Alcoholism is not a topic many of us want to think about, let alone deal with. In fact, if you ask anyone to define alcoholism, you’ll probably wind up with various answers. There are many definitions of alcoholism, and they’re all more or less true. Whichever definition you prefer, the simple truth is that alcoholism is a serious disease that threatens to completely undermine the affected individual’s health, family and social standing.

Here are some of the many definitions of alcoholism.

• Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

First published in 1992, this definition of alcoholism by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) had also been approved by the Boards of Directors of the National Council on Alcoholism and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (both in 1990):

According to JAMA, alcoholism is: “a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations.” The definition further adds that alcoholism is “often progressive and fatal” and is characterized by continuous or periodic symptoms such as “impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with the drug alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notably, denial.”

• Medical definition of alcoholism

A medical terms site defines alcoholism as a physical dependence on alcohol such that stopping will cause withdrawal symptoms. More popular usage refers to ingrained drinking habits that cause both health and social problems.

• Mayo Clinic alcoholism definition

Alcoholism is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “a chronic disease that makes your body dependent on alcohol.” Mayo further defines alcoholism as an obsession, one that makes you unable to control your drinking, even at the expense of serious relationship, health, work and financial problems. Alcoholism is a treatable disease, however, involving medication, counseling and self-help groups as some of its therapies.

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines alcoholism, also called alcohol dependence, as a disease involving four symptoms: craving (experiencing a compelling urge, desire or need to drink), loss of control (inability to stop once drinking has begun), physical dependence (nausea, sweating, shakiness and anxiety during withdrawal) and tolerance (needing to drink more to get “high”).

According to the NIAAA, alcoholism is a disease and, like many other diseases, is chronic, that is, it lasts a lifetime. The disease follows a course that is predictable and has recognizable symptoms. Genetic predisposition (family history of alcoholism) and lifestyle can contribute to a person’s becoming an alcoholic. Other contributing factors include increased stress and the availability of alcohol.

Alcoholism: The Bottom Line

What matters in the end is that alcoholism is a state of habitual intoxication, where an individual consumes alcohol in a progressive and excessive manner, and thus paves the way to an inevitable breakdown in health (physical and mental), family, social, job and financial situations, as well as an addiction to alcohol.

It’s also important to note that the risk for developing alcoholism based on family history does not mean a person is destined to become an alcoholic. While there is no cure for alcoholism, it can be treated with counseling and medications.

Alcoholism is a serious problem in America today. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that about 18 million people in the United States either abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. Across all age groups, men are four times as likely as women to be heavy drinkers. But the truth is that alcoholism at any age can cause major health-related problems, and some 100,000 people die each year from alcohol-related problems.

The harmful physical effects of alcoholism are well documented and include liver disease, lung disease, compromised immune system, endocrine disorders, and changes to the brain. In adolescents, particularly those who begin drinking at an early age (at or before age 14) and continue to heavy drinking, harm can result to the liver, bones, endocrine system, and interfere with brain growth. It is important to note that adolescents’ brains are still in the process of developing during the teenage years.

Major Physical Effects of Alcoholism Occur in Late Stages

While alcoholism is a chronic and progressive disease, the early symptoms are generally behavioral and not physical. The majority of medical problems typically occur in the later, or chronic, stage of alcoholism. If you are waiting to see if these physical signs to appear to make a determination that your loved one is an alcoholic or has alcoholism, it may already have progressed to a serious debilitating condition.

Fortunately, diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence can be made earlier and treatment can be initiated to get the affected individual on the road to recovery.

Problems Caused by Late-Stage Alcoholism

Following are some of the problems – general symptoms and major body systems – that are involved in late-stage alcoholism:

General Appearance

• Hand tremors – part of alcohol withdrawal, can begin within hours after stopping drinking
• Irritability, nervousness, excitability
• Jaundice – a result of liver damage
• Dry, red, itchy skin
• Swelling of parotid gland, resulting in a mumps-like appearance
• Finger clubbing – the result of alcoholic cardiomyopathy
• Drinker’s nose

Gastrointestinal Tract

• Dyspepsia and gastritis
• Nausea and vomiting
• Persistent diarrhea
• Recurring abdominal pain – due to inflammation of the stomach and colon from alcohol
• Acute and chronic pancreatitis – acute pancreatitis is most often seen in men, 25-65 years of age, with a minimum of 5-10 years of active drinking
• Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia – rapid changes in blood sugar caused by alcohol
• Gastrointestinal bleeding – destruction of the stomach lining due to an increase in stomach acids; may also result in ulcers, causing additional bleeding
• Liver problems – fatty liver, cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity)

