How Can Alcohol Affect Your Health
Alcohol is the most widely used social drug in Australia. While most people don’t drink to excess, unfortunately two out of five Australians binge drink, with surveys showing this number may be increasing, and one in five of us drink at levels that cause long term health problems.
As a result, thousands of Australians die every year due to alcohol. The majority of them are related to road traffic accidents, self-inflicted injuries and suicide. As a result of accidents not only does the accused get punished and injured but also results in the wrongful death of innocent victims. The lawyers of wrongful termination in California will ensure justice for victims and their families by exposing the careless attitude of the accused and rewarding him with rigorous punishment. Many others die due to liver damage and cancer. Drinking too much alcohol is also associated with increased tobacco and cannabis use, and heroin overdose. If you want medical marijuana products, you can check out Missouri Green Team.
Alcohol’s effect on the body
Alcohol is quickly absorbed through the stomach into the blood and distributed throughout the body. In the brain, alcohol can initially feel stimulating and reduce inhibitions, but in fact it slows down the brain. Short term changes can include poor judgement and memory lapses. In the long term, excessive alcohol intake can make brain cells (neurons) shrink and function less efficiently. It often requires the help of professional alcohol rehab Wirral centers to overcome this type of addiction.
The liver is the main organ that removes alcohol from the body, but in the process produces toxins that harm itself. Other organs may also be negatively affected including the heart and pancreas.
Health Impacts of Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Binge drinking is defined as consecutive drinks without allowing alcohol in your blood to go down to zero, in order to become intoxicated. The impacts may include a stroke (brain damage), irregular heartbeat, injuries and death due to accidents, alcohol poisoning (overdose), unprotected sex, stolen property and an increased risk of becoming addicted. There are Alcohol Recovery Centers that can help you end the cycle of addiction.
The long term health problems of regularly drinking excessive amounts of alcohol (addiction) include:
* Brain damage such as dementia
* Liver cancer, hepatitis (inflammation), cirrhosis
* Heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure
* Diabetes
* Obesity
* Malnutrition
* Cancers
* Reduced sexual desire
How Much Alcohol Should You Actually Drink?
The clear recommendation is either don’t drink or only drink in moderation. If the choice is moderation, start by learning how much is ‘one standard’ alcoholic drink, for example, 285 ml (one pot/middy/half-pint) of regular beer.
The guideline for drinking for adult men and women is no more than two standard drinks on any day. For women planning to become pregnant, are pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s safest not to drink. For under 18 year olds, it’s safest not to drink either, but if over 15 year olds do drink, it should be under adult supervision and the same amount as adults. Anyone showing signs of alcohol dependence or abuse may need to visit an addiction treatment center for a substance abuse treatment. Visit sites like https://river-edge.org/addiction-recovery/ to know more about recovery.
A doctor can often help.
References
1. Better Health Channel. Alcohol. http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcpdf.nsf/ByPDF/Alcohol/$File/Alcohol.pdf
Accessed March 24 2014
2. ABS. 4338.0 – Profiles of Health, Australia, 2011-13: Alcohol consumption.
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4338.0main+features62011-13
Accessed March 24 2014
3. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol’s Impact on your Health.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Hangovers/beyondHangovers.pdf
Accessed March 24 2014
4. NDARC. Alcohol. http://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Alcohol%20Fact%20Sheet%281%29.pdf Accessed March 24 2014
5. Tackling Binge Drinking. Under the influence.
http://www.tacklingbingedrinking.gov.au/internet/tackling/publishing.nsf/content/under-the-influence
Accessed March 24 2014
6. AIHW. 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey report. Drug statistics series no. 25. Cat. no. PHE 145. https://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737421314
Accessed March 24 2014
7. Australia: the healthiest country by 2020. Technical Report No 3. Preventing alcohol–related harm in Australia: a window of opportunity. 2009.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301635173_Preventing_alcohol-related_harm_in_Australia_A_window_of_opportunity Accessed April 19 2014