Why Drinking Alcohol Can Cause Bruising

Consider drinking a glass or two of water before indulging in your favorite alcoholic beverage. One method is to alternate between alcoholic beverages and glasses of water. This will assist in avoiding dehydration and allow you to thoroughly enjoy your night without any unwanted repercussions. For resources related to AUD, including how to get support, please visit the NIH website. We’ve also partnered with Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol.

They have experienced no trauma, and the bruises they have are large and appear frequently. According to BMJ Best Practice, surveys suggest that somewhere between 12 percent and 55 percent of people have some form of easy bruising. Some of the common symptoms of alcohol dependence are not being able to restrain your consumption, withdrawal reactions, or drinking despite such negative effects. If it’s repeatedly bruising after drinking, then maybe that’s one symptom with several others that alcohol might be harming your health in general.

• Heavy drinking can also cause a deficiency of vitamin C, which is important for healing wounds and maintaining blood vessel health, further contributing to easy bruising.
• Alcohol suppresses rapid eye movement, or REM sleep, which is an essential restorative stage of sleep your body requires.
• First, alcoholics are more likely to fall and injure themselves, which can cause bruising.
• Hematomas are usually painful and may make the skin over it feel raised, spongy, rubbery, and/or lumpy.
• They bruise easier because alcohol will improve the thinning that is already taking place, and the bruises are going to be much worse.

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You may also feel sluggish, groggy, and easily irritable, mainly due to disrupted sleep or low blood sugar levels. Alcohol is one possible culprit for heartburn because it may lead to increased production of stomach acid. It can also relax the muscles leading towards your stomach, increasing the likelihood of leaking stomach acid.

Withdrawal Symptoms

The liver plays a crucial role in blood clotting, and chronic alcohol consumption can damage this organ, leading to liver disease and cirrhosis. Alcohol-related liver damage can cause increased bruising and bleeding, even with minor trauma. This is because a damaged liver may not produce the proteins required for coagulation, resulting in coagulopathy, or impaired blood clotting. Vitamin C and K deficiencies, which can be caused by alcohol abuse, also contribute to easy bruising as these vitamins aid in wound healing and clotting. 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.

So you can reduce the risk and secure your well-being too, by taking the preventive measure. After your injury, put an ice pack on it every once in a while for the first hours. Wrap the ice pack before you put it on so you don’t freeze your skin, and don’t leave it on for more than 15 minutes at a time. But if the cells that regrow your nail (called the nail matrix) are damaged, it may grow in incorrectly or you may not regrow your nail at all. These look a little like a rash with purple, red, or brown dots of blood, but they aren’t raised or bumpy.

Alcohol can affect your blood’s ability to clot, increasing the risk of bleeding and bruising

Drinking can hinder the body’s capacity to clot blood, making bruising more likely. Second, alcohol dehydrates the body, making skin more delicate and prone to bruising. Finally, excessive alcohol consumption can result in falls or other accidents that result in bruises. 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.

This article will help you understand why bruises occur after drinking, what are bruises after drinking, give tips on how to prevent them, and let you know when to visit a doctor. Let’s break down the mystery of these bruises and learn to take better care of your body. Understanding your symptoms and signs and educating yourself about health conditions are also a part of living your healthiest life. The links above will provide you with more detailed information on these medical conditions to help you inform yourself about the causes and available treatments for these conditions.

While bruising after drinking may seem a rather minor nuisance, the human body must be paid some attention. Repeated and intense bruises, combined with other symptoms, might be indicative of a problem that needs some medical attention. So through responsible drinking, keeping the body hydrated, and with the most importance on health, bruising can be reduced as well, and healthier lifestyles can be enjoyed. Alcohol would help one fall asleep sooner, but it does interrupt deeper stages of restorative sleep, especially REM. Poor sleep increases inflammation and diminishes immune function while impeding healing. The potential for bruising grows, as even sleep of poor quality may not allow that quality repair of damaged blood vessels to take place.

• It centers on being more conscious and thoughtful of how much, how often, and why you drink.
• The liver plays a crucial role in blood clotting, and chronic alcohol consumption can damage this organ, leading to liver disease and cirrhosis.
• Be responsible in your levels of intake, one drink a day for women, two for men.

What Is A Bruise?

Often, bruising after drinking is a result of falling or bumping into something. 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. Too much alcohol intake increases the likelihood of bruising but leaves your body incapable of healing and clotting blood.

If a person notices frequent or unexplained bruising, it may be a sign of alcohol misuse or alcohol use disorder. Seeking medical advice is crucial to address both the bruising and any potential alcohol-related health concerns. The combination of these factors means that heavy alcohol use can lead to frequent and noticeable bruising. If you notice that you bruise easily after one night of drinking, it may not indicate anything serious. But if you bruise more easily all the time after chronic heavy drinking, it may be a sign of significant health concern.

According to the CDC, moderate drinking is defined as having two standard drinks or less per day for men and one drink or less per day for women. All of these impairments can lead to more morning after bruises, but they can also make driving extremely dangerous. Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your cognitive functioning enough to make driving dangerous. Running into furniture, falling into a something hard, or being struck by a flying object could all leave you with bruises.

Why Do I Have Bruises After Drinking?

Bruises happen when blood leaks out of your veins and capillaries and pools under your skin because there isn’t an opening for the blood to get out of your body. Blood cells called platelets stop your bleeding, but the pool of blood under your skin can change your skin color and cause swelling, pain, and tenderness. Alcohol-induced bruises are indeed painful and unsightly, especially the alcohol bruising on arms and legs, but don’t worry!

In summary, alcohol abuse can cause liver disease, which disrupts normal blood clotting and, together with alcohol’s blood-thinning and vasodilatory effects, leads to increased bruising. Addressing alcohol misuse through treatment and lifestyle changes can help mitigate these adverse effects and reduce the risk of long-term health complications. Binge drinking alcohol can be related to alcohol use disorders or mental health conditions. Dizziness can result from alcohol intoxication, and intoxication can also lead to injuries that cause bruises.

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. Bone bruises usually last longer (1-2 months) than soft tissue bruises, and they’re more painful, but most will heal with rest and the same home care as for Drinking and Bruising other types of bruises. Your doctor will likely suggest you use a brace or crutches for bone bruises in your legs and feet. Rarely, if your bone bruise is very large, you may not recover blood flow in that area.