Health: The less talked about effects of alcohol

If one takes alcohol regularly, body cells get habituated to it and the body begins to crave it. The danger is that slowly one can become addicted. Drinking of more than 21 units weekly for men and more than 18 units for women is said to be unsafe. One unit contains approximately 9 grammes of alcohol (equivalent to approximately half pint of beer, single measure of spirits or a glass of table wine). Alcoholism causes one to loose interest, concentration and efficiency in the work place even leading to loss of one’s job. Many social, family and financial problems tend to emerge. As a person becomes a compulsive drinker, he wants his share of alcohol regularly at any price and he cares damn for the family or society. Hepatotoxicity, damage to the liver, with alcohol is well known and talked about but every part of body is damaged by alcohol. The altered behavior pattern of a person in state of intoxication by alcohol is well known and needs no elaborate description. But few are familiar with the fact that use of alcohol over the years tends to cause atrophy of the cells of cortex, thus leading to impaired intellect and dementia. Alcohol also causes depletion of vitamin B1 or thiamine leading to development of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a kind of encephalopathy. Alcohol is also known to cause degeneration of the cerebellum i.e. the part responsible for balancing in the body. Sudden blindness can occur due to damage or inflammation of optic nerve which is responsible for vision. The risk is more with methanol. Alcohol is also one of the causes for oropharyngeal cancers. Vomiting mixed with blood can occur after acute intake of alcohol, due to tear of inner lining of esophagus, what is known as, “Mallory Weiss syndrome”. Gastritis both acute and chronic occurs with alcohol intake. It is common to see people vomiting after a binge of alcohol. Acute pancreatitis is another catastrophe young adults face after taking alcohol regularly. Typically a young adult gets severe pain in stomach, radiating to back. Older people get chronic pancreatitis. Serum lipid levels, atherosclerosis (deposition of lipids on inner lining of blood vessels), diabetes, and hypertension are all aggravated by alcohol, thus making one more prone to coronary disease. Alcohol also damages the myocardium of the heart causing cardiomyopathy and cardiac failure. Malabsorption, i.e. impaired absorption of nutrients, is known to occur with chronic alcoholism which leads to malnutrition and asthenia. Loss of appetite and vomiting produced by alcohol further aggravate the malnutrition. Alcoholics routinely need nutritional supplements to treat the deficiencies. Alcohol is metabolised in the liver thus liver cells are progressively damaged by alcohol. Initially in the early stages, fatty infiltration of hepatocytes occurs. If one gives up alcohol at this stage, changes are reversible. But later on the damage becomes irreversible and there is inflammation of liver cells, followed by cirrhosis and liver failure or cancer. An alcoholic has reduced resistance of the body thus can develop serious infections like pneumonias and tuberculosis easily. Importance and infertility can also be caused by alcohol. When the nerves of the body are damaged by alcohol, one suffers from tingling, numbness and altered sensations in the affected parts. Muscles of limbs may be affected and the Myopathy thus induced causes muscular pains and difficulty in walking. Severe cases one may be crippled because of this neuromuscular damage. So it can be seen clearly that the, “wonders”, of alcohol make one chronically sick and crippled in long run. People feel good after taking alcohol because it has a euphoriant effect, i.e. provides a feeling of well being and warmth. Being a vasodilator it opens up blood vessels, enhances flow of blood that provides one with sense of warmth. But in no way does it protect the body from cold or its effects as is popularly believed. There are many beliefs prevalent in society related to alcohol. Examples being, it provides energy, freshness, mental alertness, warmth, it is an appetizer, e.t.c. These are all myths. All alcohol produces is a delusion of all these things. Contact: rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk