Content
They aren’t caused by bumping into something, they don’t usually feel tender when you touch them, and they take longer to heal. You’re most likely to see them on the backs of your hands and arms. You bang your toe on the closet door, and before too long, it turns a garish black and blue. But sometimes you spot a bruise and you can’t figure out how you got it.
- Ever looked down at your arm or leg and wondered, “Where did that bruise come from?
- An intervention from loved ones can help some people recognize and accept that they need professional help.
- Even a single binge can cause serious irregular heartbeats called atrial fibrillation.
- It’s important to consider this possibility, especially if the bruises can’t be explained or if the explanations change or don’t match the injury.
- Labs at admission were significant for hemoglobin (9.2 mg/dl), hematocrit (26.8%), reticulocyte index (1.4), mean corpuscular volume (105.2 fl) and platelet count (64,000/μl).
This article explores the early signs and symptoms of alcoholic liver disease, its stages, causes, risk factors, treatments, and prevention. Neurologic examination showed intact power and sensation to pain, pressure and vibration. Systemic examination was significant for smooth liver margin palpable at least 2 cm below the costal margin with a liver span of approximately 9 cm and splenomegaly. Labs at admission were significant for hemoglobin (9.2 mg/dl), hematocrit (26.8%), reticulocyte index (1.4), mean corpuscular volume (105.2 fl) and platelet count (64,000/μl). Coagulation profile showed prothrombin time 25.1, activated partial thromboplastin time 44.2 and international normalized ratio 2.43. Individual coagulation factor assays are shown in table table1.
Fatigue and lack of energy
Cirrhosis damage is irreversible, but a person can prevent further damage by continuing to avoid alcohol. There are normally no symptoms, and alcoholic fatty liver disease is often reversible if the individual abstains from alcohol from this point onward. Alcoholic liver disease is liver damage from overconsuming alcohol.
What do alcoholics face a higher risk of?
Long-Term Health Risks. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.
That could represent a larger bleed under the skin, especially if you’ve had a significant fall or injury, Waldman said. Therapy and counseling play a vital role in addiction recovery. May be needed if doctors suspect a bone marrow disorder.
Support Your Recovery
Symptoms tend to be worse after a period of heavy drinking. Steroids like prednisone can also cause easy bruising, because they thin the skin. If you notice this happening, don’t stop taking your medication, but do talk to your doctor about it. Excessive drinking can affect your alcohol and bruising nervous system, causing numbness and pain in your hands and feet, disordered thinking, dementia, and short-term memory loss. It may also cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders . FASDs can cause a child to be born with physical and developmental problems that last a lifetime.
Drinking a small amount can help people feel relaxed, but too much, too often, can be harmful for health. Antirejection medications after transplant can increase the risk of serious infections and certain cancers. As the liver no longer processes toxins properly, a person will be more sensitive to medications and alcohol. Alcohol use speeds up the liver’s destruction, reducing the liver’s ability to compensate for the current damage. Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease.
Liver disease
Severe alcoholic hepatitis can come on suddenly, such as after binge drinking, and can be life threatening. In mild alcoholic hepatitis, liver damage occurs slowly over the course of many years. Alcoholic fatty liver disease can be reversed by abstaining from alcohol for at least several weeks. The early stages of alcohol-related liver disease often have no symptoms.
Existing scar tissue in your liver can’t be reversed, but you can still prevent further damage and preserve the rest of your liver by quitting. You have to quit completely, and forever, but you can recover. Imaging tests to visualize your liver and look for signs of inflammation and damage, such as an ultrasound, FibroScan® , CT scan or MRI. Cirrhosis further worsens the condition and can lead to serious complications.
Heavy Drinking
Alcohol is one of several substances that can damage your liver. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause fat to build up in your liver. This can lead to inflammation and an increase in scar tissue, which can seriously impact your liver’s ability to function as it should. Seeing your doctor regularly can help your doctor identify and treat any underlying health conditions early.
- If you show up at the doctor’s office looking pale, especially around the eyes, and complaining of constant chills and exhaustion, your doctor is likely to test for iron deficiency.
- Alcohol-induced hepatitis begins quietly, often without symptoms.
- Genetic factors can influence how your body processes alcohol as well as your risk for alcohol-related liver disease or alcohol use disorder.
- In case of severe damage, the liver cannot heal or return to normal function.
- People with severe alcohol dependency may stay at an inpatient rehabilitation facility for closer monitoring.
- But your central nervous system slows down, and the signal is impaired.