Is Bruising A Sign Of Alcoholism? - Daddy Tv

Your doctor will likely have you describe your symptoms, examine current bruises and ask for information about any history of bleeding problems in you or your family. You should bring a list of the medications you are taking to the appointment, as some drugs can increase your risk of bruising. To find the cause of your bruising, your health care provider will likely do a physical exam and ask questions about your symptoms and medical history. Your provider might also check your blood platelet levels or do tests that measure the time it takes your blood to clot. However, if the disease progresses, it is often not reversible. Medications and lifestyle modifications may also be prescribed depending on the stage.

The Physical Signs of Alcoholism Explained

Take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen. Check with your doctor before using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin or ibuprofen, because these can make bleeding and bruising worse. 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. We don’t mean you woke up with a black-and-blue mark because you bumped into something after one too many cocktails. But if you often drink a lot of alcohol and you tend to get a lot of bruises, it may mean you’ve got liver problems.

Medications That Can Cause Easy Bruising

• People with medium skin tones may see more red and yellow color in their bruises than people with lighter or darker skin tones.
• Delirium tremens symptoms typically begins about three days after other withdrawal symptoms start.
• In these cases, treatment focuses on preventing further damage and treating other factors that can make the disease worse, such as infection and malnourishment.
• However, giving up alcohol right away isn’t sustainable or desirable for most people.
• With alcohol, our consumption and dependency grow over time, ever so subtly.
• The discoloration you see as a bruise on the surface of your skin is from blood that has pooled in or under your skin.

In our blood there are tiny particles called clotting factors and platelets; their job is to form clots only when the vessel wall is damaged (when you are wounded). It was very surprising for me to know that we damage our vessels every time you scratch your hand, kick the ball or keep your arm on the armrest for a long time! Micro-bleeds form at the location of these unnoticeable injuries and clotting factors along with the platelets take care of these micro-bleeds. When some of these factors are lost or dysfunctional your body will not be able to fix these micro-bleeds and they will turn into bruises.

leukemia and bruising

Skin in older adults is generally thinner, which can increase your risk of bruising. A bruise is a discolored mark on your skin that forms when blood vessels under your skin break and leak. They can be caused by several things, such as an injury, certain disorders, or certain medicines.

When to See a Doctor About Your Bruises

Alcoholism is one of the organs most affected by alcoholism. It can lead to liver problems including fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis. This can develop into alcohol hepatitis, which is the inflammation of the liver. This is called ‘alcohol flush reaction do alcoholics bruise easily and it happens when your body is unable to fully digest all the alcohol you’ve consumed. This means that the toxins in alcohol, including acetaldehyde, can build up in your body. In response, blood vessels in your face dilate – causing redness.

• Ecchymosis (pronounced eh-kuh-mow-sis) is the medical term for a bruise.
• Doctors first ask questions about the person’s symptoms and medical history.
• Alcohol can have a damaging effect on many aspects of our lives, even if we only consume it in small amounts.
• An assessment of alcohol use will establish when alcohol consumption started, how much a person drinks, and how often.
• Alcoholic cirrhosis is a progression of ALD in which scarring in the liver makes it difficult for that organ to function properly.
• You may get a bruise from a bump or injury to the skin or the tissues beneath the skin.

Here’s why some people bruise more easily than others

They may have such a high tolerance that they do not show any overt signs of intoxication, despite drinking large amounts. Zinc deficiency or vitamin B or K deficiencies, for instance, sometimes manifest as bruising. With platelet disorders, such as thrombocytopenia, there may be an underproduction or overproduction of platelets in the body, or platelets that don’t work normally. “In the case of too few platelets, the body won’t be able to control bleeding after experiencing physical trauma,” Dr. Johnston says. “Without these proteins, excessive bleeding and bruising can occur,” Dr. Johnston says. Anti-inflammatory medications, like steroids (used to treat conditions such as asthma, hives, psoriasis and allergies), can also cause easy bruising, thanks to their skin-thinning effects.

Alcoholic cirrhosis is a progression of ALD in which scarring in the liver makes it difficult for that organ to function properly. Symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, muscle cramps, easy bruising, and jaundice. Anyone who notices they are bruising more often or more easily than usual should seek medical advice to rule out other health issues or seek treatment as appropriate. Rarely, an increase in bleeding and bruising may be a sign of leukemia. Purpura is more common in people with light skin, but anyone can develop it.

Mental health

Middle-stage alcoholics may become irritable or angry if confronted about their drinking. Mood swings, depression and feelings of guilt and shame are common. By the time they’ve reached the third and final stage of alcoholism, drinking has consumed their lives. Their alcohol withdrawal symptoms are so severe that they must drink continually to avoid them. In the beginning stages of alcoholism, drinking escalates and the individual develops an increased tolerance for alcohol.

“There are many genetic blood abnormalities that can cause easy bruising,” Dr. Kappel says. There are more than 100 types of liver disease, according to the American Liver Foundation. On top of that, your blood vessels become more fragile, so even the slightest bump can leave a mark. Anemia may be your first thought, but it’s not always the case.