17 HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF ALCOHOLISM - GEOGRAFÍA - 2024

The consequences of alcoholism can be physical, psychological and social, and are more serious the more frequent the consumption, both in adolescents, as well as in young people and adults.

Drinking too much at one time or frequently can have serious detrimental effects on your health. It is currently particularly worrisome in young people, who have increased alcohol consumption in recent years.

Alcohol addiction, or alcoholism, is medically diagnosed as a disease that manifests itself with frequent use of alcohol, despite the negative repercussions and risks it has on people's lives.

The short-term effects of drinking too much differ depending on the person's weight, other physical conditions, and whether or not they consume while fasting. Although at the beginning the effects are pleasant, after a while the incoordination, memory and vision loss arrive… On the other hand, these short-term effects can be even worse if alcohol is consumed together with other psychoactive substances.

Long-term binge drinking causes brain cell death, which can lead to mental disorders, as well as a decreased level of mental or physical function.

Liver damage caused by alcohol can result in cirrhosis, a severe medical condition that may require a liver transplant. Also, pancreatitis, a serious inflammation of the pancreas, can develop.

Next we will look at the physical, psychological, social and personal / relational consequences.

Physical consequences

Alcohol is a water-soluble substance and circulates freely throughout the body, affecting cells and tissues, begins a process of metabolic changes, which in its first stage gives rise to acetaldehyde, which is more toxic than alcohol.

The oxidation of alcohol in the tissues (mainly in the liver) determines an important use of substances that exist in a limited way and are essential for the proper metabolism of fats.

When alcohol consumption is excessive, the waste of these substances causes serious alterations in the metabolism of fats, which results in fatty liver or hepatic steatosis, which if not controlled with the suppression of alcohol consumption would later lead to the liver cirrhosis, one of the most serious and frequent complications of alcoholics.

Some of the physical consequences are:

Produces anemia

Drinking too much can cause the amount of oxygen carried by red blood cells to decrease.

This condition, known as anemia, can lead to symptoms like fatigue, breathing problems, or headaches.

Increase your chances of having a heart attack

Drinking frequently (several times a week) or drinking too much at one time can lead to heart problems such as:

• High blood pressure.
• Cardiomyopathies.
• Arrhythmias
• Stroke.

In 2005, researchers from Harvard University found that the risk of death in people who had suffered a heart attack was double if they drank.

Has damage to the liver

Drinking alcohol frequently can seriously damage your liver:

• Fibrosis.
• Cirrhosis.
• Hepatitis.

Produces cancer

Although alcohol is not a determinant of cancer by direct action on the tissues, it is a very effective solvent for carcinogenic substances and allows their free circulation throughout the body, which increases the risk of cancer of the tongue, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as colon, rectum, breast and lung cancer.

Alcohol can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer:

• Liver.
• Throat.
• Larynx.
• Mouth.
• Colon.
• Straight.
• Mother.
• Lungs
• Esophagus.

Scientists believe the risk comes when the body converts alcohol into acetaldehyde, a potent carcinogen.

Cancer risk is even higher in drinkers who also smoke.

Produces high blood pressure

Alcohol results in high blood pressure due to the exaggerated ingestion of lipids and the effect on the adrenal glands that produce cortisone.

Alcohol can modify the functioning of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the constriction and dilation of blood vessels in response to stress, temperature, or exertion.

High blood pressure can lead to many other health problems: heart disease, kidney disease, or stroke.

The functioning of the respiratory system worsens

Chronic alcohol ingestion can cause the decline of important cellular functions in the lungs.

Produces skin problems

Chronic and excessive use of alcohol is associated with a wide range of skin disorders: hives, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and rosacea.

Produces sexual dysfunctions

Long-term alcohol use can cause damage to the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, resulting in a loss of sexual desire and impotence in men. This is produced by the reduction of testosterone due to atrophy of the testicles.

Alcoholic beverages are depressants of sexual function. In normal people who occasionally drink excessively, the temporary depressant effect on the nervous system, on the brain and spinal cord, acts as a blocker of the reflexes that largely determine erection and ejaculation.

Impaired immune system function

Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making it easier for the body to contract diseases.

Chronic drinkers are more likely to get illnesses like pneumonia or tuberculosis than people who don't drink alcohol.

On the other hand, drinking too much at one time can lower your body's ability to fight infection, even 24 hours after getting drunk.

Visit this article to learn how to raise your defenses.

The functioning of the pancreas worsens

Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can lead to inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which in turn prevents proper digestion.

Produces drop

It is a painful condition that is formed by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints.

Although it is often hereditary, alcohol and other foods also influence its development.

Produces difficulties in pregnancy

Preterm births and intrauterine death can occur because the child is not prepared to neutralize the action of alcohol and metabolize it.

Births of children with liver damage have been observed due to the fragility of this gland.

