Alcohol consumption: health consequences

For many people, alcoholic beverages are an integral part of every holiday or party. Often when consuming another glass of wine or a glass of strong alcohol, one does not think that in addition to pleasant feelings, intoxicating liquid is also harmful. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to irreversible consequences: severe pathologies of the nervous system and other systems of the body are found at certain stages of alcohol dependence.

What is alcohol

Scientifically speaking, alcohol is directly ethyl alcohol. Ethanol is a colorless liquid with a special taste and odor. This type of alcohol is produced by fermentation or artificially. The substance is used as a disinfectant, fuel, solvent. In everyday life, alcohol is called beverages that contain different concentrations of ethanol.

alcoholic beverages and the consequences of their use

What are the harmful effects of alcohol

Once in the human body, alcohol acts as a solvent, destroying the fatty membranes of red blood cells. As a result, the blood cells stick together. Such formations can block blood flow in the small capillaries. The process leads to the fact that the brain does not get enough oxygen and nutrients, its cells die. Central nervous system dysfunction contributes to the dysfunction of other organs. Large amounts of alcohol cause chronic, irreversible pathologies.

What happens if you drink

The consequences of alcohol consumption are related to the toxic effects of ethyl alcohol on men and women. The severity of the side effects of the drinks depends on the strength, amount and frequency of the drinks. Drinking small amounts of alcohol at important events is not necessarily harmful. Excessive use threatens the development of alcoholic encephalopathy, the development of addiction, disruption of internal organs, social degradation, and other negative consequences.

Moderate use

According to some experts, moderate alcohol consumption in the amounts allowed by the WHO does not cause great harm to the body, is not addictive and does not lead to a state of intoxication. Alcohol in small doses may be beneficial in disease prevention as it forces the defense systems to function. It should be recalled that this method of preventing disease is very dangerous, especially for people genetically predisposed to alcoholism.

Daily use

Representatives of the World Health Organization warn that regular daily use of ethanol is strictly prohibited. If you drink every day, you run the risk of gradually becoming addicted. There is a danger of losing control, a desire to increase the dose systematically - this is a direct path to alcoholism, to the acquisition of mental and physical health disorders. We recommend that you take a break for several days to allow the toxins to leave the body.

alcohol consumption

Abuse

The body perceives the increased dose of strong alcohol as a poison, so it hurts itself, even if it is rarely drunk. Large amounts of alcohol have a negative effect on the brain, liver, cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. Continuous alcohol abuse can lead to long-term addiction, with irreversible consequences.

Alcohol dependence

Once in the body, increased alcohol levels can cause permanent dependence. This can be explained by the toxic properties of ethanol. Alcoholism is a disease characterized by the constant, uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, an abnormal attraction to a state of intoxication, and a change in alcohol tolerance. Experts identify the following signs of the disease:

  • Presence of alcohol withdrawal syndrome - when a patient refuses to drink alcohol, the patient experiences negative physical and psychological changes.
  • The urge to drink appears in all situations of emotional significance.
  • Behavioral changes: memory problems, aggression, lack of desire to communicate with loved ones, etc.
  • Lack of system, alcohol consumption can last more than a day (eating).
  • Increased tolerance to ethyl alcohol, increased alcohol rejection threshold.
  • Constant hangover, desire to drink to relieve symptoms.
  • Presence of certain external manifestations (bruises, thickening of the veins, rapid aging of the skin).

When a person is considered an alcoholic

Experts recommend separating household drunkenness from alcoholism. In the first case, a person can afford to drink systematically, however, stopping the use of alcoholic beverages does not have serious consequences, aggression is arbitrary. This condition is not considered a disease. An alcoholic is a person with alcoholism. He cannot control his desire to drink, the amount of alcohol he consumes, he is prone to binge drinking.

male alcoholism and its consequences

Causes of occurrence

Anyone can become addicted to alcohol if they cease to rule themselves, as certain cultural peculiarities make people drink intoxicating drinks during hours of joy, sadness, and holidays. There are 2 groups of citizens who are particularly prone to ethanol dependence. Experts identify the following causes of alcoholism:

  • Hereditary tendency. People whose ancestors include alcoholics have access to genetic material responsible for the high risk of alcohol dependence.
  • Psychological factors. Emotional experiences (job loss, unhappy love, death of loved ones) can cause alcohol dependence. One tries to drink alcohol to relax, to avoid moral trauma. As a result, he is constantly craving ethanol.

How alcoholism develops

A dangerous factor in the development of alcoholism is that the patient may develop a lasting addiction unnoticed. A person starts consuming alcohol in public on holidays or drinking from time to time to calm his nerves. Ethanol should not cause negative reactions at this stage. Feelings of relaxation and fun lead to more frequent alcohol consumption. As a result, the person becomes addicted, starting to show symptoms of alcoholism. Gradually, the personality declines, the physical desire for alcohol appears.

