vessels from impacts. Some herbs and supplements can cause you to bleed more easily, either when used alone or in combination with other medications. 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.
Types of Bruises
It is important to be aware of the possible dangers of combining these two, as such encounters may have detrimental repercussions for your general health and fitness. For these reasons, bartenders typically avoid shaking dark liquors and instead stir or swirl the liquor gently to release its aroma and flavours. By doing so, they can ensure that the liquor maintains its intended appearance and flavour profile, delivering the best possible drinking experience to their customers. You can speed healing, however, if you take action right after you’ve thwacked your knee or bumped your elbow. Grab an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas and hold it on the affected area for 20 minutes a few times a day for the first day or two after the injury, per the Mayo Clinic. This will constrict the blood vessels, in turn slowing the spread of the purple discoloration in the first place.
Health & Wellness
- Hemophilia and von Willebrand disease are both blood disorders that can cause easy bruising, said Dr. Fisher.
- But some people who drink face a risk of developing this chronic and progressive disease, which affects roughly 1 in every 8 Americans and contributes to about 88,000 deaths annually.
- From the initial pouring technique to ensuring the right amount of liquid in each drink, these skills enhance the overall experience of crafting cocktails.
- Individuals who consume alcohol should be aware of this risk and take steps to reduce it, such as limiting alcohol intake, staying hydrated, and maintaining a balanced diet.
- If you or someone you love suffers from alcohol use disorder or any of its health effects, book an appointment with us at CuredNation.
Take note if you experience frequent bruising in any of these areas after drinking. This can help identify accident-prone behaviors to be more mindful of in the future. Alcohol acts as a natural blood thinner, temporarily impacting the normal clotting ability of blood platelets. This makes capillaries under the skin more fragile and likely to leak when bumped. This makes you more prone to bumping into objects, tripping or falling which can lead to accidental bruises and injury. So when you drink alcohol and injure yourself, you can be left with a bigger, more noticeable bruise than you might see while sober.
Liver Disease
Blood thinners such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin can cause you to bleed and get bruises more often. Steroids and some cancer drugs (chemotherapy and targeted therapy) may also lower your platelet levels, which can cause you to bleed and get bruises more than you usually do. An ecchymosis is bigger around than 1 centimeter, which is about as big around as a triple-A battery. Alcohol might worsen the symptoms of eczema, causing intense itchiness and dry, inflamed skin.
Q: How does alcoholism affect skin health?
The color of a bruise is primarily determined by the depth of the bruising and the breakdown of blood under the skin, rather than alcohol consumption. When you get a bruise, an why does alcohol cause bruising injury crushes blood vessels, but the skin doesn’t break, so there’s no external bleeding. While simple bruises can be managed at home, worsening pain, size or additional symptoms warrant urgent medical evaluation to rule out significant bleeding or injury requiring treatment. Alcohol addiction can cause various health issues, some of which include bruising and subcutaneous bleeding. Bruising now and then is more of an aesthetic problem, but bruising very frequently and spontaneously during and after drinking may indicate some other risk factor. So you can reduce the risk and secure your well-being too, by taking the preventive measure.
Your liver can begin to develop fatty deposits because of alcohol exposure, and that fat makes it harder for your liver to work effectively. If you keep drinking, your liver can swell, and cells within the liver can die. If the scarring is extensive, the liver may not be able to do its vital work. If you drink heavily, regularly, or both, your alcohol use could be the cause of your bruise. That discoloration sitting beneath the surface of your skin might prompt you to ask for help so that you can stop drinking for good. Seeking help for alcoholism is a brave and crucial step towards a healthier, more fulfilling life.
Additionally, heavy drinkers usually get most of their calories from alcohol. The problem is that alcohol is a wellspring of empty calories—which are calories with minimal nutritional value. Hence, consuming alcohol as your primary source of fuel will lead to poor nutrition and weight loss.
- Over time, excessive alcohol can damage the liver which is responsible for making clotting factors.
- While simple bruises can be managed at home, worsening pain, size or additional symptoms warrant urgent medical evaluation to rule out significant bleeding or injury requiring treatment.
- 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.
- Excessive or unexplained bruising, including alcohol-induced bruising, should be evaluated by a healthcare professional to rule out underlying health issues.
- Meanwhile, binge drinking focuses more on how quickly and how much you drink in one sitting.
This prolonged bleeding time can result in visible bruises, even from minor injuries that typically would not cause bruising. Alcohol is a vasodilator, causing blood vessels to relax and expand, which increases blood flow throughout the body. This vasodilation can lead to blood vessel breakdown, making individuals more susceptible to bruising, even without any apparent trauma. Additionally, alcohol thins the blood by interfering with platelet production and reducing their stickiness, further prolonging bleeding time and promoting bruising. If you misuse alcohol, you may have liver damage, even though you have none of the symptoms above.
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Other symptoms of iron deficiency, per the Cleveland Clinic, include pale skin, shortness of breath, chills, odd food cravings, and brittle nails. Hemophilia and von Willebrand disease are both blood disorders that can cause easy bruising, said Dr. Fisher. Hemophilia is a rare condition that affects the blood’s ability to clot, putting someone at risk for severe bleeding from just a slight injury. Drinking alcohol comes with its fair share of well-known health warnings.