Cardiovascular

• Palpitations – irregular heartbeat
• Cardiomyopathy – one out of every 36 alcoholics develops this medical condition
• Anemia
• Blood vessel dilation

Respiratory Systems

• Chronic obstructive airways disease (COAD)
• Recurring chest infection and pneumonia

Central Nervous System

• Damage to brain cells
• Blackouts
• Short-term memory impairment
• Seizures
• Peripheral neuropathy (nerve disease)
• Loss of balance
• Insomnia
• Nightmares
• Hallucinations
• Delirium Tremens (DTs) – occurs during late-stage withdrawal

Musculoskeletal

• Muscle atrophy
• Muscle cramps and weakness
• Inflammation of the kidneys
• Loss of menstruation
• Impotence

Genitourinary

• Increased urine flow
• Electrolyte imbalance

In addition, heavy drinking during pregnancy can result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), causing a range of physical, behavioral, and learning effects in the developing fetus.

Alcoholism rehab can be the first step toward freedom. One of the hardest things to do when you have alcoholism is admitting you have a problem. Agreeing to go to alcoholism rehab may seem overwhelming because it basically means you really are an alcoholic. We fight the label for one reason: we don’t want to stop drinking. Alcoholism has profound effects on perception and behavior, and it distorts your thinking. Studies show alcoholism damages the ability to store memories, so many alcoholics literally “forget” what they did last week, last month, and especially last year. These memory deficits get worse the longer you use alcohol, and binge drinkers are especially vulnerable to the damaging effects on their ability to remember new things. In fact, alcoholism can permanently damage your ability to learn new things.

All is not lost, however. Recovery can help you rebuild your life and you will likely see improvements in your memory after some time without alcohol in your body. The longer you drink, the more likely damage will be permanent.

Most important is the fact that very time you “quit” and withdraw from alcohol, then start drinking again, you cause even more damage to your brain. The repeated withdrawal seems to be the most damaging to memory and learning. There are some drugs that can mitigate the impact of withdrawal and prevent further damage to the memory, and good alcoholism rehabs can make sure you take these during your detox.

If you have tried to get sober yet keep relapsing, alcoholism rehab gives you the best chance of succeeding. Choose carefully, and you can get the right medical supervision during your withdrawal and learn the tools and strategies necessary for long-term sobriety.

If you have tried rehab before, that doesn’t mean it won’t work this time. A certain percentage of alcoholics need a couple of reminders, for lack of a better term, that they can’t handle alcohol without ending up with terrible consequences.

If any of the following apply to you, alcoholism rehab might be the right next step to reclaim your life:

- You have gotten more than one DUI
- You have lost a relationship due to drinking
- You have tried to stop drinking many times on your own, but always fall off the way
- You get physical withdrawal symptoms if you try to stop drinking – this can be dangerous to handle on your own
- You have underlying conditions such as depression or anxiety, which seem to get worse when you stop drinking – you need dual-diagnosis treatment and proper assessment of your underlying issues
- You have memory losses due to drinking, or notice that you take longer to learn new things

A new report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows how binge drinking is broken down by states. On the map used by the CDC, it is easy to identify a dark block of states in the middle of the country that are participating in binge drinking at a high rate.

The study reports that in Illinois and pushing across the Midwest to Montana, there are several states that show binge drinking to be between the rates of 18.7 percent and 25.6 percent of the population. The highest rate was in Wisconsin, with 25.6 percent of residents participating in binge drinking.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming five alcoholic beverages or more in a single occasion for men. Women are considered to be binge drinking when they consume four drinks or more on one occasion.

The report says that approximately 38 million Americans engage in binge drinking, and they do so about four times a month. The binge drinking averages about 8 drinks per binge for those who drink the most on one occasion.

The CDC indicates that those who earn less than $25,000 consume more drinks per occasion, but more affluent drinkers binge more often. Those with an income of $75,000 or more are the most common binge drinkers.

While binge drinking seems to be a widespread activity in the United States, the consequences are widespread as well. There are approximately 80,000 alcohol-related deaths each year. In addition, 54 distinct injuries and diseases are related to alcohol consumption.

