TRUTH ABOUT ALCOHOLISM

Alcoholism is a term used to describe addiction to alcohol or excessive dependence on alcohol. Drinking too much – on a single occasion or over time – can jeopardize your health. Here’s how alcohol can affect your body :

Brain :

Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. These disruptions can change mood and behaviour, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination. Excessive drinking can slow down the brain functions. People who have been drinking large amounts of alcohol for long periods of time run the risk of developing serious and persistent changes in the brain. Damage may be a result of the direct effects of alcohol on the brain or may result indirectly, from a poor general health status or from severe liver disease.

People may think that alcohol helps them cope with difficult situations and emotions, and that it reduces stress or relieves anxiety, but alcohol is in fact associated with a range of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, risk-taking behaviour, personality disorders and schizophrenia.

Alcohol has also been linked to suicide. Many health professionals are of the opinion that, alcoholism can be responsible for :

• 65% of suicides have been linked to excessive drinking;
• 70% of men who take their own life drink alcohol before doing so;
• Almost one third of suicides among young people take place while the person is intoxicated.

Excessive drinking can disrupt normal sleeping patterns, resulting in insomnia and a lack of restful sleep, which can contribute to stress and anxiety.

Heart :

Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, causing problems including :

• Cardiomyopathy – Stretching and drooping of heart muscle
• Arrhythmias – Irregular heart beat
• Stroke
• High blood pressure

Research also shows that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may protect healthy adults from developing coronary heart disease.

Liver :

Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including :

• Steatosis, or fatty liver
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Fibrosis
• Cirrhosis

Pancreas :

Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation, and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion.

Cancer :

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of developing certain cancers, including cancers of the :

• Mouth
• Oesophagus
• Throat
• Liver
• Breast

Immune System :

Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease. Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who do not drink too much.

Intestine :

Heavy drinking may result in ulcers and cancer of the colon. It also affects your body's ability to absorb nutrients and vitamins.

Kidneys :

Heavy drinking can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure – a leading cause of chronic kidney disease.

Fertility :

In men, alcoholism can lead to impotence (lowered libido/sex drive) and infertility. In women, it can lead to infertility. Drinking alcohol when pregnant can seriously damage the development of the unborn baby.

Anything in excess is bad for health and alcohol is no exception!