Certain physical signs and symptoms might indicate that you’ve developed an alcohol addiction. Symptoms of alcoholism vary, but in this piece we’ll focus on some of the physical signs of alcohol dependence. It can help to give you a clearer picture of the ailments, sensations and changes to your body that might happen as a result of alcoholism. do alcoholics bruise easily 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. Examples of drinking in dangerous situations include driving while under the influence or drinking before operating some form of heavy machinery.
Think you have a drinking problem?
The liver makes proteins that the blood needs for clotting, so if it’s not doing its job, you may bleed or bruise more easily. It could be a sign that you’ve got a condition called cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver. 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.
Common Bruise Locations
But esophageal varices are prone to rupture, and when they do, the alcoholic can bleed to death. Those in the end stage of alcoholism, or late or deteriorative stage, are consumed by their drinking. Years of chronic alcohol consumption have ravaged their body and mind, and their lives revolve around little else other than the bottle. The mental and physical health of alcoholics are rapidly deteriorating at this stage, and unless they seek alcohol rehab, they may drink themselves to death.
Other physical signs of alcoholism
- Reducing weight if you’re overweight, eating a healthy diet, and regular exercise can help someone with early ALD who has stopped drinking decrease their risk of advanced liver disease.
- For many, this is a problem that will keep us tossing and turning at night, leading to alcohol affecting our sleep.
- Unhealthy alcohol use includes any alcohol use that puts your health or safety at risk or causes other alcohol-related problems.
- With mastocytosis, too many mast cells (a type of white blood cell) grow in the body.
People diagnosed with a mast cell disorder also may bruise easily. These immune system disorders, with subtypes that range from the comparatively mild to life-threatening, are genetic and rare. Easy bruising can indicate low iron levels but there are a number of other potential causes. Your healthcare provider can discuss the potential benefits of iron supplements with you.
The Psychology of Craving: How Beliefs Drive Temptation
Older adults often bruise more easily because the skin becomes less flexible with age, and there is less fat to protect the blood vessels. There are factors that pop up again and again when determining who might have an issue with alcoholism. If you’re in the “at-risk” population, it doesn’t take much to become dependent on alcohol or other drugs. Having hepatitis C or other liver diseases with heavy alcohol use can rapidly increase the development of cirrhosis. Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.
Permanent Damage From Alcoholic Liver Disease
This can lead to bruising even when there is no trauma to the skin. Alcoholics may also have darker bruises due to the increased https://ecosoberhouse.com/ amount of blood in their body. If you notice that you or someone you know is bruise easily, it may be a sign of alcoholism.
Some Physical Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction
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. These conditions can cause organ damage, so if you suspect you have vasculitis, you should go see your doctor. Blood thinners such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin can cause you to bleed and get bruises more often. Steroids and some cancer drugs (chemotherapy and targeted therapy) may also lower your platelet levels, which can cause you to bleed and get bruises more than you usually do.
- Call your doctor if your symptoms don’t start to get better in a few days or if you have any symptoms of an infection, such as a high fever.
- Cushing’s is most often caused by long-term use of corticosteroid medications, but it can also be caused by a tumor.
- 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.
- Ditto if they start to appear after you’ve started a new medication.
- You should also seek medical attention if your bruises appear on parts of your body where injuries are unlikely to occur, like your torso, back, face or on the backs of your hands.
- One of the diagnostic criteria that points toward an alcohol use disorder is continuing to drink, even in the face of consequences.
- These conditions can cause organ damage, so if you suspect you have vasculitis, you should go see your doctor.
- But long-term and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to liver inflammation (liver hepatitis).
- Effective addiction treatment providers will have addiction counselors, but they should also have mental health services as many people with alcoholism have co-occurring mental health conditions.
- When you get an injury, blood may leak from the vessels (veins and capillaries) under your skin.
Most bruises form when small blood vessels (capillaries) near the skin’s surface are broken by the impact of a blow or injury — often on the arms or legs. When this happens, blood leaks out of the vessels and initially appears as a dark mark. Eventually the body reabsorbs the blood, and the mark disappears. However, easy bruising can sometimes be a sign of a more serious problem. If you’re experiencing easy bruising, you might have questions about what’s causing it and what you can do about it.
It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male has five or more drinks within two hours or a female has at least four drinks within two hours. Alcohol can lead to problems such as fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis. This can develop into alcohol hepatitis, which is the inflammation of the liver. This is called ‘alcohol flush reaction’ 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.
In social situations, they may be unable to stop drinking when others do and find that they can’t handle as much as they previously could without becoming drunk. Blackout episodes, where the individual does not remember what they’ve said or done while drinking, may occur. Sunnyside is the leading alcohol health platform focused on moderation and mindfulness, not sobriety. On average, members see a 30% reduction in alcohol consumption in 3 months, leading to improved sleep, diet, and overall wellbeing.
