Alcohol Use:- Alcohol dependence or alcoholism is a serious medical condition characterized by excessive alcohol consumption. This condition affects the mental and physical condition of the person and those around them. Anyone can become prone to alcohol abuse, but it usually occurs in people who are experiencing stress in their lives. Excessive alcohol consumption can damage all organs of the body, but has a particularly negative effect on the person’s pancreas, liver, heart and immune system.
When a person tries to stop drinking right away, they experience a number of withdrawal symptoms. Prolonged drinking increases the person’s tolerance to drink, which means the person needs to drink more drink. Alcohol Addiction Disorder is binge drinking, which may result in the person experiencing the same effect. This is a serious condition that can affect the well-being of the person and those around them. drink addiction is treated by rehabilitation and counseling of the patient, while at the same time administering drugs to treat the withdrawal symptoms.
Alcohol Use
Alcohol Use: is a chemical that has a depressant effect on the central nervous system, meaning it inhibits a person’s ability to think clearly. It also blocks the brain’s inhibitory center that prevents us from making or making decisions that may be harmful to us. However, when someone drinks alcohol, this center becomes weakened and stops functioning properly, causing the person to do some things that they normally wouldn’t do.
This means that the person cannot limit their drink consumption and therefore indulges in binge drinking. Excessive amounts of drink can cause life-threatening damage to the liver, but also to the heart, brain and other organs. If an alcohol use disorder is not treated promptly, it can even lead to the death of the person due to the complications of the alcohol use disorder. In the following article you will learn all about alcohol dependency, the symptoms, who is at risk of developing drink dependency, the short and long-term health risks and how alcohol dependency can be treated.
Follow US On Social Media
Alcohol Use Details
| Article Name | Alcohol Use |
| Category | Health |
| Official Website | Click Here |
Excessive and Moderate Drinking
Moderate Alcohol Use consumption does not harm the body and does not lead to serious consequences. Excessive drink consumption has been defined by many institutions as follows.
- For Men- A man is said to a heavy drinker when he consumes more than 6 drinks in a day of any type of alcohol.
- For Women- A woman is said to a heavy drinker when she consumes more than 5 drinks of any type of drink in a day.
A moderate amount of drinking is defined according to various types of alcohol. A standard drink could any of the following.
- 355 mL of regular beer (5% alcohol)
- 237 to 266 mL of malt liquor (7% alcohol)
- 148 mL of wine (12% alcohol)
- 44 mL of hard liquor or distilled spirits (40% alcohol)
Consuming drink in the above amounts is considered moderate drinking and will not result in the long-term effects of binge drinking.
Symptoms of Alcohol Use
Alcohol Use addiction can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the severity of the symptoms the person is suffering from. The person should monitor themselves for the following symptoms and seek help if they have more than 3 symptoms.
- The person will not be able to limit the amount of alcohol they drink in a day.
- Feeling strong cravings for drink that can lead to aggressive behaviour.
- Failure at school, work, and relationships.
- Always trying to cut down on alcohol but unable to do so.
- Driving or swimming while being intoxicate.
- Developing an alcohol tolerance, requiring the person to drink more drink to get the same effect.
- Giving up their social life and obligation to drink more alcohol.
- Continuing to drink drink even though they know that it is affecting their physical, mental and social health.
- When a person tries to stop drinking drink suddenly, they experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These can cause increased heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing, agitation, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, irritation and restlessness, and often seizures. These symptoms can be extremely severe and even affect the person’s ability to function normally.
- When a person tries to stop drinking alcohol suddenly, they experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These can cause increased heart rate, rapid and shallow breathing, agitation, hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, irritation and restlessness, and often seizures. These symptoms can be extremely severe and even affect the person’s ability to function normally.
Also Check:- Pregnancy Week 1 Symptoms
Risk Factors of Alcohol Use
There are many factors that influence a person to develop an Alcohol Use addiction. If any of the factors listed below apply to you, you are at an increased risk of becoming dependent on alcohol.
Start Drinking At An Early Age
A person who started drinking at a young age does not know how to properly limit their alcohol consumption and is at risk of developing drink dependence disorder.
