Side Effects of Alcoholism

Cancer

2-4% of all cancer cases are related to alcohol. Upper digestive tract cancers are the most common, hitting the esophagus, mouth, larynx, and pharynx. Women who drink prior to menopause are more likely to develop breast cancer. Your risk of skin cancer doubles if you drink slightly more than "moderate levels." Some studies implicate alcohol in colon, stomach, pancreas and lung cancer. And let's not forget the liver...

Alcohol poisoning.

Drinking large amounts can result in alcohol poisoning, which causes unconsciousness and even death. Breathing slows, and the skin becomes cold and may look blue. Don't let a person in this condition "sleep it off."

Heart disease

Heart disease could be another effect of your drinking. Long term alcohol dependency has been know to be the cause of high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and even some strokes. Your liver is going to be affected by all your drinking and you might find yourself suffering from liver failure or even Cirrhosis of the liver.

Personal relationships

Personal relationships will suffer. As your disease progresses, alcohol begins to take control of your life. You will find that you cannot make even the simplest decisions. You will find that you would rather spend your time drinking than spending it with family and friends. Alcohol can also make you more violent then you are normally. Most domestic abuse involves drinking as well as some child abuse cases. Your temper and patience is much shorter than it would be if you were not drinking.

Dehydration

Alcohol has been known to mitigate the production of the ADH, which is a hormone that acts on the kidney, favoring water reabsorption in the kidneys during filtration. This occurs because alcohol confuses osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus, which relay osmotic pressure information to the posterior pituitary the site of ADH release. Alcohol makes the osmoreceptors signal as if there was a too low osmotic pressure in the blood, which triggers an inhibition of ADH. Consequently, one's kidneys are no longer able to reabsorb as much water as they should be absorbing, leading to creation of excessive volumes of urine and subsequently overall dehydration.

Alcohol and pregnancy

Women who drink heavily during pregnancy are at risk of having babies with a condition called fetal alcohol syndrome. This can result in growth deficiencies, nervous system problems, lowered intelligence, and facial abnormalities in the child. It is also called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder - all the symptoms are not always present and can vary in how serious they are.

Psychological effects

Although alcohol initially makes people feel relaxed, long term excessive use can ultimately increase anxiety and cause depression. It is also related to problems with sleeping, mood-swings, violence and suicide (about two-thirds of suicide attempts are thought to involve alcohol).

Neurologically

Neurologically there will be some side effects also. Alcohol is a toxin that is going to do damage to your brain. You may find that you have a loss of balance, loss of intellectual abilities and unable to concentrate on anything. Your hands might become numb and you may feel that you are always in a state of mental confusion.

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