Alcohol: Facts, Addiction, and Effects

Alcohol is the hallucinogenic element that is present in beer, spirits, and wine. It is a sedative, which means that when it influences the brain, it decelerates the body’s systems.

Fast facts about alcohol

  • Pure alcohol is a flammable, odorless, and colorless liquid.
  • Grains and fruits are the foods most usually used foods to manufacture alcohol.
  • It comes in the most prominent abused drug by youngsters in the U.S.
  • It is strong enough that only one drink per hour can be oxidized.
  • It is known to be injurious to developing brains, from infancy to adolescence.
  • No amount of alcohol intake can be considered harmless during pregnancy.
  • Together with other medications, whether prescribed or over-the-counter (OTC) It is always deadly.

Long-term effects

Alcohol is responsible for injury-related health conditions and over 200 diseases including addiction and dependence, cancers, liver cirrhosis, and accidental injuries such as assaults, falls, burns, motor vehicle accidents, and drowning.

Addiction

Around 88,000 people in the U.S die from causes associated with alcoholism every year. This makes it the third most important preventable cause of death.

Long-term alcohol abuse is linked with the following health issues:

Drinking too much alcohol frequently can lead to:

  • liver disease
  • depression
  • pancreatitis
  • damage to the heart muscle, or cardiomyopathy
  • other cardiovascular complications
  • stomach ulcers
  • peripheral neuropathy
  • cancer
  • osteoporosis
  • immune system dysfunction
  • brain and nerve damage
  • mental health issues such as anxiety
  • vitamin deficiencies

It affects almost all bodily systems, so due to it, health problems can occur throughout the body.

Research demonstrates that women who use more than is recommended daily tend to have nerve damage, cardiomyopathy, and liver disease after a few years than men for the same drinking.

If a woman drinks it during pregnancy, this can result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the newborn.

The symptoms in the child can be similar to those of ADHD.

Addiction and withdrawal

If a person drinks large amounts of alcohol habitually, their tolerance can enhance, and the body needs more alcohol to achieve the preferred effect.

As the body adjusts to the existence of the drug, addiction and dependency can result. If drinking stops suddenly, the person may face withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol addiction is a condition characterized by a tough craving for it, and constant use despite a negative influence on health, ability to work, and interpersonal relationships.

Symptoms of withdrawal mostly appear between 4 and 72 hours after reducing intake or after the last drink. They may be greatest at about 48 hours and last up to five days.

They may include:

  • anxiety
  • mild tremors
  • insomnia
  • depressed mood

Many addicts will take a drink to control the discomfort of withdrawal.

Alcohol

In more difficult cases, the person may have “the DTs”, or Delirium tremens.

This condition involves:

  • changes in mental status or hallucinations
  • confusion
  • body tremors (shaking)
  • extreme sleepiness
  • seizures that can result in death

Delirium tremens are a medical disaster.

Treatment:

Anyone with alcohol dependence who desires to leave drinking should search for professional medical care or a drug treatment center focusing on safe alcohol detoxification.

 

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