Alot of people today think that a couple of beers or a glass of wine is just a way to relax and socialize with friends. For many others, drinking is definitely a source of very serious physical, mental and social problems as well. The consumption of alcohol affects everyone differently, but there are specific health risk and social dangers to each and every category of the human form. We will be informing you why alcohol is dangerous for your health and that of your children when taken without adequate moderations.
The first step is knowing whether or not if alcohol may be causing you issues in your life, so its best to understand the dangers associated with drinking. The dangers that go way beyond just slurred speech, a hangover or making an unfortunate call to an ex-partner while you are intoxicated.
The Chemical Effect of Alcohol on Your Body:
When you are on an empty stomach, you know you can feel the effects of the littlelest volume of alcoholic beverage in less than a single minute. The reason is because unlike the foods that we eat, alcohol does not really need so much time to digest, in fact it doesn't need time to digest at all. Once alcohol hits your digestive system, natural enzymes that are called alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1) and catalase work hand in hand to convert the alcohol to acetaldehyde, a known poison that closely resembles formaldehyde.
The Effects of Alcohol Consumption Are:
Giddiness
Lightheadedness
Blurred vision
Numbness
Slurred speech
The above are all caused by the chemical which is produced by the fermentation of sugar, which is known as ethanol.
If you are the type who drinks alcohol in moderation, you will notice a couple of drinks wearing off quickly as your liver does its job of flushing it from your body. However, you should know that the dangers of alcohol become quite evident for the heavy drinker, when your body can no longer effectively moderate and remove the high amount of alcohol entering the system. This is the point where alcohol toxicity caused by acetaldehyde comes in. Eventually your liver reaches a saturation point and can no longer filter the alcohol. When acetaldehyde escapes into your bloodstream, it is known to cause serious health problems.
The truth is, when alcohol is no more able to be safely metabolized, this may lead to liver damage, hepatitis or cirrhosis. So many studies also suggests that it is the chemical acetaldehyde that may lead to alcoholism because of its direct effect on the brain. The nerve transmitters in the brain react to the acetaldehyde and form morphine-type compounds, which highly contributes to addiction.
The Dangers of Alcohol For Women:
A woman's body metabolizes alcoholic contents more slowly than men. Women are also usually slighter of build and weigh less than men, which makes them more susceptible to the effects of alcohol. Alcohol usually affects women in the following harmful ways according to studies:
Breast Cancer
Based on research published by The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD), women who consume just one alcoholic beverage per day increased their risk of developing breast cancer by about five percent.
Infertility
Any woman who is trying to get pregnant should avoid alcohol consumption because it decreases their chances of becoming pregnant. The excessive alcohol consumption may lead to anovulation which means (lack of ovulation), amenorrhea which means (lack of menstruation), luteal phase defect which means (abnormal development of your endometrial lining), and hyperprolactinemia which means (over-production of your breast milk which inhibits fertility).
Pregnancy Complications
Some women who do become pregnant while consuming alcohol can put themselves at risk for miscarriage and their babies at risk for the following:
Pre-term birth
Congenital Defects
Brain Abnormalities
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Alcohol abuse
A publication produced by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) states that women who consume eight or more drinks per week are greatly increasing their risk of becoming alcohol-dependent.
Sexual Assault
Heavy drinking can impair a woman’s judgment and ability to defend herself against any sexual assault. A study that was published by Rutgers University found that about 59 percent of college women that consumed even slightly more than 10 drinks per sitting since they entered their freshman year, were mostly sexually victimized by the end of their first semester.
Depression
Alcohol may make you feel like it takes your mind off sad and painful thoughts but it can actually make a depressed mood worse and contribute to chronic depression. This may start out with only a drink or two to escape the pain but then a tolerance develops. You need more of the alcohol so as to achieve the same effect. You begin to drink more and when the numbness wears off which eventually it does, the depression now worsens. It really can be a vicious cycle.
The Dangers of Alcohol In Men:
Men generally do have a much higher alcohol tolerance than women, leaving them more open to slip into more problems drinking. When men use alcohol as a way of dealing with, or not dealing with frustrations or emotional pain, a couple of drinks per day for the sake of relaxing can quickly and most likely lead to alcohol abuse.
Alcohol Does Affect Men In The Following Harmful Ways:
Cognitive Impairment
Based on a fact sheet published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), men are more likely to report binge drinking more than twice as often as women in same calendar year. Binge drinking can be defined as the consumption of a high alcoholic drinks in a row. The Long term binge drinking may eventually result in permanent central nervous system problems, such as memory impairment, also to be included are concentration issues and tremors.
Gout
Gout is a painful arthritic health condition which commonly affects men between the ages of 30 and 60. Studies show that men who consume alcoholic beverages on a daily basis are at an increased risk of developing gout. Beer is the most common culprit of Gout because of its high purine content, which later turns to uric acid during the metabolic process.
Appearance. Some men who go to the bar to meet dates may be unnerved by the long-term effects of alcohol on appearance. Regular alcohol consumption can result to the following:
Beer Gut
Breast Enlargement
Hair Loss
Permanent redness of the face
Colon cancer
Study shows that men who drink consistently and heavily, increase their risk of developing colorectal cancer. The risk most likely increases in men who have other risk factors such as:
Obesity
Smoking
Family History
Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Liver Cancer
Cancer.org states that alcohol abuse is the leading cause of cirrhosis of ones liver, which is mostly an increased risk for the development of liver cancer.
Alcohol and Erectile Dysfunction
According to a study that was published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, an incredible 72 percent of men who drank excessively had problems with their sexual function. This included the following
Loss of Libido
Erectile Dysfunction
Premature Ejaculation
Infertility
Do you think your drinking habits are affecting your romantic relationship? Ask yourself the question and know the right decision to make henceforth.
How Alcohol May Affect Teenagers
Though it is illegal for teenages who are not of age in Nigeria to drink but, teenagers who begin drinking while they’re still in high school are at a much very higher risk for developing serious health, social problems and legal problems. The most common risks that are associated with teenage drinking are:
Drugs
Teenagers who usually consume alcohol are also more likely to use other drugs such as marijuana while drinking.
Sexual Activity
Many teenagers who drink more often, engage in sexual activity earlier than their non drinking peers, which makes them have an increased risk to contract a sexually transmitted disease, or becoming teenage mothers and fathers too soon.
Dropping Out
Male teenagers who drink are at an increased risk of dropping out of high school and struggling to find a good and decent employment.
Suicide
Many teenagers who mask depression and anxiety with alcohol are at an increased risk for attempting suicide, either through alcohol consumption or by some other method.
Attention and Learning Difficulties
Mant teenagers who consume alcoholic beverages tend to have a high level of difficulty with memory and concentration, which most times affect their schoolwork.
You may be thinking that there is no way your son or daughter could have a drinking problem but you might just be wrong. Teenagers are very good at hiding things even from the most observant and attentive of parents. Here are few signs that your kid may be drinking alcohol:
Breaking curfew
Staying in their room
Lying or stealing
Changes in friends
Mood swings
Smell of alcohol on breath or body
Possessing alcohol-related paraphernalia
Becoming physically or verbally abusive
Please take good note that this does not necessarily mean that if your daughter has mood swings, or your son stays in his room almost all the time, then they have a problem with drinking, NO. However, when you stay involved in your teen's life, asking him/her questions and following up are the very best ways to get your teen to open up to you and discover if a drinking problem is causing their troubling behavior or not.
Do not forget to follow us, like us, favourite this article and drop your comments below.
Global Event And Safety, Content Creator For Opera News Hub.
Content created and supplied by: GlobalEvent&Safety (via Opera News )
COMMENTS