For many people, alcoholic beverages are an integral part of any holiday or party. Often, when drinking another glass of wine or a glass of strong alcohol, one does not think about the fact that in addition to the pleasant sensations, the intoxicating liquid is harmful. Excessive alcohol consumption leads to irreversible consequences: at certain stages of alcohol dependence, severe pathologies of the nervous and other systems of the body are found.
What is alcohol
Scientifically speaking, alcohol is directly ethyl alcohol. Ethanol is a colorless liquid with a specific taste and smell. This type of alcohol is obtained by fermentation or artificially. The substance is used as a disinfectant, fuel, solvent. In everyday life, alcohol is called beverages that include ethanol in various concentrations.
What is the harm of alcohol
Once in the human body, alcohol acts as a solvent, destroying the fat membrane of red blood cells. As a result, the blood cells stick together. Such formations can block the flow of blood in small capillaries. The process leads to the fact that the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, its cells die. Malfunctions of the central nervous system contribute to the dysfunction of other organs. Large amounts of alcohol cause chronic, irreversible pathologies.
What happens if you drink
The effects of alcohol consumption are related to the toxic effects of ethyl alcohol on the bodies of men and women. The severity of the side effects of drinks is related to their strength, quantity and frequency of drinking. Drinking small amounts of alcohol at important events may not be harmful. Excessive use threatens the development of alcoholic encephalopathy, addiction, dysfunction of internal organs, social degradation and other negative consequences.
Moderate use
According to some experts, moderate alcohol consumption in quantities permitted by the WHO does not cause much harm to the body, is not addictive and does not lead to a state of intoxication. Alcohol in small doses can be helpful in preventing disease as it forces the immune systems to work. It should be remembered that this method of disease prevention is very dangerous, especially for people with a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.
Daily use
Representatives of the World Health Organization warn that the daily use of ethanol is strictly prohibited. By drinking every day, one risks gradually becoming addicted. There is a risk of loss of control, a desire to systematically increase the dose - this is a shortcut to alcoholism, the acquisition of mental and physical health disorders. It is recommended to take breaks of several days to remove toxins from the body.
Abuse
The body perceives increased doses of strong alcohol as a poison, so you get hurt, even if you drink infrequently. Large amounts of alcohol adversely affect the brain, liver, cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. Constant alcohol abuse can cause constant addiction, leading to irreversible consequences.
Alcohol dependence
Once in the body, elevated levels of alcohol can cause permanent dependence. This is explained by the toxic properties of ethanol. Alcoholism is a disease characterized by constant, uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, pathological attraction to a state of intoxication and a change in tolerance to alcohol. Specialists identify the following signs of the disease:
- The presence of alcohol withdrawal syndrome - when the patient refuses to drink alcohol, the patient experiences negative physical and psychological changes.
- The desire to drink appears in any situation with emotional significance.
- There are changes in behavior: memory lapses, aggression, lack of desire to communicate with loved ones and others.
- Lack of system, alcohol consumption can last more than a day (binge drinking).
- Increased tolerance to ethyl alcohol, increased alcohol rejection threshold.
- Constant hangover, desire to drink to relieve symptoms.
- The presence of certain external manifestations (bruising, thickening of the veins, rapid aging of the skin).
When a person is considered an alcoholic
Experts recommend separating domestic drunkenness from alcoholism. In the first case, a person can afford to drink regularly, but stopping the use of alcohol does not have serious consequences, aggression occurs at will. This condition is not classified as a disease. An alcoholic is a person suffering from alcoholism. He is unable to control his desire to drink, the amount of alcohol consumed and is prone to excessive drinking.
Causes
Anyone can become addicted to alcohol if they lose control, as certain cultural characteristics provoke people to drink intoxicating drinks in the hours of joy, sadness and holidays. There are 2 groups of citizens who are particularly prone to ethanol addiction. Experts identify the following causes of alcoholism:
- Hereditary predisposition. People who have alcoholics among their ancestors can obtain the 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 addiction. One tries to drink alcohol to relax, to avoid moral trauma. As a result, he acquires a constant thirst for ethanol.
How alcoholism develops
A dangerous factor for the development of alcoholism is that permanent dependence can occur unnoticed by the patient. One begins to drink alcohol in companies on holidays or to drink from time to time to calm the nerves. Ethanol may not cause adverse reactions at this stage. The feeling of relaxation and fun leads to an increase in alcohol consumption. As a result, the person becomes addicted, he begins to show symptoms of alcoholism. Gradually there is a breakdown of the personality, there is a physical desire for alcohol.
Stages of alcoholism
Experts distinguish 3 degrees of alcoholism. Each stage is characterized by the following factors:
- First degree - at this stage of the disease the patient often has a desire to drink alcohol. If he is not satisfied, he disappears after a while. When the patient drinks, there is a sharp loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed. The person becomes aggressive, irritable, there are episodes of memory loss. Every drunkenness has one reason or another that the patient invents to justify it. The alcoholic ceases to evaluate it as a negative phenomenon.
