The harmful effects of alcohol on the human body. Who is most exposed to electromagnetic fields? Stages and forms
The effect of alcohol on the human body
How does alcohol affect the human body?
Thus, we can say that the effect of alcohol on the human body is detrimental and irreversible. A conscious person must understand that the imaginary state of relaxation from alcohol cannot be compared with the consequences for the body. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves complete failure from the use of alcohol, including weak. It doesn’t matter what strength an alcoholic drink a person consumes, the harm to health from this is the same.
common in Lately beer alcoholism has become real problem youth. But the erroneous understanding that a bottle of beer is not alcoholism, sooner or later may respond with a violation of the state of the body.
A modern and conscious person should be fully aware of the high degree of harmful effects of alcohol on the human body.
The effect of alcohol on the human body.
The main principle of a healthy lifestyle is the rejection of alcohol consumption. Alcoholism is one of the most common problems among the population. What is the danger of alcohol and what effect does it have on the human body.
Medical experts advise that if you drink alcohol, then only adults in very moderate quantities. Alcohol is strictly prohibited for pregnant and lactating women, as well as children and adolescents.
The most important effect of alcohol is on the liver. All people suffering from alcoholism, scientists our liver damage in varying degrees. Cirrhosis of the liver was found in ten percent of alcoholics.
In addition to the liver, the functions of the human endocrine organs, the sex glands, also suffer. Alcohol even affects the functioning of the brain. Even a small dose of alcohol can cause metabolic disorders in nervous tissue transmission of nerve impulses. When alcohol is consumed, the vessels of the brain expand, and due to the increase in permeability, hemorrhage into the brain tissue is possible.
Chronic pancreatitis is a common consequence of alcohol abuse. Alcohol plays the role of a "chemical weapon" for the human stomach. Getting burned by a portion of alcohol, the stomach cannot work normally. The so-called alcoholic gastritis develops. The human body, due to impaired metabolism, can no longer break down protein, and a person develops the so-called protein starvation. All this leads to improper digestion of food by a person and, as a result, a deterioration in the general condition of the body.
Chronic alcohol consumption can cause alcohol poisoning. This, in turn, is accompanied frequent vomiting, belching, unpleasant pains and burning sensations in the abdomen. Perhaps the development of chronic alcoholic gastritis. Its symptoms are general weakness body, nausea, diarrhea, decreased performance of the body and aching pain in the abdomen.
Drinking alcohol has a negative effect on human kidneys. Taking even a small dose of alcohol leads to increased urination. This is due to the irritating effect of alcohol on the surface of the kidneys. With the constant intake of alcohol, kidney cells are destroyed. After they die, they are replaced by connective tissue, and the kidneys decrease in size. The constant use of alcohol leads to increased sweating, the development of edema. Obviously, such an effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system does not pass without a trace for the body. In a chronic alcoholic, life is shortened, cases of premature death are frequent.
Scientists have proven that alcohol negatively affects the human immune system, lowering the body's resistance to infectious diseases. So chronic alcoholics are much more difficult to tolerate various diseases, especially those of an infectious-allergic nature. According to statistics, the death rate among people who abuse alcohol from these diseases is three to five times higher than among people who do not drink alcohol.
Speaking about the dangers of alcohol on the human body, it is necessary to say about the harmful effects of alcohol on reproductive system person. Alcohol can affect both the process of conception of an unborn child, damaging the sperm and egg, and the development of the embryo. Animal experiments show that already after eight months of regular introduction of alcohol into the body, a change in the spermatozoon occurs. It decreases in size and can no longer carry the necessary amount of genetic information. That is why a child conceived in a state alcohol intoxication at least one of the biological parents often has deviations and malformations in development. Moreover, under the influence of alcohol, the number of spermatozoa in seminal fluid decreases. Ninety percent of chronic alcoholics have been diagnosed with infertility.
The highest stage of the manifestation of alcoholism is considered to be "white tremens" or, scientifically, delirium. This state of an alcoholic is accompanied by delirium, hallucinations, and sometimes convulsions.
Alcohol also has a negative effect on the human psyche. A person suffering from alcohol addiction does not think about the development of his personality, often conflicts with the people around him. In such a situation, there is a delay in the development of human thinking, perhaps an inadequate perception of the surrounding reality by the alcoholic. For an alcoholic, the developing abilities of a person are lost, often an alcoholic does not own the moral and ethical concepts of society.
Thus, we can say that the effect of alcohol on the human body is detrimental and irreversible. A conscious person must understand that the imaginary state of relaxation from alcohol cannot be compared with the consequences for the body. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle involves a complete rejection of alcohol, including the weak. It doesn’t matter what strength an alcoholic drink a person consumes, the harm to health from this is the same. Beer alcoholism, which has recently become widespread, has become a real problem for young people. But the erroneous understanding that a bottle of beer is not alcoholism, sooner or later may respond with a violation of the state of the body. A modern and conscious person should be fully aware of the high degree of harmful effects of alcohol on the human body.
