It is known that alcohol has been a gift to humans since the written history began. Its use can stimulate the nerves of a person and make him forget all his miseries and pains for sometime. It is now even used by doctors to give it to their patients as prescriptions as a remedy for many diseases or illness. It does not have any ill effects if its consumed quantity is controlled.
10 Facts About Alcohol
Below are 10 facts relating to it’s effects, treatments and possible health risks.
1. Alcohol is a depressant.
2. Alcohol can cause both short-term and long-term effects.
3. Even a small amount of alcohol can impair the judgement that is required to safely operate an automobile.
4. Alcohol can, and often does, result in serious side effects if consumed with certain medications.
5. Parents who consume alcohol excessively are much more likely to pass this trait onto their child. One of the most well known facts about alcohol is that expectant mothers who consume alcohol may give birth to a child who suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
6. If consumed over a prolonged period of time, alcohol may cause damage to major organs, including the liver and/or the brain.
7. In some states, one DUI (Driver Under the Influence) charge may result in probation, jail time, license revocation, a fine or a combination of the aforementioned penalties.
8. Drinking on an empty stomach may increase the likelihood of actually becoming drunk.
9. Alcohol in the home is a temptation, so the removal of it will help to lessen the possibility of consumption.
10. Prolonged consumption of alcohol may result in substantial weight gain which, in turn, can have negative effects on the heart.
Find out more about what alcohol could be doing to your body and life, plus information on treatment for alcoholism.
Too much alcohol causes serious health risks, but also serious social effects.
Besides immediate conditions such as skin problems, nausea and headaches, drinking carries with it serious long-term health risks.
Alcohol Information: Alcohol Health Effects
Health risks associated with heavy drinking may include blood clot problems leading to heart disease, liver inflammation or cirrhosis (possibly fatal scarring), stomach ulcers and ruptures from vomiting, lung problems and nutritional deficiencies. Too much alcohol also causes sexual problems (for example excessive alcohol inhibits the nerves necessary for a man to have an erection), eventual osteoporosis and even death.
For example, there is substantial evidence that people who drink alcohol heavily (roughly, over 22 units or 11 pints of beer a week) are twice as likely to die from a stroke or heart attack. An increased cancer threat has even been noted: even moderate alcohol drinkers increase their chances of suffering from breast cancer, and heavy drinking is implicated in stomach and lung cancer.
Furthermore, drinking piles on the pounds, contributing to excess weight and obesity. One glass of white wine has 85 calories, a gin and tonic 140 and a pint of beer can contain up to 300 calories. In fact, drinking a couple a gin and tonics a night for a month will add 4lbs to your total body weight.
Alcohol Brain Risks: What Can Alcohol Do to Your Brain?
Scientists agree that alcohol is toxic and that chronic alcohol abuse can damage all organs – including the brain – to various degrees. Research has consistently shown that alcohol has a negative effect on the brain, motor function and thought processes. There is proof that significant damage can be done in several regions of the brain after only four days of drinking, that it occurs during intoxication, and that the process is primarily necrotic, meaning that brain cells are irreversibly damaged. In other words, alcohol-induced brain damage occurs during intoxication as well as during recovery.
In the day-to-day life of an alcoholic or binge drinker, this means a decreased ability to learn, to recall, to make decisions, and perhaps to sense and appreciate life to the full. “Alcohol selectively suppresses the brain areas needed to incorporate new information into correct motor function,” says Dartmouth brain science professor John D. Van Horn. In other words, alcohol suppresses activity in brain regions most commonly associated with the brain’s ability to monitor and process visual feedback. “We know that alcohol has a global effect on the brain. The poor coordination one feels after a couple of drinks is due to the poor processing in brain areas critical for models for motor function,” continues Van Horn.
It is generally believed that only alcoholics have a problem, but studies show that binge drinking also affects cognitive performance.
“There is evidence that repeated, abrupt increases of alcohol levels in the brain, followed by abstinence, induces more damage in the brain than the same amount of alcohol taken uninterrupted in the same length of time,” says Theodora Duka, professor at the University of Sussex.
The Social Effects of Alcohol
The effects of alcohol reach beyond the physical. Drunkenness or hangovers can jeopardise jobs and cause financial worries and even the loss of a home. As many as fourteen million days are lost in workplaces in the UK due to alcohol-related problems. Being drunk also reduces judgement, increasing the chance of unsuitable behaviour that could lead to criminal charges or other legal consequences.
Alcohol may also be detrimental to relationships and families, since being intoxicated changes a person’s behaviour, often making them aggressive or irresponsible and losing the respect of those around them. Alcohol increases the chances of having an argument or physical fight, straining relationships and possibly leading to divorce or domestic violence. This in turn impacts negatively on the children.
Furthermore, alcohol lowers inhibitions, sometimes leading to unsafe sex which could cause sexually transmitted diseases or unplanned pregnancies. Surveys suggest that after drinking, one in seven 16-24 year olds have unsafe sex, and one in five have sex they later regret.
Alcohol and Alcoholism: Drinking Problem Treatments
Treatment for alcoholism or an alcohol problem is not only about stopping a person drinking. Social support or coping strategies for cutting out alcohol must also be addressed in order to prevent a relapse.
Alcoholism Treatment: Detoxification by completely stopping alcohol consumption is a way of treating the physical effects. This is not always necessary for binge drinkers. Another option is to ration alcohol or drink only in moderation, although this is not advisable for people who have an alcohol addiction or an inability to control alcohol consumption
Alcoholism Treatment: Medication helps reduce cravings and minimises withdrawal symptoms
%u2022 Alcoholism Treatment: Behavioural therapy improves coping skills and can help you understand the psychological issues that compel you to drinkAlcoholism Treatment: Self help and support groups can take place at night without interfering with employment, and work well for people who are able to manage their own treatment
Alcoholism Treatment: For people who need continuous treatment, day programs at hospitals aim to reduce stress and prevent relapses, making use of group sessionsAlcoholism Treatment: For people who have serious medical or psychological problems or need a longer-term structured situation or a detox, inpatient treatment at a hospital may be an option
Alcoholism Treatment: Multivitamins, especially B vitamins, may help overcome the physical effects
Quotations about Alcohol
- Stay busy, get plenty of exercise, and don’t drink too much. Then again, don’t drink too little. ~Herman “Jackrabbit” Smith-Johannsen
- Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. ~Ernest Hemingway
- I think a man ought to get drunk at least twice a year just on principle, so he won’t let himself get snotty about it. ~Raymond Chandler
- It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are disguised by sobriety. ~Thomas de Quincy, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, 1856
- Sometimes when I reflect back on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, it is better that I drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver. ~Jack Hande
- When the wine is in, the wit is out. ~Proverb
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