When Abusive and Irresponsible Drinking Leads to Serious Health Problems

September 30th, 2009 by author

For a number of years alcoholism exploration has demonstrated the fact that there is strong correlation between alcohol dependency and critical health conditions.

For instance, in 2005, scientific investigation and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics revealed that alcohol abuse and alcoholism cost the United States an estimated $220 billion on an annual basis. It can be stressed that this gigantic alcohol-related expense was substantially more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is pertinent to call attention to these facts, it is also important to point out that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health problems.

More explicitly, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency are also highly associated with obesity and with cancer.

Undeniably, substance abuse research has shown that alcohol addiction can augment the risk for various types of cancer, especially cancer of the voice box (larynx), esophagus, liver, rectum, colon, kidneys, and throat. Hazardous and repetitive drinking can also result in immune system problems and impairment to the fetus during pregnancy.

Excessive and Abusive Drinking Enfeebles the Individualâ€™s Systems and Organs

Additionally, if alcohol addiction continues over a period of years, the individualâ€™s body organs will likely be affected in a harmful manner. For example, repeated, abusive drinking is particularly hurtful to the liver due to the fact that the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been consumed. Excessive amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and eradicates the ability of liver cells to redevelop. This medical condition leads to a progressive inflammatory malfunction of the liver that can sooner or later lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a grave and potentially lethal disease.Abusive, long-term drinking not only can result in serious liver damage, but it can also result in damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this dangerous may be irreversible and may, in turn, result in serious ill health or premature death.

The Significance of Alcohol Rehabilitation

It is vital, consequently, to know how to identify the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcoholic can be given the opportunity to seek the professional alcohol rehabilitation he or she needs.

Alcohol Addiction and Sophisticated Brain Exploration

Fortunately, medical investigation is relentlessly unearthing original and significant information. Recent alcoholism research supplies a high-quality illustration. More accurately, for roughly the last ten years, complex brain-imaging scanning instruments have shown that continuous and long lasting hazardous drinking modifies the structure of the brain to a significant extent, therefore resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or possibly as long as the person exists.

Stated another way, medical examination has revealed that people who have been drinking in a hazardous manner for a sizeable length of time increase their risk for developing lasting and severe changes in the brain.

This type of damage may be directly related to the alcoholâ€™s effects on the brain, to severe liver disease, or might be indirectly associated with the drinkerâ€™s poor overall health.

Hazardous Drinking, Malnutrition, and Mental Disorders

As a final illustration of different medical conditions that are to a large extent correlated to alcohol addiction, take into account the fact that in accordance with medical investigation, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can result in erosive gastritis, a medical condition that lessens the absorption of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins.

This form of organ breakdown is linked to malnutrition and to an assortment of acute mental and neurological syndromes including sleep disturbances, memory loss, and psychosis such as Wernickeâ€™s Encephalopathy and Korsakoffâ€™s syndrome. This latter medical problem is a lasting incapacitating medical condition that is typified by persistent memory and learning problems.

Summary

It is obvious that continued, excessive drinking is directly or indirectly linked to many severe medical conditions that can and do result in serious diseases and premature death. Such information needs to be emphasized and presented to everyone in our society so that a multitude of people will be able to abstain from abusive drinking while other people who have a drinking problem will get the professional rehab they require.