Besides the toll on lives, there is also a significant financial toll. In 2006, the cost to the economy was estimated to be $223.5 billion. This number equates to $746 per person, or $1.90 per drink.

The report also shows that the age group with the most binge drinkers is young adults ages 18 to 34 years, but the group with the most binge drinkers was older adults aged 65 or older.

The report also includes several statements about the profile of a binge drinker. The CDC says that most alcohol-impaired drivers have been participating in binge drinking. In addition, contrary to what might be generally expected, those who binge drink do not tend to be alcoholics or alcohol dependent.

The CDC reports that over half of the alcohol consumed by adults is done so while engaging in binge drinking. For youth, more than half the alcohol consumed is while binge drinking.

When psychologists and other experts refer to people struggling with problems related to alcohol use, they use terms which are much more specific. The terms alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency may sound interchangeable to the common man, but there actually is a distinct difference in meaning behind the terms.

Though the terms alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency both point to a person’s problematic alcohol use, they are specific diagnostic terms used to describe discrete types of drinking problems. The term alcoholism has come into common parlance through association with 12 step drinking recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and is not a clinical term. Clinicians use precise terminology to describe different stages of disordered alcohol use. Alcohol abuse describes one stage of alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependency describes another.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern in a person’s life of at least one, but perhaps several, negative consequences related to alcohol use. Alcohol abuse can be best thought of as the early phase of alcohol dependency. The diagnosis has fewer definable symptoms, but actually lays the foundation for later alcohol dependency. Some of the negative consequences associated with alcohol abuse include:

• Repeated failure to meet responsibilities or obligations at home, at work or within the family due to the use of alcohol.
• Repeated alcohol use in potentially dangerous situations such as driving a car or operating heavy or dangerous machinery.
• Repeated problems with the law either such as driving under the influence of alcohol, being inebriated in public or disorderly conduct.

Clinicians assign a diagnosis of alcohol abuse when one or more of these consequences are repeated in a person’s life over the course of a one year period. A person may also be diagnosed with alcohol abuse because they continue drinking alcohol despite the occurrence of these negative consequences in their life.

Alcohol Dependency

Alcohol dependency describes a more chronic and complex condition. Dependency is actually considered to be an illness related to alcohol use which produces physiological symptoms. The criteria for an alcohol dependency diagnosis include:

• Symptoms of withdrawal (shakes or tremors, hangovers)
• A desire to cease drinking
• Failed efforts to cease drinking
• A preoccupation with drinking
• Negative consequences associated with drinking
• Continuation of drinking in spite of a desire to cease and/or associated negative consequences

Clinicians assign a diagnosis of alcohol dependency when there is evidence of alcohol tolerance and when one or more of the above mentioned criteria are met. The person with alcohol dependency may cease drinking but will always be considered alcohol dependent. The disorder is described as either in full or partial remission once a person ceases to drink. Full remission describes an alcohol dependent person who shows no symptoms of dependency for a minimum of 30 days but less than a full year.

In both instances, whether alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency, the treatment will center upon abstaining from drink. Since alcohol abuse describes an early stage and more behavior-centered diagnosis, it is possible to receive treatment and put the diagnosis of abuse behind you. By contrast, alcohol dependency is a diagnosis that remains and is further defined throughout a person’s life as either active or in remission. The person who has developed alcohol dependency will need to combat the temptation of alcohol misuse long after they have ceased from the problem drinking itself.

A new study appearing in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and is available online at Early View. The study examined neural substrates involved in risk-taking for adolescents, comparing those with a history of alcoholism in the family (FHP) with those who did not have a history of alcoholism in the family (FHN).

The researchers discovered that FHP adolescents exhibited atypical activity in certain areas of the brain when participating in an identical task as FHN adolescents.

Bonnie J. Nagel is an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University and is a corresponding author for the study. Nagel explained that while it was understood that history of alcoholism in the family is a major risk factor, the researchers wanted to determine whether family history of alcoholism had an impact on risk-taking behaviors prior to initiating any alcohol use.

This is an important distinction, because previous studies have compared risk-taking behaviors between those with a history of alcoholism in the family and those without, but these studies involved participants after their initiation of alcohol use. The current study’s findings are important because they show the differences in the brain prior to an individual having any exposure to alcohol.