- The second stage is characterized by increased tolerance to alcoholic beverages. At this stage, physical dependence is formed: symptoms of withdrawal, headache, thirst, irritability, tremor of the hands and body, sleep disorders. Complications can occur with an abrupt cessation of overeating.
- The third stage - the desire for alcohol increases. Mental disorders leading to amnesia occur. Physical, social and personal degradation is increasing. Hard drinking provokes severe exhaustion of the body, if stopped without medical intervention, metal-alcohol psychosis can occur.
Life expectancy of an alcoholic
It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question of how long alcoholics live, because each person's body reacts individually to ethyl alcohol. An important factor is the quality of the drinks and the quantity of their consumption. Drinking a glass of good wine with dinner can lead to a long, happy life. According to many scientists, some people may even take advantage of this.
The use of cheap substitute drinks can cause not only damage to internal organs, but also acute intoxication. According to statistics, the average life expectancy of an alcoholic is 48-55 years. At the same time, the period may be shorter for women, many drinkers and people who have started drinking alcohol as teenagers. Patients in stage 3 addiction have the highest risk of mortality. They die from severe pathologies of the organs, living 6-7 years after such a diagnosis.
The effects of drinking alcohol
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, reduced social activity, physical impairment of the patient. With regular use, a person experiences constant poisoning, which causes the deposition of harmful substances inside the body.
Social consequences
Alcohol dependence directly affects not only the patient himself, but also his family, social circle and career. The patient faces economic difficulties as a lot of money is spent on buying alcohol. In addition, addiction can cause problems in the workplace, as the alcoholic is unable to perform his functions properly, skips working days due to a hangover.
Constant drunkenness also has a detrimental effect on the patient's family. This happens because conflicts become more frequent, the patient becomes aggressive. The lives of alcoholics and others are endangered by drunk driving. Driving after drinking alcohol significantly increases the likelihood of an accident. People who are intoxicated are at greater risk of committing a crime.
Health consequences
Alcohol dependence has a significant impact on the patient's physical and mental health. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can cause the following effects of alcoholism:
- The toxic effects of ethanol on neurons (nerve cells) and brain structures begin even when small doses of the substance enter the body. Experts note a violation of the control centers, failures in the regulatory mechanisms of the cortex. Such processes contribute to a rapid change in mood, partial loss of control over actions, irritability, aggression and the emergence of mental disorders.
- Pathological processes in neurons adversely affect the functioning of sensory organs, intellectual abilities of the patient and his memory. With systemic alcohol consumption, chronic encephalopathy is observed and a cerebral infarction is possible. Prolonged exposure to alcohol provokes Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's.
- The cerebral vessels become fragile, aneurysms can form with subsequent ruptures. The risk of blood clots, blood supply disorders, atrophic phenomena of the auditory and optic nerve, ischemic strokes of the spinal cord and brain increases. Gradually, chronic alcoholism leads to irreversible mental illness, complete degradation of personality.
- The consequences of alcohol consumption by the cardiovascular system are: cardiomyopathy with the development of heart failure, hypertension with a tendency to rupture arteries, veins, aneurysms, ischemia, myocardial infarction, blockade and arrhythmias.
- The negative impact of frequent alcohol consumption on the human reproductive system is impaired viability and maturation of germ cells, infertility and a high risk of congenital fetal abnormalities. For men, the danger is a reduction in erections, which leads to the gradual development of impotence. Also, with prolonged use, permanent hormonal disorders appear.
- Common consequences of alcoholism are necrotic ulcers and inflammatory processes of the stomach (gastritis, peptic ulcer), lesions of the pancreas, accompanied by chronic pancreatitis and diabetes. Gradually, doctors noted the exhaustion of the whole body associated with metabolic disorders and decreased appetite. Oncological diseases of the stomach and intestines are possible.
- Liver disease is considered by experts to be the most dangerous consequences of systemic drunkenness. The cells of the organ cannot cope with chronic intoxication, so alcoholics often suffer from fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatitis.
How often can you drink alcohol?
The World Health Organization, setting a certain safe dose of alcohol per day, warns that drinking every day is a risk to the normal functioning of the body. To prevent the appearance of pathological conditions, it is recommended to take breaks. Experts advise to consume alcoholic beverages no more than once every 3 days and you should do it with a minimum dose.
Safe dose of alcohol per day
The standard dose of alcoholic beverages established by the WHO is equal to the content of 10 g of pure ethanol. This portion is called a drink or unit. Its equivalent is 330 ml of beer, 150 ml of dry wine, 45 ml of strong alcohol. The World Organization has established the following safe doses of alcoholic beverages per day:
- For men - 4 drinks, which is 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.