Author: Charles Frank

Why Drinking Alcohol Can Cause Bruising

Mood swings, depression and feelings of guilt and shame are common. As alcohol consumption increases, the liver adapts to break down alcohol more quickly. Over time, repeated alcohol exposure also alters a person’s brain chemistry. To counteract the sedating effects of alcohol, for example, the brain increases the activity of excitatory neurotransmitters, which speed up brain activity. Stopping alcohol abruptly after long-term heavy drinking can also lead to alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which commonly manifests as symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.

As alcohol dries the skin, our natural defence against pathogens, this can also lead to repeated skin infections. End-stage alcoholics are also at a high risk of dying from accidents, trauma and suicide. It’s common at this point for alcoholics to have lost their jobs as well their friends and family. Mindful drinking offers that middle ground where you’ll proactively improve your drinking habits without any pressure to quit. It centers on being more conscious and thoughtful of how much, how often, and why you drink. As a result, you’ll enjoy better sleep, improved mood and energy, and fewer wellness issues.

Myth: Drinking one glass of alcohol a night has no impact on your health.

Well, alcohol intake may lead to night sweats by speeding up your heart rate and widening your blood vessels, triggering the release of perspiration. Hence, drinking alcohol makes it harder for your immune system to gear up and mount a defense response against invading pathogens and viruses. As a result, you may find yourself having frequent sore throat pains, catching colds and infections more often.

Changes in your skin

This effect may explain why you’re waking up with bruises after drinking. 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. After all, heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of serious injuries from falls, burns, and motor vehicle crashes. One of the diagnostic criteria that points toward an alcohol use disorder is continuing to drink, even in the face of consequences. These consequences can include relationship problems, difficulty fulfilling duties at work or home, or a worsening of health problems.

Think you have a drinking problem?

1. First, alcoholics are more likely to fall and injure themselves, which can cause bruising.
2. Alcohol use disorder includes a level of drinking that’s sometimes called alcoholism.
3. For the average healthy guy (say, drinking one or two drinks per night, or fewer than 14 drinks per week) the alcohol-related effects on bruising are temporary, and no real cause for concern.
4. For many, this is a problem that will keep us tossing and turning at night, leading to alcohol affecting our sleep.

The early or adaptive stage of alcoholism marks the beginning of an alcoholic’s struggle with addiction. At this point, drinking is no longer just a casual social activity — it’s become a daily habit that may be used to cope with stress, anxiety or other emotional problems. 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.

Stopping is impossible at this point without professional help because of the severe and potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms that would occur if they quit cold turkey. At this stage, the alcoholic may appear to be functioning normally and is unlikely to have performance problems at work, school or in other settings. In fact, they may mistakenly believe that drinking actually helps them to function better. Additionally, heavy drinkers usually get most of their calories from alcohol.

How Mindful Drinking Helps Improve your Physical Wellness

If you’re aware that drinking is causing health problems, such as liver issues and bruising from alcohol, but you’re unable to stop drinking on your own, it’s time to seek treatment. 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. Liver cirrhosis is linked to bleeding complications and can even lead to the formation of a large type of bruise called a hematoma. Finally, one potentially serious cause of alcohol and bruising is alcohol liver disease. As liver functioning declines from chronic alcohol misuse, a person is likely to bleed and bruise easily.

Focusing All Attention On Drinking

It affects more men than women and is fatal 10 to 20 percent of the time. 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. Dilated blood vessels can make bleeding more likely when you drink. If you have cirrhosis from alcohol liver damage, you’re also more likely to bleed and bruise easily.

Is Bruising A Sign Of Alcoholism?

There are many facial signs of alcoholism, but one of the most common signs is redness in your face. For the average healthy guy (say, drinking one or two drinks per night, or fewer than 14 drinks per week) the alcohol-related effects on bruising are temporary, and no real cause for concern. By this stage, their drinking is taking an obvious physical toll as well.