Alcohol can also cause mental retardation in 30 to 40% of births, as well as abnormal behavior, personality disorders and antisocial behaviors.

Psychological consequences

As for the psychological consequences, there are several: it affects decision-making, loss of self-control, loss of self-awareness, loss of appetite, depression, anxiety and violence in relationships. The most important ones are:

It affects the functioning of the brain

Alcohol interferes with the way neurons in the brain communicate and affects how the brain works.

This can cause changes in mood and behavior and make it difficult to think clearly or move in coordination.

As you age, your brain shrinks 1.9% on average every decade. However, alcoholism increases that speed in certain regions of the brain, resulting in memory loss and other symptoms such as dementia.

Produces depression and anxiety

Depression, anxiety, and panic attacks are disorders commonly reported by alcohol-dependent people.

It has been known for years that depression often occurs in conjunction with alcoholism, although there has been a debate as to which of these comes first - drinking or depression.

A long study in New Zealand showed that it is frequent drinking that leads to depression.

Produces psychosis

Psychosis is secondary to other conditions caused by alcohol. Alcohol use has been shown to cause an 800% increase in psychotic disorders in men and 300% in women who have not had other mental illnesses.

The effects of a psychosis caused by alcohol intake include an increased risk of depression and suicide, as well as psychosocial disorders.

Produces insomnia

Chronic alcohol use can lead to insomnia, as well as disturbances during dreams.

Decrease social skills

Social skills decline in people who suffer from alcoholism due to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol on the brain, especially the prefrontal cortex.

The social skills that are affected include: perceiving facial emotions, facial expressions or the ability to understand humor.

On the other hand, there are studies that have shown that alcohol dependence is directly related to irritability.

Social consequences

The social consequences and damages according to the WHO are clear: 3.3 million people die in the world each year due to the harmful consumption of alcohol, which represents 5.9% of all deaths.

In the United States and Canada alone, alcohol abuse causes more than 100,000 deaths a year. It is the leading cause of death in adolescents due to road accidents.

Other social costs are:

• It harms primary social relationships, such as family.
• Millionaire economic costs per year, both from the state and from people who spend too much on alcohol.
• Loss of labor productivity.
• Sexual assaults on drunk people.
• Violence: Excessive alcohol consumption is related to intimate partner violence.

Personal consequences

• Increase the chances of being robbed, kidnapped or raped.
• Domestic violence
• Antisocial or criminal behavior.
• Have traffic or home accidents.
• Losing your job due to absence or poor performance.
• Make personal relationships worse.
• Lower sports and sexual performance.

How to know if a person is an alcoholic?

A person would be an alcoholic if they met the following patterns:

• Not being able to stay 2 days in a row without drinking.
• Not being able to control yourself when you start drinking.
• Needing alcohol to meet the demands of life.

Most adults will not experience harmful effects with small amounts of alcohol per day. For example, a small glass of wine or a can of beer. This level of consumption can even lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia.

Maximum recommended amount

Depending on the country in which you live, one amount or another is recommended as a maximum.

For most the maximum for men is 140g-210g per week. For women the range is 84g-140g per week.

Of course, it is necessary to have total abstinence during pregnancy or lactation.

Why is it important to know the effects of alcohol?

According to the World Health Organization:

• Harmful use of alcohol is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases and disorders.
• Every year 3.3 million people die in the world as a result of the harmful use of alcohol ¹, which represents 5.9% of all deaths.
• Overall, 5.1% of the global burden of disease and injury is attributable to alcohol consumption, calculated in terms of disability-adjusted life expectancy (VAD). ^two
• Alcohol use causes death and disability at a relatively young age. In the age group of 20 to 39 years, 25% of deaths are attributable to alcohol consumption.
• Causal relationships have recently been determined between harmful use and the incidence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV / AIDS.
• Beyond the health consequences, the harmful use of alcohol causes significant social and economic losses, both for individuals and for society as a whole.

And you have a problem with alcohol? I am interested in your opinion. You can comment in the comment section. Thank you!

Other studies

It's true that research has shown that moderate alcohol consumption can have certain benefits. Moderate consumption would be a glass of wine a day or two beers.

Therefore, what does not have any benefit is alcoholism, that is, frequent and excessive consumption. Although I'll focus more on the benefits in another article, one of the benefits of moderate consumption is longevity.

In 2010, a long-term study in the elderly population confirmed the beneficial effects of moderate drinking. Both abstainers and alcoholics showed an increase in the mortality rate of 50% over moderate drinkers.

Other animal studies have found increased longevity with exposure to various types of alcohol.

As I mentioned in an article I wrote about beer, 2 glasses a day is recommended.

Other possible benefits demonstrated in research have been (with moderate consumption, with excessive consumption the benefits turn into damages):

• The consumption of coffee, alcohol and vitamin C are negatively associated with the formation of stones in the kidneys.
• Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
• Lower risk of osteoporosis.