Family History
The risk of developing alcohol dependence is higher in people whose family members have the condition.
Regular Drinking
People who drink Alcohol Use at regular intervals are also at a risk to develop an addiction to drink if they do not control their habits.
Mental Problems
People who suffer from mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder are more prone to developing alcohol dependence disorder. They use drink as an escape from their problems.
Peer Pressure
Many teenagers become addicted to alcohol after being force to try it by their peers. These youngsters can easily lose control and abuse drink.
Stress
People who are under a lot of pressure at work or in relationships are more prone to developing alcohol addiction.
Trauma
Persons who have suffered a lot of physical or mental trauma can also lean towards drink in order to avoid feeling their pain and trauma.
Problems With Work And Relationships
When a person is struggling at work or in their relationships, they may start drinking alcohol, which can become addictive as they start liking the intoxication.
Diagnosis of Alcohol Use
Alcohol Use dependence can diagnosed either by the individual or by a professional doctor. The diagnosis is made base on the person’s medical history and tests are done to see if the person’s organs are damaged.
Physical Test
Your doctor will first perform a physical test to look for signs of alcohol abuse in your body. Liver damage can present as jaundice, which can easily checked through the person’s eyes.
Ask about Your Drinking Habits
Your doctor will then ask you about your drinking habits, e.g. B. how often you drink per day, week and month and what type of alcohol you drink. Your doctor will also consult with your family and friends.
Lab Tests
Your doctor will do blood tests and urine tests to determine if there is an abnormality in how your body is working. Liver tests are also done to determine if cirrhosis of the liver is present.
Imaging Tests
Your doctor will also do imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans to get a better look at the structure of your organs like your liver, heart, and brain. Prolonged exposure to alcohol is known to lead to atrophy of brain structure.
Psychological Evaluation
Your doctor will also conduct a psychological evaluation of your mental state to look for the cause of your alcohol dependence. This can help the doctor identify signs of depression, anxiety, and stress that could lead to drink addiction.
Also check:- Dengue Infection
Short Term Health Risks
An Alcohol Use disorder can result in a variety of short- and long-term health risks. Below are many of the most common short-term effects of drink use disorder.
Increased Feeling Of Self Confidence
The patient feels increased self-confidence and good mood, which may lead to doing irrational things, such as driving while drinking. This can endanger your life and the lives of others.
Pancreatitis
Alcohol Use addiction can lead to inflammation of the pancreas. This can cause problems with your digestion and other functions of your pancreas. Therefore, it can also lead to an increased blood sugar level.
Liver Problems
Prolonged drink consumption can damage your liver and lead to tissue degeneration. This can lead to serious problems with digestion and other bodily functions.
Stupor
People who have consumed excessive amounts of drink may experience a state of drowsiness. In this condition, there is poor judgment, nausea, vomiting, and fainting spells where the person cannot remember anything that happened.
Respiratory Depression
Respiratory depression is a condition in which the person’s breathing rate is extremely low. This can be life-threatening if the breathing rate becomes too slow.
Coma
If the person has too much drink in their blood, it can cause damage to brain cells and tissues, which can cause the person to go into a coma.
Increased Use Of Alcohol
The person can no longer control their urges and begins drinking more alcohol to stay intoxicated. This can cause damage to the person’s body.
Bleeding In Gastrointestinal Tract
The person also experiences bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, which can brought on by coughing. The person should see their doctor right away for a check-up.
Check also:- RT PCR Test COVID 19 Report
Long Term Health Risks
Alcohol Use abuse disorder has many long-term effects on the person’s body if they don’t limit their alcohol consumption. The main health risks associated with an drink use disorder are list below.
Liver Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis of the liver is a serious complication that is common in patients with drink dependence. Cirrhosis of the liver means that a person’s liver is deteriorating and is no longer able to perform its functions. Severe cases of liver cirrhosis are treat with a liver transplant.
Heart Damage
Heart damage is common in people with drink addiction. Alcohol Use can damage your heart tissue and even lead to a heart attack.
