October 1, 2009
When Hazardous and Excessive Drinking Results in Serious Health Problems
For more than a few years alcohol addiction research has demonstrated the fact that there is strong association between alcohol dependency and dangerous health conditions.
For instance, in 2005, medical exploration and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics showed that alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. It can be stressed that this massive alcohol-related expense was substantially more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is appropriate to give emphasis to these facts, it is also important to highlight the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health conditions.
More correctly, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency are also highly interrelated with obesity and with cancer.
Indeed, substance abuse investigation has demonstrated the fact that alcohol addiction can augment the risk for different types of cancer, especially cancer of the colon, voice box (larynx), liver, rectum, throat, kidneys, and the esophagus. Heavy and repetitive drinking can also lead to immune system difficulties and impairment to the fetus during pregnancy.
Excessive and Hazardous Drinking Weakens the Individual’s Organs and Systems
Furthermore, if alcohol addiction continues over a period of years, the person’s body organs will likely be affected in an unhealthy manner. As an illustration, repeated, abusive drinking is particularly hurtful to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been consumed. Excessive amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and destroys the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This condition results in a progressive inflammatory injury to the liver that can in the long run lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a dangerous and possibly incurable medical problem.Abusive, long-term drinking not only can result in dangerous liver damage, but it can also result in damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this critical may be irreversible and may, in turn, result in serious ill health or premature death.
The Importance of Alcohol Counseling
It is vital, therefore, to know how to recognize the different alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol dependent individual can be given the opportunity to get the quality alcohol treatment he or she requires.
Alcoholism and Technologically Advanced Brain Research
Fortunately, scientific investigation is persistently finding original and important information. Recent alcoholism exploration supplies a good illustration. Stated another way, for roughly the last ten years, sophisticated brain-imaging scanning instruments have confirmed that continuous and long lasting excessive drinking changes the functionality of the brain to a substantial extent, thusly resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or perhaps as long as the individual exists.
More correctly, medical exploration has shown that individuals who have been drinking abusively for a substantial length of time increase their risk for developing permanent and severe transformations in the brain.
This type of damage may be directly related to the alcohol’s effects on the brain, to severe liver disease, or might be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health.
Malnutrition, Excessive Drinking, and Mental Disorders
As a final illustration of assorted health problems that are significantly associated with alcoholism, take into account the fact that in accordance with medical research, the abusive and repeated abuse of alcohol can result in erosive gastritis, a medical condition that decreases the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
This kind of organ breakdown is related to malnutrition and to a variety of critical neurological and mental problems including memory loss, sleep disturbances, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical condition is a long lasting incapacitating health problem that is characterized by incessant learning and memory problems.
Summary
It is evident that repetitive, excessive drinking is directly or indirectly correlated with a number of critical medical conditions that can and do lead to serious diseases and premature death. Such information needs to be stressed and presented to everyone in our society so that a multitude of people will be able to abstain from hazardous drinking while other individuals who have a drinking problem will get the quality rehab they require.
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