Alcoholic beverages are the most common product on the shelves of almost all grocery stores. Certain doses of alcohol cause serious changes and disorders in the human body. Knowing the dangers of alcohol can help you to avoid it altogether or to limit your alcohol intake to acceptable levels.
What harm does alcohol do to people?
The abusers do not think about the consequences of drunkenness, and they are:
- mental degradation;
- deterioration of physical and mental health;
- problems in society;
- bad heredity;
- financial problems;
- immoral behavior.
According to statistics, men drink more. This happens for many reasons, such as the misconception that a bad company or alcohol can relieve stress. But this also applies to women and, worst of all, teenagers.
Harmful substances in alcohol
By knowing which harmful substances contain the most common types of alcohol, you can understand how it affects the quality of our lives.
Popular intoxicating liquids contain substances that are dangerous to health and life:
- Ethanol. Causes addiction with regular and excessive use. Small amounts do not harm the body, but overdose can cause sudden loss of consciousness or even death.
- Phytoestrogen. The female hormone (in beer) leads to the breakdown of the male and female reproductive systems.
- Fusel oils. In large quantities they are poisonous. With regular intake, it increases the risk of stomach ulcers, blindness, impotence and liver disease.
- Cobalt. It is a useful trace element in small amounts, but if it accumulates in the body, it is dangerous for the normal functioning of the heart and gastrointestinal tract.
- N-nitrosodimethylamine. Highly toxic, especially destructive to the liver.
- Biogenic amines. Toxic chemical compound. It may be helpful in small amounts, but can cause convulsions, vomiting, and diarrhea when abused.
- Sodium benzoate (E-211). Once in the stomach, it causes acute oxidation of epithelial cells. This leads to gastritis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis. Helps exacerbate chronic allergic diseases: asthma, urticaria, psoriasis.
- Phosphoric acid (E-338). Destructive effect on bone tissue and tooth enamel. Causes damage to the gastrointestinal tract, causes weight loss. High concentrations of the substance cause inflammation of the respiratory tract.
Harmful effects on the body of adolescents
Alcohol has a detrimental effect on the growth and development of adolescents:
- Intellectual and emotional decline.
- Vitamins and beneficial micronutrients entering the body are poorly absorbed, which adversely affects the condition of teeth, nails, hair and skin.
- The risk of problems with the heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, as a rule, increases the incidence of diseases in older people (eg, pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus).
- The growth of bone and muscle tissue stops.
- The liver, kidneys and reproductive system suffer.
Female alcoholism
The difference between the development of male and female addiction:
- Addiction occurs more often in women, and treatment of this disease is ineffective. This is due to the characteristics of the female body: it contains fewer enzymes that help break down alcohol-containing products. Therefore, toxins are not eliminated from the body for a long time and quickly cause harmful effects on the organs.
- Women prefer low-alcohol drinks (wine, champagne, cocktails). Therefore, the level of intoxication is more difficult to control, and the transition to strong drinks, as a rule, already occurs in the later stages of alcoholism.
- Women who are ashamed of their addiction are more likely to drink on their own and seek help when it is difficult enough to hide the changes. The rehabilitation process is more difficult and time consuming than for men.
Due to the effects of alcohol on the egg, getting pregnant, carrying and giving birth can be difficult and even impossible.
During poisoning, conception affects the genetic information from the egg. After the birth of such a fetus, there is a major risk of giving birth to an heir with cerebral palsy syndrome (pediatric cerebral palsy) or other disorders of the external and internal organs. There is also a risk of placental abruption and fetal death during pregnancy.
Social damage
Spouse, children, relatives, friends, co-workers, neighbors and others may be victims of inappropriate behavior by a drunken person:
- work. Employers are reluctant to hire or fire a drinker because they miss shifts or perform poorly.
- driving. Half of the accidents are caused by a drunk driver.
- Violation of the law. Most crimes of any kind are committed by people who are intoxicated or quite intoxicated, as they are more prone to aggression and even murder.
- immoral behavior. First sexual experiences, unplanned pregnancies, and rape most often occur when one or both partners are intoxicated.
- Unhealthy home atmosphere. Children grow up in an unfavorable environment and may inherit a negative example from their parents.
- Don't divorce. All innocent members of the family suffer. Mothers or fathers raise their children alone in an incomplete family.
How does alcohol affect health?
The table shows the popular alcoholic beverages, their composition, as well as which organs are affected.
| Drink | Ingredients | Organ damage and possible consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Beer | Carbohydrates, ethyl alcohol, nitrogenous substances |
|
| vodka | Purified water, ethyl alcohol. The composition may include chemical additives and spices |
|
| cognac | Alcohols, organic acids, ethyl esters, tannins and tannins |
|
| Low alcohol cocktails | Ethanol, synthetic additives and chemical additives |
|
Liver and digestive system
Destruction of the liver is associated with impaired protein metabolism, and in the first stage is usually not accompanied by changes in subjective sensations and laboratory parameters.
There are five stages of liver destruction:
- adaptive hepatomegaly (enlargement of the liver);
- alcohol-induced steatosis;
- alcoholic hepatitis;
- alcoholic fibrosis of the liver;
- cirrhosis.
Common symptoms of these diseases:
- constant weakness;
- yellowish skin and pupils;
- temperature is above normal;
- pain in the right hypochondrium.