Stages of alcoholism

Experts distinguish 3 degrees of alcoholism. Each section is characterized by the following factors:

  • First degree - at this stage of the disease, the patient often craves alcohol. If you are not satisfied, it will disappear after a while. When the patient drinks, control over the amount of alcohol consumed is sharply lost. The person becomes aggressive, irritable, episodes of memory loss occur. Every intoxication has one reason or another that the patient invents to justify it. The alcoholic no longer evaluates it as a negative phenomenon.
  • The second stage is characterized by an increase in tolerance to alcoholic beverages. At this stage, physical dependence develops: withdrawal symptoms, headache, thirst, irritability, hand and body tremors, sleep disturbances. Complications can occur if the eating is abruptly interrupted.
  • The third stage - the desire for alcohol increases. Mental disorders occur which lead to amnesia. Physical, social and personal degradation is on the rise. Hard drinking causes severe exhaustion of the body, if discontinued without medical intervention, metal-alcohol psychosis can occur.
one drinks whiskey, what are the consequences

The life expectancy of an alcoholic

It is impossible to give a clear answer to the question of how long alcoholics live, as each person’s body reacts individually to ethyl alcohol. An important factor is the quality of the drinks and the amount they consume. Drinking a glass of good wine with dinner can lead to a long, happy life. Many scientists say some people may even benefit from this.

Inexpensive drinks, the use of a substitute can cause not only damage to internal organs but also acute poisoning. According to statistics, the average life expectancy of an alcoholic is 48-55 years. However, the period may be shorter for women, heavy drinkers, and those who began consuming alcoholic beverages as teenagers. Patients with stage 3 addiction have the highest risk of death. They die of severe organ pathologies and live 6-7 years after such a diagnosis.

Consequences of alcohol consumption

Excessive alcohol consumption at any age increases the risk of diseases of the body systems, disrupts the activity of the human brain. The consequences of such processes are irreversible changes in the psyche, a decrease in social activity, and physical damage to the patient. With regular use, a person experiences constant poisoning, which causes the deposition of harmful substances in the body.

Social aspects

Alcohol dependence not only directly affects the patient himself, but also his family, social circle, and career. The patient is struggling economically as they spend a lot of money to buy alcohol. In addition, addiction can lead to workplace problems, as the alcoholic is unable to perform his or her duties properly and misses work days due to a hangover.

Constant drunkenness also has a devastating effect on the patient’s family. This is because conflicts become more frequent, the patient becomes aggressive. The lives of an alcoholic and others are threatened by drunk driving. Driving after consuming alcoholic beverages significantly increases the likelihood of accidents. Drunk people are more likely to commit a crime.

alcohol dependence and its consequences

Health consequences

Alcohol dependence has a significant impact on a patient’s physical and mental health. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can have the following consequences of alcoholism:

  • The toxic effects of ethanol on nerve cells (nerve cells) and brain structures begin as soon as small doses of the substance enter the body. Experts detect violations of the activities of the control centers, failure of the regulatory mechanisms of the cortex. Such processes contribute to rapid mood swings, partial loss of control over actions, irritability, aggression, and the occurrence of mental disorders.
  • Abnormal processes in nerve cells adversely affect the functioning of the senses, the patient's intellectual abilities and memory. With systemic consumption of alcohol, chronic encephalopathy is observed and cerebral infarction is possible. Prolonged alcohol consumption provokes Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease.
  • Cerebral vessels become brittle, aneurysms can develop with subsequent ruptures. There is an increased risk of blood clots, blood supply disorders, atrophic phenomena of the auditory and optic nerves, and ischemic stroke of the spinal cord and brain. Chronic alcoholism gradually leads to an irreversible mental illness, a complete decline in personality.
  • Cardiovascular consequences of alcohol consumption: cardiomyopathy with heart failure, hypertension prone to rupture of arteries, veins, aneurysms, ischemia, myocardial infarction, blockade and arrhythmias.
  • The negative effects of frequent alcohol consumption on the human reproductive system are deterioration in germ cell viability and maturation, the development of infertility, and a high risk of congenital fetal abnormalities. For men, the danger is a decrease in erection, which leads to the gradual development of impotence. In addition, long-term use causes permanent hormonal disorders.
  • Common consequences of alcoholism are necrotic ulcerative and inflammatory processes in the stomach (gastritis, peptic ulcer), pancreatic lesions accompanied by chronic pancreatitis and diabetes mellitus. Gradually, doctors notice the exhaustion of the whole body, which is associated with metabolic disorders and decreased appetite. It is possible for oncological diseases of the stomach and intestines to appear.
  • Experts consider liver disease to be the most dangerous consequence of systemic drunkenness. The cells of the organ cannot cope with chronic poisoning, which is why alcoholics often suffer from fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatitis.

How often do you drink alcohol?

The World Health Organization, by setting a certain safe daily dose of alcohol, warns that daily drinking poses a threat to the body’s normal functioning. It is recommended to take breaks to prevent the development of pathological conditions. Experts advise you to consume alcoholic beverages no more than 1 time in 3 days, and you should do so with a minimal dose.

wine and the consequences of its use

Safe daily dose of alcohol

The standard dose of alcoholic beverages set by the WHO is equal to 10 g of pure ethanol. This dose is called a drink or unit. The equivalent is 330 ml of beer, 150 ml of dry wine, 45 ml of strong alcohol. The World Organization has defined the following safe daily alcoholic beverages:

  • For men - 4 drinks, equivalent to 100 g of vodka, 3 glasses of dry wine, 1-2 cans of beer.
  • For women, the safe dose is 3 units, which is 1-2 glasses of dry wine, 80 g of vodka, 1 bottle of beer.