Alcoholism, or alcohol dependency as it is better known, is among the most widespread illnesses that afflict today's world. With the ever increasing pace of life and the myriad tensions which come along with it, more and more people are turning to the actual bottle as a respite from the mounting tension of their workplace as well as social life. However, not many know that alcohol is, in itself, a major reason for all their woes. The reason for this is that alcoholic beverages, by nature, is a depressant which means, the more you drink, the more your mind succumbs towards the plunging depths associated with despair, which in turn prospects you to drink even more to cope with this depression. And as a result of this vicious circle, the body of the alcoholic suffers, unable to keep up with the mounting levels of the intoxicant that are poured into it.
Whenever you drink alcohol, it passes into your esophagus and then into your stomach, from exactly where it is absorbed into the blood. All this blood then passes in to your liver, which is responsible for breaking down this alcohol into other chemicals, which are after that further converted into water and carbon dioxide which may be excreted. This process is way from simple and can't be carried out by your liver instantaneously. So, whenever you drink more alcoholic beverages than your liver organ can put up with, the level of alcohol in your blood stream rises.
Your liver is the worst strike, as alcohol leads to large amounts of fats to be deposited inside it. This condition is not very severe in its nascent phases and can even be reversed should you cut down on your drinking patterns. If overlooked, it can even result in the inflammation of your liver, a condition which is labeled Alcohol Hepatitis. Hepatitis is not usually discernable at its initial stages, as it does not display any explicit symptoms that are characteristic of this. But once this condition develops into the chronic phase, the liver organ begins to produce extreme amounts of bilirubin leading to jaundice and ultimately liver failing. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages also leads to the formation of scar tissue, a procedure labeled as Fibrosis. This scarring damages the cells in your liver and disturbs the production of new tissue, thus causing your own liver to grow less strong over time and finally results in liver failure. This disease is very difficult to identify and diagnose as the symptoms are often latent for many years and only emerge when the condition is in it's most crucial chapters.
Alcoholic beverages is also a primary villain in the development of heart disease. Heavy drinking, over a period of time, damages one's heart and leads to high blood pressure and even stroke. Further, alcoholism is also known to trigger Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy, where your heart becomes weakened and enlarged due to your prolonged excessive drinking. Excessive intake of alcohol also boosts the triglyceride levels, making you more vulnerable to heart disease.
Continual abuse of alcohol also results in Alcoholic beverages Dementia, where your drinking patterns inflict severe damage on your central nervous system, negatively influencing your own memory, learning capabilities and reasoning. With time, you may even begin to encounter lapses in your memory that many alcoholics try to hide with elaborate stories, which is called Korsakoff Psychosis which can actually result in paranoia. The alcoholic may also encounter difficulties with his fundamental cognitive functions like reasoning and problem solving which affects his social and personal interactions.
Alcoholism also puts the individual in a heightened risk of contracting Pancreatitis or a severe inflammation of the pancreas, which might increase his changes of contracting diabetic issues. Alcoholics are also prone to hypertension and obesity due to the high calorific value of alcoholic beverages. Further, alcohol can also wear out the lining of the stomach, thus hampering the absorption of many essential nutrients, eventually resulting in further loss of urge for food and eventually malnourishment. Excessive consumption of alcohol has also been found to be one of the influencing elements in the development of cancer of the mouth, liver organ, colon and gullet. Male alcoholics are also prone to erectile dysfunction, while women face disruptions in their menstrual period and can also cause severe complications while pregnant.
Although moderate amounts of alcohol could be absorbed by your body and even aid this in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, drinking more than three times a day will drastically turn the tables. Hence, as the adage goes, "If you haven't started to drink, don't begin." Indeed, there are several other ways by which you are able to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease like regular exercise along with a moderate diet. Remember, one of the most deceptive of all the symptoms of alcoholism, is the victim's inability to identify his own addiction. And many of the physical symptoms lie latent till only severe measures have to be called for The next time you raise a toast, pause one minute to contemplate within the tremendous damage you're causing your body with every excessive drink that you take as well as think about whether individuals nights of drunken stupor are indeed worth risking your life for
Article Source: articlemotron . com
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