The researchers recruited 31 adolescents, 18 of which were FHP and 13 which were FHN, all from the ages of 13 to 15 years. The adolescents had little or no exposure to alcohol prior to the study. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers examined the brain’s response to a decision-making exercise involving Wheel of Fortune. The task involved multiple opportunities to take risks associated with winning different money prizes.

The teens involved in the study did not exhibit different behaviors during the exercise related to family history. However, the researchers discovered that there were two brain regions that showed different responses. The two areas were the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex, which are both key regions associated with decision-making. FHP teens showed brain activity that was weaker when confronted with a risky decision.

The authors believe that the weaker brain activity may provide information about the vulnerability of FHP individuals when faced with alcohol-related decisions. This may lead to increased awareness of those who are prone to alcohol abuse and valuable for the treatment of these individuals.

Most experts believe that alcohol relapse often occurs due to influence by others who abuse alcohol as well. After all, people abuse alcohol for a variety of reasons. They may believe that alcohol – or rather the emotional numbness it temporarily provides – is essential for coping with a recent job loss, depression or anxiety, a broken marriage, the inability to find a job, and a whole host of other life problems. For others, what starts off a way to relax, pass time, or take their time off of something soon becomes a habit – a habit that eventually takes over their life.

Why People Start Drinking – and Why They Relapse

There are many things that can trigger the downward spiral into alcoholism for those who are vulnerable to addiction. A significant personal failure can trigger the beginning of an alcohol addiction. A traumatic event or a history of physical or sexual abuse is also a common trigger. Anything that makes a person susceptible to self-medicating with alcohol or other substances can be a major contributing factor. Three of the most common reasons include:

• Pressure is one of the most frequently quoted reasons for alcohol abuse. People who have a highly demanding work schedule with tight deadlines may turn to alcohol as a means of relief. What happens is that, as time goes on, they become to rely on it as a way to cope. In time, they feel that they can’t cope or function without it.
• Relationship failure – such as a breakup or divorce, or even the end of a close friendship – is another common reason why people start abusing alcohol. They start drinking in order to numb the pain and forget the loss; in time, it becomes a habit that is difficult to break. When they don’t drink, the painful feelings come flooding back, leading them to drink again in order to cope.
• Insomnia is another factor that has led many vulnerable individuals down the path of alcoholism. Sleep is so essential to being able to perform well and get through each day. Those who can’t turn to alcohol to help them fall asleep – even though it backfires in the long run. What starts as a temporary thing turns into a serious habit.

When it comes to reasons for alcohol relapse, they are often the same as listed above. The alcoholic becomes sober, but when faced with significant pressure or stress, a relationship failure or other serious loss, or a troubling condition like insomnia, the urge to drink in order to cope often wins – and alcohol relapse is the unfortunately result.

More than just a Habit

Most people who become alcoholics start drinking innocently enough – often for the reasons listed above. But, for those prone to addiction, their use turns into a habit and ultimately into a problem over which they have no control. In other words, the urge to drink controls them. Many try to quit on their own, but doing so is difficult. Despite repeated attempts to quit the end result is often alcohol relapse – no matter how sincere their intentions.

Alcohol abuse can start at an early age – sometimes as early as 12 years old or even younger, although starting in adolescence is more typical. When someone starts at an early age, the ability to stop at some point can be especially difficult. The longer the abuse continues, the harder it usually is to get sober.

Letting go of any habit is difficult after a period of time. But with alcoholism, it’s far more than just a habit. Your body has become dependent on the substance. The cravings are intense, and it takes more and more alcohol to get the desired effects.

Alcoholics also rely on alcohol to function normally. The fear of being unable to carry on with their daily routine without it is very real. Many alcoholics (if they are willing to admit it) claim to be able to do their daily activities because of the alcohol. But this is an illusion, as in time, it ends up destroying them if they don’t become sober at some point.

Other Reasons for Alcohol Relapse

When people do go through all the hard work of becoming sober, they are still vulnerable to relapse if they aren’t very careful. In addition to many of the reasons listed above, following are some other common reasons for relapse.

