Years and years of sunning yourself can weaken the walls of your blood vessels. This can make them vulnerable to damage that leads to bruises. 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. But if you notice that you’re bruising more easily than usual, or the bruises are larger and are accompanied by other symptoms, it’s best to follow up with a healthcare professional.
This can affect the health of other types of blood cells, such as platelets which are needed for blood clotting. They can also affect skin health, making it bruise more easily. Newborns often have very low levels of vitamin do alcoholics bruise easily K, which are insufficient to stop bleeding. Without a vitamin K injection at birth, babies may bruise easily or bleed excessively. Adults with low vitamin K levels may also notice a sudden increase in bruising.
What am I lacking if I bruise easily?
Finally, alcoholics may have a deficiency of vitamin C, which is important for healing wounds. If you bruise easily and are worried that it may be a sign of alcoholism, talk to your doctor. If blood clots form in unbroken blood vessels, they can be dangerous. Blood thinning medications (anticoagulants) and anti-platelet drugs are prescribed to prevent clots from forming or stop blood clots from becoming larger.
Easy bruising can be a sign of an underlying condition and a higher risk of bleeding overall. Risk factors for easy bruising include older age and taking blood-thinning medications. A doctor can perform tests to see whether a person has a vitamin deficiency. In other cases, an underlying health condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, may need addressing. Hemophilia involves low levels of blood clotting factor VIII (hemophilia A) or factor IX (hemophilia B).
When to see a doctor about bruising
A person with a genetic bleeding disorder has a higher risk of bruising and excessive, possibly life threatening bleeding. The bruises will look like regular bruises, but they can be larger. Some people bruise more easily than others, and the bruising can take longer to heal. After all, heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of serious injuries from falls, burns, and motor vehicle crashes.
- Platelets help the blood clot, so a low level of them can cause easy bruising.
- A doctor can perform tests to see whether a person has a vitamin deficiency.
- Hence, drinking alcohol makes it harder for your immune system to gear up and mount a defense response against invading pathogens and viruses.
- Some, but not all, late-stage alcoholics end up homeless.
With a stone bruise, you may notice pain or tenderness when you press on that point on your foot, pull up on your toes, or flex your foot upward. It can be caused by wearing old or worn-out shoes while you train, running or walking on hard surfaces like concrete, or training for too long. You may get it if you hit your thumb with a hammer or stub your toe, but you may also get it from wearing tight shoes or training for a marathon. At the time of injury, your nail may feel sore or tender, but the pressure that builds up under your nail as the blood pools can cause severe pain. Your nail may lift off your finger or toe, and the color of your nail may change. You should go see your doctor if you’re bleeding and it won’t stop, the pain is too intense, or you see a lot of damage to the base of your nail.