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bruising and alcoholism

Alcohol-induced bruising looks similar to regular bruising, but the bruises may be larger than expected for the level of trauma or injury. In other words, bruising alone isn’t enough to diagnose alcoholism, but it can be a sign. Bruising can be one of the side effects of alcohol dependence, but it’s not the sole cause of it. A chronically damaged liver may not produce the proteins required for coagulation.

Causes Of Bruises After Drinking

Many people refer to alcoholism as a “family disease” because it can have a major impact on all members of the family whether they realize it or not. Abstaining from alcohol can help restore your nutritional health, improve your symptoms, and prevent further nerve damage. AUD and alcohol use increase the risk of various health complications.

  • Plus, you’re more susceptible to an accidental fall or bump after you’ve been drinking, anyway.
  • People who consume four to five standard drinks per day over decades can develop fatty liver disease.
  • Go to an Al-Anon or Alateen meeting or set up an appointment with a mental health professional.
  • Symptoms include burning pain in the body, hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to pain), and allodynia (a condition in which normal stimulus, like a soft touch, produces pain).

What to know about alcoholic liver disease?

In the late stages of alcoholism, the physical and psychological toll becomes increasingly severe. Individuals may display a loss of interest in previously important aspects of their life, isolation from loved ones, and an inability to function without alcohol. Severe liver damage, cirrhosis, and organ failure are potential consequences of prolonged alcohol abuse in this stage, and immediate intervention is crucial.

bruising and alcoholism

Yellowing of your skin and eyes

Alcohol and unexplained bruising could point to liver damage from drinking. Easy bruising and bleeding are signs of cirrhosis, which is a serious liver disorder. Other signs of an alcohol use disorder include spending a significant amount of time drinking, or consuming larger quantities of alcohol than intended. A person may also develop a tolerance for alcohol, meaning that they need larger and larger amounts to obtain the desired effects. Chronic alcohol misuse has a negative effect on every system of the body. Something people might notice with ongoing, severe alcohol misuse is bruising from alcohol.

Examples of alcohol-related complications that can affect multiple body systems are described below. Below are potential alcohol-related medical complications by body system. Here, we provide a brief overview of common medical problems that may be related to your patients’ consumption of alcohol. By Heidi Moawad, MDHeidi Moawad is a neurologist and expert in the field of brain health and neurological disorders.

  • Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group.
  • When it comes to understanding alcoholism, it is important to recognize that it is not simply a matter of willpower or moral failing.
  • However, eligibility may depend on being abstinent from alcohol for a specific length of time.
  • While throwing up can make you feel miserable, it is one of your body’s self-defense mechanisms to remove excess toxins from the alcohol consumed.
  • The cerebellum is particularly sensitive to severe alcohol consumption.

Start building healthier drinking habits today.

It increases the risk of various types of cancer, as well as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Another health-related risk linked to chronic alcohol misuse is liver disease, which is often the cause of bruising from alcohol. Alcoholism often manifests through physical changes in individuals. Noticeable weight loss or weight gain, flushed skin, puffy face, and bloodshot eyes can be signs of excessive alcohol consumption.

Immune system

bruising and alcoholism

Some of the symptoms of alcoholic neuropathy can be partially reversed. But if the neuropathy becomes advanced, it might not be reversible. Even though alcoholic neuropathy may not go away, there are things you can do to cope with this condition. Alcohol also alters the function of the stomach, liver, and kidneys Halfway house in ways that prevent the body from properly detoxifying waste material. This waste then builds up and harms many regions of the body, including the nerves. Fibrosis is a buildup of certain types of protein in the liver, including collagen.

bruising and alcoholism

Alcohol and Mental Health

This condition is also referred to as “alcohol-related neuropathy” to help decrease the stigma surrounding the condition. There are no medications that bruising and alcoholism can help improve loss of sensation, strengthen muscle weakness, or assist with the coordination and balance problems caused by alcoholic neuropathy. However, some people notice an improvement in symptoms a few months after discontinuing alcohol intake.

Treatment for End-Stage Alcoholism

bruising and alcoholism

Someone with decompensated cirrhosis may develop ascites (or fluid in the abdomen), gastrointestinal bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy, in which the brain is affected. Find support for yourself and other family members in a rehab family program. Go to an Al-Anon or Alateen meeting or set up an appointment with a mental health professional. At the end of the day, the person with addiction has to be willing to accept help.

  • Dr. Moawad regularly writes and edits health and career content for medical books and publications.
  • Individuals may display a loss of interest in previously important aspects of their life, isolation from loved ones, and an inability to function without alcohol.
  • If alcohol begins to interfere with daily functioning, but you have been unsuccessful with giving up drinking, seeking treatment can help you to stay committed to recovery.

Cancer

Coordination problems from alcohol consumption make injuries more likely, and since alcohol dilates the blood vessels, you’re more likely to bruise if you do fall or bump into something. Sometimes, bruising after drinking occurs because of the fact that alcohol dilates the blood vessels. When blood vessels are dilated, you’re more likely to experience a bruise after bumping into something. This effect may explain why you’re waking up with bruises after drinking.