Diabetic Complications
Alcohol Use consumption can also cause diabetic complications like hypoglycemia because it interferes with the release of glucose from your liver. Insulin also lowers the amount of glucose in your blood, putting your life at risk.
Sexual Dysfunction
Drink also affects the normal functioning of the reproductive system. Men tend to have erectile dysfunction and women tend to have irregular periods.
Digestive Problems
Alcohol Use disrupts the normal functioning of the digestive system. The patient may suffer from bleeding in the digestive tract, ulcers in the esophagus and inflammation of the stomach lining. This also affects the absorption of some nutrients, such as vitamin B.
Birth Defects
Pregnant women who drink regularly give birth to babies with birth defects such as missing limbs, congenital heart defects, and developmental disabilities. Drink consumption can also lead to miscarriage in women.
Weak Immunity
An Alcohol Use abuse disorder tends to weaken the person’s immunity, leaving them vulnerable to frequent infections. These infections can also lead to serious problems and complications for the patients.
Increased Risk Of Cancer
It is known that long-term alcohol consumption is a risk factor for the development of cancer. Cancer of the digestive tract, oral cavity, lung, liver and breast cancer are associated with excessive drink consumption.
Neurological Complications
Excessive amounts of drink can cause a number of neurological problems in the patient, such as: B. Depression, mental confusion, incoordination, anxiety, dementia and even short-term memory loss.
Drug Interaction With Alcohol
If you are taking any type of medication, drink can interfere with the way your medication works or react with it, producing toxic substances that can harm your body.
Read This:- Eczema
Treatment of Alcohol Use
Treatment plans are base on the severity of the alcohol addiction and the needs of the patient. An alcohol use disorder can resolved through the intervention of family members along with professional help. Treatment may include the following methods:
Detoxification And Complete Withdrawal
The first stage of treatment involves creating a detox program to get rid of alcohol’s toxins, and then limiting the amount of drink you consume each day. To avoid severe withdrawal symptoms and reduce drink dependence, the amount of alcohol is reduced at regular intervals.
Psychological Counselling
The person also undergoes psychological counseling to manage any underlying psychological problems caused by an alcohol addiction. This also helps the individual understand their problem and motivates them to do better.
Medications
Oral and intravenous medications can given to prevent drinking. The drug most commonly used for this is disulfiram. Drinking alcohol while taking this medicine will cause severe physical reactions such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Naltrexone and acamprosate are also use to treat drink addiction. Vivitrol is a drug that is given intravenously and works similarly to naltrexone.
Support Of Family Members
A person can recover faster if they have the support of their family and loved ones. This gives them the feeling that they are not alone and that they can overcome their addiction.
Treatment Of Medical Complications
The affected person also receives treatment for any drink-related complications, such as liver damage, so the person’s life is not in danger.
Development Of Healthy Habits
The sufferer should try to develop new habits and hobbies that do not involve drink. This distracts them from the urge to drink Alcohol Use and also boosts their confidence.
Work On Yourself
The person should try to improve their personality and develop new hobbies to improve their confidence and lifestyle. This can help them gain a new perspective on life and thereby change their feelings about life.
Yoga
Yoga can help the person relax and gain more focus and concentration. Yoga has many physical and psychological benefits that can improve an individual’s overall health.
Alcohol Use FAQ’S
What is alcohol consumption?
Several health benefits may result from moderate alcohol consumption, including: Decreasing your gamble of creating and passing on from coronary illness. Possibly lowering your risk of diabetes and ischemic stroke, which occurs when the blood vessels that supply your brain become severely congested or blocked.
What is the everyday utilization of liquor?
Risks for long-term health Excessive alcohol consumption can result in the development of chronic diseases and other serious issues over time, such as: Heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive issues are all possibilities. Breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum cancer are all types of cancer.
Is drinking alcohol safe?
Drinking alcohol is linked to a number of short- and long-term health risks, such as car accidents, violence, sexual risk behaviors, high blood pressure, and various cancers (such as breast cancer). The more alcohol you consume, the greater your chance of suffering these side effects.
Related Post:-