Are There Any Links Between My Easy Bruising and Alcohol Consumption?
If you are someone who is afflicted by easy bruising, you’ll find that you need to identify those factors that might make it worse, and this is when alcohol should come into the discussion. Lots of people who find that they bruise easily end up suspecting that alcohol intake might be a factor, and they would find that their suspicions were correct. When you are trying to find the culprit behind bruises that can be received from simply brushing against a counter, or that you can get without any memory of the cause at all, you may find that it is the proper time to look into your alcohol consumption.
To begin with, question yourself about how alcohol intake can affect your bruising. The first thing to do is to think about what amounts to a bruise. A bruise is basically caused by the rupturing of capillaries just under your skin. As the blood leaks out, it forms pools or clots beneath the skin, causing the bright and vivid colors that are the visible proof of the bruise. While a main source of bruising is having thin capillary walls, this is really not the area where alcohol is involved. Instead, alcohol acts to thin the blood. Just as aspirin and some other forms of prescription medication do, alcohol thins your blood, which can then negatively impact clotting so that you bleed more freely.
The place where this thinner blood intersects with bruising is due to the fact that when you bump yourself and break some of your capillaries, even if you are not aware of it, alcohol slows your body’s ability to keep the blood from flowing so freely. When there is alcohol in your system, your body’s ability to staunch the blood flow is going to be impaired, and this can make what would have been a light bruise look much more dramatic. When you want to make sure that your bruises do not look quite so dark, or so dramatic, you should seriously consider cutting back on your alcohol intake.
If you are worried about the effects of alcohol or other blood thinners on your susceptibility to bruising, you’ll discover that the answer is increasing your iron intake, which is essential for good blood production in your body. It can help you with faster blood clotting, and it will contribute towards your immune system by helping to keep it strong. Foods that are rich in iron include liver as well as dark green and leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach (whats the old saying about if it tastes good, it cant be good for you?).
Use some time to really study what the connection between your alcohol consumption and easy bruising could be for you. This may require that you simply cut back a little on the quantity of alcohol that you drink, or it could mean a real change to your drinking habits.