• Getting together with old “drinking buddies”. This is a very common reason for alcohol relapse. Often, it starts out innocent enough – you run into an old drinking buddy and decide to grab a bite to eat or have a non-alcoholic drink with him. Unfortunately, the next thing you know your buddy coaxes you into having “just one – for old time’s sake”, and an unexpected alcohol relapse occurs.
• Old habits connected with drinking. If you engage in any former behaviors or habits that were closely associated with drinking, alcohol relapse is likely to occur. You may not even realize it at first, but that connection can be a powerful reminder of how much you enjoyed the taste of your favorite drink, or the pleasant feelings it produced.
• Too much time on your hands. Alcohol relapse often occurs if you’ve got too much idle time. The lack of something productive or purposeful to occupy your time can leave you very vulnerable to alcohol relapse. After all, in the past when you were bored or idle, you likely had a drink (and probably several) to fill the time.

Staying Sober and Preventing Alcohol Relapse

The tried and true mechanism behind getting sober and preventing relapse is simple (but definitely not easy) – and that is to fight the fight with everything you’ve got. There really is no other way. If sobriety is truly your goal, you must take the necessary steps to get there. Once you’ve gone through alcohol rehab, the following two things are essential to avoid alcohol relapse:

• Stay away from alcohol – and from those who are drinking alcohol. Again, if you go back to spending time with friends who are actively drinking, your chances of avoiding a relapse are greatly diminished. You don’t want to trigger that overwhelming temptation to drink.
• Find new passions (or revive old ones) and activities to fill your time and keep you motivated. As mentioned earlier, idle time is a dangerous thing for an alcoholic in recovery. Take up an activity that you enjoy – something that stimulates your mind. This could be taking a class, writing a book, learning to play golf, or doing fulfilling volunteer work. By engaging in enjoyable activities that keep you busy, you’ll be much more likely to avoid an alcohol relapse.

Recovery from alcoholism and preventing alcohol relapse is possible. It takes a lot of courage and determination, but the effort is well worth it.

Managing Director, Tim Wilson with the Wilson Drinks Report, said that when consumers were asked to pick from a popular drinks list, only 43 percent thought that Red Bull and three times single vodka carried the most units of alcohol. Wilson also said only eight percent of them thought a pint of Stella Artois (five percent) premium lager contained the largest amount. The findings highlight the Military Police’s concern that guidelines haven’t been updated for alcohol consumption for over 20 years.

A recent report from the committee for Science and Technology, collaborates the idea which identifies the fact the British public understanding of alcohol consumption is fairly poor. Wilson added that last years’ ONS study shows that while 90 percent of adults surveyed understand and are aware of units of alcohol, they don’t know which alcoholic beverages do contain the most alcohol. He says it is a concern that many people still are not aware that a large glass of wine, containing 250ml, does contain the most amount of alcohol. Wilson notes that over a quarter percent weren’t even aware of what alcoholic beverages contained the most units. He believes this creates a large opportunity for both the Government and drink industry to improve the level of communication and awareness between them.

Clearly, British adults need to be more aware of how potent their choice of alcoholic beverage is.

A recent study explored the effectiveness of using a low-cost intervention for those who visited the emergency department because of alcohol-related injury through the use of receiving text messages (Suffoletto, Callaway, Kristan, Kraemer & Clark, 2011).

The researchers recruited 45 individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 during emergency department visits. The participants all met criteria for perilous drinking during the three months prior using a tool called the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test – Consumption. Each of the participants finished a timeline follow-back assessment that allowed them to report their drinking over the past three months, which was conducted at baseline and at a 12-week follow-up.

For the duration of the 12-week study, the participants received a text message every week. The participants were divided into three groups of 15 each:

• In the Intervention group, participants were sent weekly texts that encouraged them to set goals to decrease drinking during the following week and provided tips for doing so. They also were sent texts requesting they report their alcohol use for the week.
• The Assessment group received a text inquiring about their drinking levels, but no encouragement to change that level or tips for reducing consumption.
• The Control group only received messages on a weekly basis that reminded the participants that at the 12-week follow-up they would be asked to fill out a closing survey.

The results of the study showed that those who received the texting intervention were not as likely to report heavy drinking days. In addition, those in the Intervention group were not as likely to report weeks with a heavy consumption day and were not as likely to have consecutive weeks that contained severe consumption days when compared with the Assessment Group.

Those in this Intervention group both decreased drinks per day and the number of heavy consumption days while those in the Assessment group increased drinking in both of those categories.

One important limitation to the study’s findings noted by the authors is that the participants in the Control group may have not been as accurate in their reporting, because their drinking activity was recorded at the end of the 12-week period. The other two groups reported their drinking activity each week.

