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.
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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.
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