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Alcohol Abuse Effects

Alcohol Abuse Effects

Before you can discuss alcohol abuse effects, it is important to define what abuse is. It is generally accepted that consumption of alcohol beyond two units a day for a woman and three units a day for a man, can pose grave health risks.

A person who regularly drinks more than the recommended daily limit of alcohol may face health hazards like weakened functioning of all major organs of the body. While the physical alcohol abuse effects cannot always be reversed, the other side effects may be reduced once drinking has stopped.

Although the guideline limits are clear you and I both know that some people seem able to drink a great deal more than this without getting into trouble. One day however this level of heavy drinking may well take its toll. The other point is that some people have a predisposition to addiction–others do not.

I have known strong young people die within 24 months of embarking on a pattern of heavy drinking. On the other hand I've known people who constantly drink above the limits yet live to a ripe old age. Sadly it is almost impossible to tell which category someone falls into until it's too late.

Alcohol Abuse Effects: Health Hazards

Since alcohol abusers lack a proper diet generally, they tend to suffer from malnutrition due to the absence of almost all essential nutrients from the body. A heavy drinker may suffer from increased chances of low blood sugar because alcohol diminishes discharge of glucose from the liver. This happens especially if the person is already a diabetic and is dependent on insulin.

There are several grave risks to heavy drinking; it can lead to increased chances of damage to heart muscles, cardiac arrest, and high blood pressure. It may also cause erectile dysfunction and even impotence in men. Increased intake of alcohol in women may adversely affect the menstruation and result in foetal alcohol syndrome and other birth defects if it is carried on during pregnancy.

Alcohol adversely affects the nerves, causes nervous disabilities, and weakens the mental ability. Heavy drinkers are often depressed and are easy prey to cancer of the alimentary canal and of the liver.

Other Alcohol Abuse Effects

Alcohol abuse often results in failure of relationships and a poor performance in work. Obviously the best way to fight the menace of alcohol is to resist the intake of large amounts in the first place, wouldn't it be great if life were that simple.

Early medical help is best for a person who cannot control his/ her alcohol intake and who knows it has resulted in a lack of performance. A proper diet is advisable to an alcoholic along with dietary supplements.

Supplements like Centrum, Supradyn Forte and salmon oil tablets should be taken by heavy drinkers. This should ideally be done after reducing the intake of alcohol as they lack the necessary nutrition required by the body.

By definition alcoholics are very dependent on alcohol and cannot control their desire for it. Withdrawal symptoms start as early as a few hours after the last intake when the effects start to reduce. So a person finds it hard to resist the temptation to drink. This withdrawal consists of nauseating illness, trembling, intense desire for alcohol, sweating etc.

Therefore, an alcoholic generally goes back to drinking to rid himself of these symptoms – it becomes a vicious circle.

Read more about alcohol abuse effects on the following pages:

Liver Disease And Alcoholism
Liver disease is a rather broad term that describes any of a number of diseases that can affect the liver.

Liver Cirrhosis And Alcoholism
Cirrhosis of liver is a reference to any kind of liver disease. It is evidently a serious problem if this organ is affected.

Alcohol And Blood Pressure
Let's see how alcohol and blood pressure are related. High consumption of alcohol leads to high blood pressure levels in people suffering from hypertension or can cause the situation in people with normal blood pressure.

Alcoholic Hepatitis
Drinking alcohol excessively is associated with severe liver damage and inflammation— alcoholic hepatitis.

Breastfeeding And Alcohol
The strands to the breastfeeding and alcohol debate are numerous. Some people say that it does not do much harm, some people say that it does.

Diabetes and Alcohol
Why discuss diabetes and alcohol on this site? Diabetes is a disease that should be taken seriously.

Alcohol And Zoloft - A Dangerous Combination?
Do alcohol and Zoloft go together? Let's try to answer this question.

Alcohol Depression - How To Brake The Cycle
People with depression often use alcohol as self-medication which can lead to alcohol depression!

Alcohol Poisoning Disturbing Facts
Every year, approximately fifty thousand people are diagnosed with alcohol poisoning in the United States.

Facts On Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (or ‘foetal’ in UK spelling) is not just something that happens to other people and you need to know the facts about this before it happens to you and your baby.

Use Of Alcohol And Cholesterol Levels
What exactly is the connection between alcohol and cholesterol? And what is the effect of alcohol on your cholesterol? That is a question asked by many people.

Alcohol And Heart Disease
Is there any connection between alcohol and heart disease? One of the most important relationships in your life may very well be the one between alcohol and your heart.

Alcohol And Prednisone Interaction
There has been some controversy as to whether or not alcohol and prednisone are dangerous together.

Alcoholic Neuropathy - One Of The Dangerous Alcohol Abuse Effects
Alcoholic neuropathy is one of the many nerve disorders that are associated with alcohol abuse.

Combining Antibiotics And Alcohol
Antibiotics and alcohol are two very common substances, but have you ever stopped to think about what might happen when you mix the two?

Korsakoff Syndrome And Alcoholism
Korsakoff syndrome is a brain disorder that is caused by a vitamin B1 deficiency.

Long Term Effects Of Alcohol
Many people who drink never think about the long term effects of alcohol on their bodies and minds.

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