Consequences of alcohol

Consequences of alcohol

Long-term and short-term effects of alcohol use

The short-term effects of alcohol can be very beneficial and not always negative. Most adults do not experience any side effects from one or two drinks as long as they drink every day and stay light drinkers.
Problems begin when the number of servings increases and alcohol tolerance develops. Alcohol abuse can lead to addiction with a diagnosis of alcoholism.

The long-term consequences of alcohol abuse include domestic violence, drunken driving, and other destructive behaviors.

Short-term effects of alcohol

A drink corresponds to a glass of wine, a drink or a box of beer. These levels of consumption are completely safe and can even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and alcohol dementia. The short-term effects of higher doses vary depending on the weight of the drink, gender, and other factors, including alcohol allergies. The positive effects of alcohol are undeniable. These include the deep sense of calm and relaxation that neurotic people skip. Tension generally decreases, the person becomes less concentrated, reflexes slow down, response time increases, and coordination deteriorates. All these effects occur due to the slowing down of brain activity and begin to appear after drinking more than three or four drinks. In rare cases, people can be harmed after drinking an alcoholic beverage, especially if it is the first alcoholic beverage or if they have a more basic medical condition.

The short-term effects of alcohol include:

  • Abdominal pain, nausea, or diarrhea:Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach and causes these effects. Note that these symptoms may indicate the development of alcoholic gastritis.
  • Comfort:Most people are calmer and happier when they drink, so many turn to alcohol when they are stressed or sad. They become more lively and talkative.
  • Visual and Hearing Impairments:Alcohol is depressive and slows down the nervous system. Because the central nervous system controls motor and cognitive functions, people will exhibit longer response times. The most affected sounds include blurred vision and silent hearing. Sometimes these effects of alcohol can be seen even after drinking a drink, so combine alcohol and car.
  • Fatigue, drowsiness: <strong is part of the sedative effect of alcohol. Sleep is established after the initial euphoria. However, the opposite effect is also possible, called alcohol insomnia.
  • Poor self-control, blurred thinking:By disrupting the function of the central nervous system, alcohol makes a person more prone to seemingly impatient and characteristic behavior. One is more likely to break the law or engage in risky sexual activity, such as unprotected sex under the influence of alcohol. The negative consequences of alcohol use include "early risers" when people are drunk and refuse to serve in restaurants.
  • Memory impairment:The effects of alcohol consumption on memory are well known and are also associated with decreased nervous system. When a person does not remember what happened after drinking, the violations can result in the cessation of alcohol. Another terrible side effect is delirium tremor.
  • Mood swings:The initial "festivity" gradually diminishes, leading to depression. This sometimes causes people to drink and mood swings can occur. Sometimes they are very severe - in people addicted to alcohol, depression can eventually lead to suicide attempts with various consequences. Anthony Bourdain, a well-known chef and TV presenter who struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, is a tragic example.

Consequences of alcohol: risks and dangers

Some short-term effects of alcohol can be fatal, and alcoholics are especially at risk. Binge drinking, excessive drinking for a short period of time - is defined as 4 or more drinks in one sitting. Alcohol poisoning occurs when blood alcohol levels reach toxic levels, resulting in more common symptoms when drinking a poor quality drink. Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency and can be fatal if left untreated. The following symptoms may appear:

  • Mental confusion or stupidity, the person does not feel dizzy;
  • unconscious;
  • Involutions;
  • Low body temperature or vice versa;
  • Earthquakes or concussions;
  • Pale, cold, blue skin;
  • Irregular or slow breathing;
  • Gut;
  • development of chronic diseases such as
  • loss of bladder and bowel control;
  • Coma.

Long-term effects of alcohol

Long-term effects of alcohol can include liver damage, depression, cancer, immune system disorders, hypertension, decreased sexual activity in men, and loss of sexual function in women or pancreatitis. Over time, people who drink alcohol may develop cognitive impairment. The side effects of this habit are increasingly poor performance at work due to irritability and alcohol. Alcohol abuse has a negative effect on the kidneys, causing serious damage. Long-term abuse can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a serious liver disease that in many cases requires liver transplantation. Many people in the country die of cirrhosis.

