9 Reasons You Bruise So Easily, and What to Do About It

Bruising happens when capillaries break open under your skin, causing bleeding within the skin tissue. If you need help because of domestic violence or sexual assault, talk with a healthcare professional, or access resources and assistance through our domestic violence resource guide. It’s also important to be aware that unexplained bruising may be a sign of domestic violence or assault. Healthcare professionals are required by law to ask you questions to make sure you’re safe in your domestic situation.

Medical Professionals

While bumping into something while drinking may seem relatively harmless, the truth is that excessive drinking can set you up for serious injuries from falling or other accidents. Furthermore, in extreme cases, bruises from drinking can be a sign of liver damage, which can be dangerous. According to the National Library of Medicine, a bruise is a mark under the skin, usually painful and swollen, that occurs because of blood trapped beneath the skin’s surface. When a person gets a bruise, some sort of injury crushes blood vessels, but the skin does not break and cause external bleeding. Alcoholic jaundice is usually found in the progressive, final stages of liver disease. Hence, seeking professional medical advice is crucial if you notice such symptoms.

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The bruises will look like regular bruises, but they can be larger. People taking medication who notice an increase in bleeding or bruising should consider asking a doctor whether their medication can cause bleeding. They may wish to alcoholism symptoms discuss the risks and benefits of continuing treatment. A bruise develops when blood vessels sustain damage and blood leaks into tissues under the skin. This causes the characteristic black or purple color of a bruise.

• Your provider might also check your blood platelet levels or do tests that measure the time it takes your blood to clot.
• As people get older, the skin becomes thinner and loses some of the protective fatty layer that helps cushion blood vessels from injury.
• In this condition, the body makes too much of a hormone called cortisol.

Bleeding Disorders

“As you age, your skin becomes thinner and you start to lose some of the fat on your body that would otherwise act as protection against injury,” Dr. Johnston says. “Both of these conditions make you more susceptible to developing bruises.” 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. Alcohol is a major contributing factor to liver disease, but the condition can also result from cancer and other health issues. Because of the severity of the disease, medically monitored alcohol detox is a necessity.

• Skin in older adults is generally thinner, which can increase your risk of bruising.
• Unfortunately, once a bruise has formed, not much can be done to treat it.
• We can help you check your insurance coverage and work out costs you might need to pay out of pocket.
• I am originally from Wisconsin but settled in the Cincinnati area in my early 20s.
• But esophageal varices are prone to rupture, and when they do, the alcoholic can bleed to death.
• Work performance usually suffers at this stage, and impairment in the workplace is common.
• Patrick is uniquely qualified to be helpful because of the specific combination of his academic background and his own experience in recovery.

leukemia and bruising

It’s much less common, but severe and unexplainable bruising can be a sign of a blood cancer, such as leukemia. “There are many genetic blood abnormalities that can cause easy bruising,” Dr. Kappel says. On top of that, your blood vessels become more fragile, so even the slightest bump can leave a mark. Below, a highlight reel of possible reasons behind your bruises to help you — with an assist from your doctor — get to the bottom of why you’re always black and blue.

In most of these cases, your doctor will likely run tests to determine why you’re bruising so easily, such as tests that measure how quickly your blood clots or determine your blood platelet levels. “When your own immune system attacks blood cells or the actual blood vessels themselves, it increases the risk of bruising,” Dr. Kappel says. From taking certain medications to an underlying blood clotting disorder, figuring out exactly why you’re bruising so easily can help you put together a successful treatment plan. People tend to bruise more easily with age because blood vessels weaken and the skin thins.

Iron

• Mood swings, depression and feelings of guilt and shame are common.
• Often, bruising after drinking is a result of falling or bumping into something.
• One of the diagnostic criteria that points toward an alcohol use disorder is continuing to drink, even in the face of consequences.
• When drinking becomes compulsive, as is the case with alcohol use disorder, a person may place themselves in danger when consuming alcohol, because drinking becomes more important than safety.

Research studies on the association between weight gain and alcohol consumption have ended in conflicting results. In other words, weight gain isn’t inevitable, but you could still tip the scale up from drinking too much alcohol. In this guide, we’ll explore 15 short and long-term signs that you’re drinking too much, including symptoms that don’t necessarily involve a hangover. Unfortunately, once a bruise has formed, not much do you bruise easier when drunk can be done to treat it. Most bruises eventually disappear as the body reabsorbs the blood, although healing might take longer as you age. Older people can have fragile skin and blood vessels, making bruising more likely.

Is Bruising A Sign Of Alcoholism?

Von Willebrand disease, the most prevalent bleeding disorder, affects about 1% of the population. A person with this condition has little or no von Willebrand protein, which is important for blood clotting. Synthetic hormone treatment can improve blood clotting in people with the condition. These physiological changes contribute to the increasing tolerance seen in early-stage alcoholics. Despite heavy alcohol consumption, they may show few signs of intoxication or ill effects from drinking, such as a hangover. And as tolerance builds, they’ll begin to drink more and more to achieve the same buzz or high they’re used to.

This is usually achieved if you consume five or more standard drinks on a single occasion for men or four or more drinks on a single occasion for women. Bruises that take a long time to heal or getting bruised for no apparent cause could be signs of a bleeding disorder. And when the blood vessels underneath your skin break, it causes blood to leak out. Aspirin – often prescribed to prevent platelets from worsening the risk of cardiac disease or stroke – can also reduce platelet function. Hemophilia A is seen almost exclusively in men and is caused by a genetic reduction in Factor VIII (a key clotting factor). Both men and women can have von Willebrand Disease, which involves reduced production or function of another key clotting factor.

Why do I bruise so easily?

Bruising also can occur due to bleeding disorders or other rare medical conditions. Over time, drinking a lot of alcohol can cause many health problems. It increases the risk of many types of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Chronic alcohol misuse can also lead to liver disease, which often causes bruising.