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ALCOHOLISM
Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a disease. It is chronic, lifelong, and life threatening. Alcohol may temporarily give a high to the brain. But alcohol's long term effects can change the way the brain reacts to alcohol. As a result, the urge to drink can be as compelling and strong as the hunger for food. Drinking, even in small amounts, affects women differently than men.
Today, women don't realize the risks associated with drinking , and drink mainly to deal with stress. What they fail to realize is the long term problems that they may face.
Health problems due to Alcoholism include the following:
Liver Damage: Women develop alcoholic liver disease more quickly than men. Women are also more likely to develop alcoholic hepatitis and to die from cirrhosis.
Brain damage: Most alcoholics have some loss of mental function, memory loss, reduced brain size, and changes in the function of brain cells. Research suggests that women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol-induced brain damage. Alcoholic women have an 11 percent smaller brain volume than healthy women.
Breast Cancer: Many studies report that heavy drinking in women increases the risk of breast cancer. Alcohol is also linked to cancers of the head and neck .
Heart disease: Chronic heavy drinking is the main cause of cardiovascular diseases.
Reproductive Problems : Menstrual disorders have also been associated with heavy drinking.It can also lead to fertility problems. Further, continued drinking may lead to early menopause . If a woman gets pregnant and continues to drink, it is not only her health but the baby's health will also be effected. The alcohol in the blood is carried into the baby's bloodstream. Consuming alcohol can lead to a miscarriage. It can also lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Effects birth defects, which are irreversible. Babies with FAS have distinctive changes in their facial features and they may be born small. The brain damage can result in life-long problems with learning, memory, attention, and problem solving.
Violent Victimization : Since a woman will not be very powerful after drinkng or will not be in the best of her senses , it increases the risk that a woman will be assaulted physically or sexually.
Drunken driving : Although women are less likely than men to drive after drinking, women have a higher relative risk of driver fatality than men at similar blood alcohol concentrations .
Other Risk Factors: In the "later stages" of alcoholism, women may also develop hypertension, anemia, and malnutrition much quicker than alcoholic men. Women are not only more sensitive to alcohol, they become addicted sooner and may die younger than men with similar drinking problems.
The following people should not drink alcohol at all:
- Anyone under age 21
- People who cannot restrict their drinking to moderate levels
- Women who are pregnant or want to conceive
- People who are driving, or operating any machinery, or taking part in other activities that require attention, skill, or coordination
- Individuals taking prescription or medications that can interact with alcohol
- People above 65 years of age are at more risk if they consume alcohol
Treating Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Treatment for an alcohol problem depends on its severity. Women who have alcohol problems, but are not yet alcohol dependent, may be able to stop their drinking with minimal help. Your health care provider can help you or refer you to an alcohol treatment professional. He / She can help you take a detailed look at what effect alcohol is having on your life and your health, provide advice on ways for you to stop drinking or to cut down, and work with you on coming up with a plan of action . Now is the time, stop taking alcohol and save your life !