Minors are at higher risk of drinking.

Other long-term effects include dry intoxication syndrome, in which a person experiences the effects of alcohol poisoning without consuming alcohol at all. With long-term alcohol use, people develop more and more resistance to the body's addiction to alcohol. This forces them to consume dangerous amounts of alcohol without experiencing short-term effects.

Effects of alcohol on women

Alcohol affects women differently than men. Gone are the days when only men believed they had an alcohol problem. Today, more and more women are abusing alcohol - statistics show that millions of women in the country drink in a way that is considered dangerous to their safety, health and well-being. According to traffic authorities, a woman's blood alcohol level is enough to increase the risk of a fatal car accident by 100% after drinking a drink on an empty stomach.

Drunk driving seems to be a purely male problem, and certainly not.

The effects of alcohol on the male and female body are significantly different. According to experts, binge drinking and chronic binge drinking put women at higher health and safety risks than men. Drunk women are twice as likely to be sexually or physically abused. It is estimated that more than 50% of sexual assaults in the country are committed by alcoholics, including one woman, one man or both family members. A study in Norway found that spouses who consumed different amounts of alcohol were more likely to divorce than those who drank comparable amounts. This is especially true of relationships where the wife is an alcoholic. The effects of alcoholism on women are more pronounced. Long-term alcohol consumption is more dangerous to women's health - women die of cirrhosis of the liver or suffer from brain, heart or breast cancer. Children of women who drink during pregnancy are at risk of giving birth to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a lifelong disease that develops as abnormal facial features, long stature, alcohol-induced brain damage and emotional disorders.

Side effects of alcohol abuse

  • Neurological disorders;
  • Diabetes and cognitive impairment Prolonged alcohol use can also cause learning difficulties and memory problems. This increases the risk of developing mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
  • Another major problem associated with persistent alcohol abuse is calledwithdrawal syndrome:The symptoms get worse each time a person drinks ethanol. Alcohol also damages nerve cells, causing irreversible polyneuropathy.

Most of the long-term negative effects of alcohol are related to health, but there are exceptions. Sexual assault, aggression after severe alcohol intoxication, aggravated assault, reckless driving, robbery or theft affect your relatives, friends and even all the people you come in contact with. Physical and cognitive impairment due to alcohol use is very high every year.

Harmful effects of alcohol

Addiction occurs when the body cannot function optimally without alcohol. When accustomed to the long-term effects of alcohol, it cannot send the right signal to the brain. When a person becomes addicted, he continues to drink, regardless of the physical or psychological symptoms caused by drinking. In addition, an addict will continue to drink even if he or she suffers from job loss, panic attacks, family breakups, or imprisonment for alcohol abuse. They also run the risk of becoming addicted to other drugs because they crave more alcohol. The loss of rationalization and inhibition makes people more prone to experimenting with illicit drugs and leads to many social consequences of alcohol dependence.

Addiction is a physical disease that requires treatment. The consequences of alcohol intake are dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Treatment begins with detoxification. Ideally, this is done in an inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation facility where patients are helped to achieve long-term resilience. If anything, experts believe that the short-term and long-term effects of alcohol are the most harmful of all other drugs.

Alcohol exposure: treatment

At an inpatient rehabilitation center, patients receive therapy and intensive counseling to find positive ways to cope with the stress caused by alcohol consumption. Treatment begins immediately after detoxification. These treatment programs last a minimum of 30 days. They can last up to a year. The best rehabilitation centers are located in quiet, peaceful areas where patients can focus on their recovery. Therapists at these alcohol rehabilitation centers advise patients to continue outpatient treatment after their stay. Alcoholics are encouraged to join support groups such as Anonymous, for example