Alcohol entering the intestine actually causes chemical inflammation of its mucous membrane. Persistent intoxication leads to problems with defecation (loose stools or constipation, fecal stones), which are often solved only by surgery.
More is possible:
- angioedema;
- diarrhea;
- hives;
- gastritis;
- ulcerative dyspepsia;
- pancreatitis;
- necrosis of pancreatic tissue;
- bowel cancer.
Heart and blood vessels
After drinking alcohol, ethyl alcohol enters the bloodstream and remains in the arteries for about 7 hours, which causes them to dilate, disrupting the normal rhythm of the heart. Frequent intake of alcohol, even in modest amounts, inevitably leads to blockage of ruptured cerebral vessels with an increase in blood pressure. At best, a person survives, but remains disabled, and at worst, it is fatal.
Minimal but constant doses of alcohol are dangerous and provoke the following painful conditions:
- oxygen starvation;
- veins thicken, contract, explode;
- atrial fibrillation;
- extrasystole;
- cardiomyopathy;
- arterial hypertension;
- hypertension;
- heart attack;
- atherosclerosis.
The heart rate rises from 95 to 100 beats per minute. Fat accumulates in the heart muscle, respectively, it grows and becomes pale.
Brain and nervous system
The entry of ethyl alcohol into the bloodstream has a destructive effect on the red blood cells responsible for transporting air to the brain. Oxygen stops entering the brain cells, and as a result, they die one by one.
This leads to low performance:
- vestibular apparatus;
- "spiritual" center (shame disappears, pride arises);
- memory;
- attention.
Excitement and inhibition processes in the nervous system are disrupted, leading to the following antisocial and painful behavioral symptoms:
- manifestation of aggression;
- inability to control oneself;
- illogicality in the presentation of an idea;
- suicidal tendencies;
- violation of the dynamics of movements;
- occurrence of seizures;
- appearance of hallucinations.
Respiratory system
It is called "drunk" bass due to its rough, muffled sound with a peculiar timbre. People who like to abuse are more likely to get TB.
Addiction damages the following areas of the respiratory system:
- pharynx;
- the entire nasopharynx;
- larynx.
People who drink regularly suffer from chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract:
- laryngitis;
- tracheobronchitis;
- atrophic pharyngitis.
Shortness of breath occurs at both moderate physical exertion and at rest. Smoke from the drink also has a characteristic unpleasant odor, which causes the breakdown of ethanol excreted through the lungs.
sexual dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction and even impotence are the consequences of alcoholism. Regular consumption of strong drinks has a negative effect on fertility. Erection problems can lead to long-term depression.
Myth is that small doses of alcohol have a positive effect on male potency. Accumulated ethanol disrupts the normal functioning of nerve endings, so intimacy does not bring the expected pleasure.
Alcoholism negatively affects the quality of women's sexual life. This is one of the main causes of frigidity and one of the most severe manifestations of this disease. This can lead to emotional problems for both partners and often family breakdown.
Immunity
The limited benefits of high-quality (preferably red) wine from natural juices do happen: it removes toxins and strengthens the immune system. However, large amounts, even the most expensive alcohol, will have a negative impact on health.
The fact is that at the moment the following defenders of the immune system are suppressed:
- lymphocytes;
- macrophages;
- granulocytes.
Consequences of immunodeficiency:
- wounds do not heal for a long time;
- bones do not form properly;
- The risk of HIV infection is higher;
- skin poorly restored from burns and injuries.
Change in appearance
The reason for the purple color of the skin is ethyl alcohol, which speeds up the pulse and raises blood pressure. Over time, the vessels do not withstand constant stress, and blue and red bruises appear.
Swelling is explained by the fact that after the toxins in vodka, beer and other intoxicants enter the body, the body tries to restore the water balance with all its might. And the female body makes it more active. Alcoholics suffer from constant thirst, but water is absorbed very slowly. He drinks and fluid accumulates, resulting in swelling of the hands, feet, as well as the face.
In addition to an unattractive appearance, there can be "obvious" complications (scratches, bruises, abrasions, fractures) after fights in which chronic drinkers are often involved.
During the development of chronic alcoholism, narcologists observe external symptoms in patients, for example:
- physical exhaustion;
- swollen face;
- red tongue;
- high temperature;
- dry, flaky or oily skin;
- heavy sweating;
- tachycardia, arrhythmia.
Photo gallery
The effects of alcohol on various organs can be seen in the photos below.
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Norms of use
It would be good to strictly refrain from regular use of a product containing alcohol. However, if a person only decides to reduce its amount, it will be interesting for him to know that there are acceptable consumption ratios.
The weekly norm of alcohol with a low risk of harm to the stronger sex (with two days of complete abstinence) is less than 5 liters of beer or 50 grams of vodka or cognac with a capacity of 4. 5 degrees at lunch and dinner (daily). , or three glasses of dry wine. For women, this norm is 3 liters of beer per week or 80 grams of vodka or two glasses of wine for dinner.
Keep in mind that if you avoid strong drinks on certain days, it does not mean that you can drink more on another day without negative consequences.
However, the calculations for the consumer must be made individually, taking into account:
- weight;
- growth;
- age;
- metabolism;
- heredity;
- first experience of alcohol intake.
Attention!The information is provided for informational purposes and is not a guide to action. Do not self-medicate, consult your doctor first.