When people drink alcohol, it passes through the blood throughout the body. Alcohol reaches every organ and is distributed throughout the cellular fluid in our body. Organs such as the brain, which contain a lot of water and need an adequate blood supply to function properly, are particularly susceptible to the effects of alcohol. Others, including the liver, heart, pancreas, and kidneys, also suffer from alcohol after it enters the bloodstream within minutes.
Now let's look at how alcohol affects the four major systems of the body: the digestive, central nervous, circulatory, and endocrine systems.
Alcohol abuse today is an urgent problem of modern society around the world. Alcohol consumption causes accidents, injuries and poisoning, regardless of the standard of living and the status of a person in society.
Of particular concern is the consumption of alcoholic beverages among the younger generation. Drinking alcohol among young people, students and pupils can be considered as national suicide. It destroys a young and still healthy organism and personality much faster, which affects the whole society. Among young people, the highest percentage of deaths from alcohol consumption.
It is very important to learn as early as possible about the action and effect of alcohol on the body, what consequences can lead to a passion for alcoholic beverages, even the weakest.
The effect of alcohol on the digestive system
Alcohol use and its effects begin at the point of entry. Alcohol is an irritant. It starts to burn when it comes into contact with any mucous membrane.
When you drink the first sip of alcohol, its effects are not particularly felt, especially if you drink a high-quality drink. You will notice an instant burning sensation as it enters your mouth and travels down your esophagus.
This is a burn that can eventually kill the living tissue in your body. With prolonged and excessive use, alcohol can lead to the development of various diseases of the head and neck. Drinking five or more drinks a day can double or triple the risk of developing cancer in the mouth, throat, or vocal cords.
Let us now consider in detail the route of alcohol. Entering the mouth, then it enters the stomach, the circulatory system, the brain, kidneys, lungs and liver. As alcohol is absorbed, the following may occur.
Alcohol passes through sensitive membranes, which can be irritated if the alcohol content is high enough;
Frequent drinkers are at significantly greater risk of mouth and throat cancer.
Alcohol does not need to be digested as its molecules are very small and can easily pass through the stomach lining.
When the stomach is empty, alcohol passes directly into the bloodstream.
When there is food in the stomach, especially high protein foods, the rate of alcohol absorption slows down but does not stop.
Alcohol in small amounts stimulates the appetite by increasing the production of gastric juices.
Because of a large number produced by gastric juices, a large amount of alcohol suppresses appetite and can cause malnutrition.
Excessive alcohol consumption stimulates the production of gastric juices in the stomach, which, combined with a high alcohol content, irritates the stomach lining, leading to ulcers.
When the concentration of alcohol and gastric juice becomes high enough, and irritation of the mucosa increases, a reflex urge to vomit is triggered, as a protective way of the body to partially reduce this irritation.
20% of the alcohol consumed enters the bloodstream through the stomach, and 80% (the remaining alcohol) is absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine.
When alcohol enters the stomach, it is absorbed into the bloodstream or passed into the intestines. However, some types of alcohol can remain in the stomach, increasing the acidity of the stomach and irritating its protective lining. This irritation in chronic alcoholism can lead to corrosion of the gastric mucosa i.e. cause peptic ulcer. Even moderate alcohol consumption can cause or aggravate existing stomach and intestinal ulcers.
When alcohol moves into the small intestine, it can also cause damage digestive system. It blocks the body's absorption of thiamine, folic acid, vitamin B1, B12, fats and amino acids.
The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system
Drinking a lot of alcohol for a long time or drinking too much at one time can pernicious influence on the cardiovascular system. Alcohol abuse can be:
- cardiomyopathy;
- Arrhythmia;
- Stroke;
- Hypertension.
The effect of alcohol on the heart and blood vessels lasts an average of 5-7 hours. Fully function of the heart is restored only after 2-3 days, when the body is completely cleared of alcohol.
Once alcohol enters the bloodstream, it is quickly distributed evenly throughout the body. This dilates the blood vessels causing:
Greater blood flow to the surface of the skin (which is why the face turns red)
Temporary sensation of warmth;
Increased heat loss and a rapid decrease in body temperature;
Increase in blood pressure.
In the short term, as alcohol travels through the heart, it can cause inflammation in the walls of the heart muscles.
When drinking strong alcoholic beverages, the frequency is disturbed heart rate, it either slows down or increases.
Cardiomyopia
This is the worst thing that can happen with excessive alcohol consumption. And regardless of the degree of its strength. According to doctors, it can develop in 10 years with regular drinking of alcoholic beverages. main reason secondary cardiomyopathy It's called alcohol addiction. The main symptoms of this disease can be:
Fast fatiguability;
Cough that torments mainly at night;
impaired breathing;
Pain in the region of the heart.