Regular alcohol abuse impacts all of the body’s organs, including the brain. It plays a role in damaging the brain and other organs at the cellular level. Some of the long-term effects of alcohol abuse include:

• Cirrhosis of the liver – a progressive condition in which scar slowly replaces healthy tissues, disrupting liver function. It is one of the 15 leading causes of death in the U.S.
• Hepatitis C – a virus that decreases liver function.
• Certain cancers – including those in the breast, throat, esophagus, mouth, liver, and colon. The long-term risks of developing cancer also appear to be equivalent to the amount of alcohol consumed.
• Nerve-related illnesses – including neuropathy (nerve death), dementia, and stroke
• Psychiatric disorders – including anxiety, depression, and suicide
• Cardiovascular conditions
• Gastrointestinal problems – such as gastritis and pancreatitis

Alcohol and your Brain

The acute effects of alcohol abuse are obvious to anyone who has ever observed another person while they are intoxicated. They can’t walk straight, have problems with their vision, their reactions times are slow, and their speech is slurred. These effects are much greater when a person continues to consume a lot of alcohol over an extended period of time.

The effects of alcohol abuse on one’s health may be minor to severe, depending on several different factors. The volume and frequency that alcohol is consumed play an important role. The person’s overall health also impacts the effect of alcohol.

Those who start drinking when they are very young and continue to drink well into adulthood will have the highest risk of experiencing serious complications due to the effects of alcohol abuse. Compared to men, women are more likely to suffer the medical consequences associated with alcohol use after a shorter period of time.

Liver Disease

While most people recognize cirrhosis as a liver disease that is common in alcoholics, most don’t understand its connection to the long-term effects of alcohol abuse.

The first step in the development of cirrhosis of the liver is inflammation. Malnutrition, which is common in alcoholics, also plays a role in the development of this condition. The more a person drinks, the less of an appetite he or she has. As a result, fewer nutrients are consumed and absorbed through the intestinal tract. Additionally, toxins in the liver accumulate over time and further contribute to the development of the disease.

The liver will remain inflamed for several years before it progresses to the level of cirrhosis. During this phase, the healthy liver tissue is gradually replaced with scar tissue. The scar tissue interferes with the liver’s ability to function properly. At least 1 out of every 10 people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol will develop cirrhosis of the liver. The majority of those who develop it are women. Since women are more vulnerable to developing this disease, they can develop it after drinking only half the amount of alcohol consumed by men who develop it.

Treatment for cirrhosis is only given after the individual stops consuming alcohol. For most, this means attending a rehabilitation program or, at the very least, counseling. They must also be given supplements in addition to a nutritious diet to combat malnutrition. In some patients, the advancement of the disease is such that their only treatment option is a liver transplant.

Other Serious Health Effects of Alcohol Abuse

Most people are familiar with the connection between long-term effects of alcohol abuse and damage to the liver. This is due to the liver’s job of breaking down fluids and removing byproducts from the body.

What they may not realize is that the liver cirrhosis that develops due to excessive drinking can also lead to brain damage. Because the liver is so damaged, two toxic substances – ammonia and manganese – are able to make their way to the brain and damage the cells.

The resulting condition is known as hepatic encephalopathy. This brain disorder can cause changes in personality, mood, and sleep patterns. It may also cause anxiety and depression. Other problems caused by hepatic encephalopathy include problems with attention and loss of coordination.

Treatment for hepatic encephalopathy includes methods which lower the level of blood ammonia. An artificial liver may be used to clean ammonia out of the patient’s blood. A liver transplant may also be necessary.

Women and Alcohol

Because of the differences in the way their bodies are made, women absorb more alcohol into their blood than men. Their bodies also take longer to metabolize it. Although they may drink an equal amount, women will have a much higher level of alcohol in their blood than men. Although men are more likely to drink large volumes of alcohol repeatedly over time, women are still more vulnerable to the long-term effects of alcohol abuse.

Women not only have a higher risk for cirrhosis of the liver, they are also more likely to experience memory loss and shrinkage of the brain. These problems often appear sooner in women than they do in men. Also, even those women who consume less alcohol than men are still more likely to have damage to their heart as a result. Their risk of breast cancer also increases in proportion to the amount of alcohol they consume.

The long-term effects of alcohol abuse have the ability to cause many serious conditions. These conditions no only seriously impact people’s quality of life; they also impact their quantity of life. The sooner those who abuse alcohol get their drinking under control, the better their odds for a long and healthy life will be.