If you’re experiencing easy bruising, you might have questions about what’s causing it and what you can do about it. Find out what role aging plays and when to consult a health care provider. In the short term, it can lead to injuries, violence, and alcohol poisoning. It also increases the risk of suicide, sexual assault, and homicide.
Liver disease
This initially takes the form of increased fat in your liver, but over time it can lead to inflammation and the accumulation of scar tissue. Alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of liver damage. When liver damage has happened due to alcohol, it’s called alcohol-related liver disease. During the physical examination, doctors check vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate). These signs can give an early indication of serious disorders, especially low blood volume or an infection. A high heart rate together with low blood pressure suggests low blood volume due to bleeding.
- Older adults bruise more easily because their skin is thinner and they tend to have less muscle and fat to cushion their blood vessels from injury.
- Symptoms of this condition include appetite loss and weight loss.
- They’ll ask you questions about your family history and whether you’ve inherited a blood disorder.
- Alcoholism is a colloquial term, and it really isn’t a politically correct way to refer to an alcohol addiction.
Herbs and Supplements That Can Cause Easy Bruising
Frequent bruises can be a sign of physical abuse, whether in a child or an older person. Either the abuser or the person being abused may say that visible injuries are simply due to easy bruising. It does not take into account factors such as body composition, ethnicity, sex, race, and age. Even though it is a biased measure, BMI is still widely used in the medical community because it’s an inexpensive and quick way to analyze a person’s potential health status and outcomes.
- If you bruise easily and are worried that it may be a sign of alcoholism, talk to your doctor.
- Alcoholic hepatitis occurs when the liver becomes damaged and inflamed.
- A person with a genetic bleeding disorder has a higher risk of bruising and excessive, possibly life threatening bleeding.
- The development of a yellow color happened much faster in people who are younger than 65 years old.
- There are many different signs and symptoms of easy bruising that make it different from other types of bruising.
Causes of Bruising and Bleeding
Continuing to drink, even when it causes health problems, is a sign of an alcohol use disorder. Someone who lives with an alcohol use disorder may experience lasting brain changes that make it difficult to stop drinking. If you’re aware that drinking is causing health problems, such as liver issues and bruising from alcohol, but you’re unable to stop drinking on your own, it’s time to seek treatment. There are several causes of bruises after drinking; some of these causes are not particularly serious, whereas others could point to a health problem. Perhaps the most common cause of bruising from alcohol is that alcohol acts as a vasodilator, making blood vessels larger. An alcohol use disorder is a legitimate medical condition that causes lasting changes in the brain.
- Some people may also experience night sweats due to alcohol withdrawal syndrome or alcohol intolerance.
- In cases of severe impact or trauma, bruising is often unavoidable and is more extensive.
- Unfortunately, once a bruise has formed, not much can be done to treat it.
- Go to the ER right away if you get a bruise (sometimes called a “goose egg”) on your head and can’t remember what happened or think you’ve got a concussion.
We treat alcohol addictions and mental health issues in an outpatient setting. This means you can meet your daily commitments while attending therapy on weekdays. If you’re concerned about alcohol abuse, we offer personal treatment alcohol and bruising programs at Ohio Recovery in Cincinnati, OH.
- Bill received his (Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant) license from the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board in 2020.
- Bruising can also be a symptom of certain medical conditions or bleeding disorders such as cirrhosis, von Willebrand disease, Cushing’s syndrome, or hemophilia.
- If you’re on a blood thinner such as Plavix or Coumadin, you might notice you’re bruising more easily than before starting the medication.
- Because of this, you may not even know that you’ve experienced liver damage due to alcohol.
- So, why do alcoholism and bruising sometimes go hand-in-hand?
You’ll see discoloration from the bleeding under your skin, which is a bruise. Your legs and arms are the most common places to get bruises. You may get them if you had a fall, got hurt playing sports, or bumped into a piece of furniture. People over 65 years old and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) are more likely to get bruises than others because these groups generally have thinner skin and smaller blood vessels. It’s not likely, but it’s possible that your bruises are a sign of blood cancer, such as leukemia. If you also feel tired, achy, and weak all the time, or lose weight without trying to, give your doctor a call.