The progression of the disease leads to heart failure. In this case, there may be such accompanying symptoms:
Swelling of the legs;
Enlargement of the liver.
The function of the heart is disturbed, it begins to perform its role poorly - pumping blood throughout the body. As a result, oxygen transfer to cells and tissues, including the brain, is disrupted. Oxygen starvation develops - hypoxia. And since alcohol is excreted from the body within a few days, myocardial ischemia persists.
The effect of alcohol on the blood
Once alcohol enters the body, it has an immediate effect on red blood cells. Their deformation occurs due to rupture of the membranes, they stick together, forming blood clots. This, in turn, leads to circulatory disorders in coronary vessels. The heart, trying to do its job, increases in size. This may lead to:
cardiac arrhythmias;
Myocardial dystrophy;
stroke;
Heart attack.
Myocardial dystrophy is when connective tissue develops instead of cells that died due to hypoxia, which affects the contractile function of the heart muscle.
When alcohol is consumed, adrenaline and norepinephrine are released into the blood, and the need for oxygen in the heart muscle increases. Any amount of alcohol you drink can cause coronary insufficiency.
According to doctors, the risk of heart attack and stroke is much higher in people who abuse alcohol. It raises blood pressure, which leads to heart attacks and premature death.
The harmful effects of alcoholic beverages on the heart and blood vessels are a scientifically proven fact. The risk of cardiovascular disease is directly proportional to alcohol consumption.
According to statistics, people who drink are 56 percent more likely to suffer from ischemic stroke.
The effect of alcohol on the liver
The liver takes the brunt of drinking alcohol. Frequent drinking of vodka, wine, beer can lead to various problems and severe diseases of this organ, including:
alcoholic hepatitis;
One of the causes of steatosis or fatty hepatosis liver is a constant impact toxic substances, which include the consumption of various alcoholic beverages.
When the liver tries to break down alcohol, the result of this reaction can be alcoholic hepatitis. With constant exposure, it is possible to develop an irreversible process of damage to liver cells, which in turn can lead to deeper damage and the development of cirrhosis.
When alcohol enters the liver, the normal outflow of bile is disturbed. With stagnation of bile in the liver cells, yellowing is observed skin, eye. This condition is caused when the breakdown pigment of red blood cells, bilirubin, is not excreted in the bile, but is reabsorbed by the blood and spread throughout the body.
Jaundice is an ominous sign of alcohol abuse and may indicate the development liver failure at its final stage.
The effect of alcohol on the pancreas
Prolonged drinking leads to irreversible damage to the pancreas. It has been proven that even a single case of drinking can cause an exacerbation of pancreatitis. Alcoholic inflammation of the pancreas can lead to chronic fibrosis, which can cause deficiency in both the exocrine (digestive enzymes) and endocrine (insulin) systems.
The main function of the pancreas is to direct digestive enzymes to small intestine to digest food.
When inflammation blocks the production of digestive enzymes and they do not enter the gastrointestinal tract, they can attack the pancreas themselves, as well as seep into other surrounding tissues.
What does this mean? When intoxicated, the ducts become clogged, enzymes do not enter the small intestine to participate in the further digestion of food, but remain in the pancreas. This condition leads to the fact that the cells of the pancreas are destroyed, metabolic processes are disturbed. Inflammation occurs, which can cause exacerbation of pancreatitis. In addition, with constant exposure to alcohol, the risk of developing diabetes is likely.
Not all people react the same way to the effects of alcohol. Pancreatic diseases and exacerbations associated with its work can occur regardless of whether a person drinks only 20-50 grams of alcohol or his daily norm is much more. Some drinkers may never experience this problem at all.
The effect of alcohol on the kidneys
Alcohol, and especially beer, is considered a diuretic. The more you drink, the more often you urinate. This, though not very pleasant, is still a tolerable effect of alcohol on the kidneys and bladder.
However, alcohol can have a much more sinister effect on chronic drinkers. By acting on the mucous membrane, it can lead to inflammation of the bladder, causing it to increase and stretch to dangerous size. If the bladder becomes enlarged, it can block the flow of water from the kidneys, which in turn can cause kidney failure.
The function of the kidneys is not only related to the formation and distribution of urine. They are involved in balancing the acid-base and water-electrolyte balance, produce hormones.
When alcohol enters, they switch to an intensive mode of operation, pumping a larger volume of liquid and trying to remove harmful substances from the body.
Constant overload weakens the function of the kidneys and there comes a point when they can no longer work in an enhanced mode. That's why some people show their active drinking time on their face: puffy face, puffiness under the eyes. This was the liquid that the kidneys could not remove.
In addition, toxins accumulate in the kidneys and then form stones, increasing the risk of inflammatory diseases of the kidneys and bladder. 
The effect of alcohol on the brain
The human brain is a kind of control panel for the whole body. In its cortex are the centers of memory, reading, movement of body parts, smell, vision. Violation of blood circulation and death of brain cells is accompanied by a shutdown or weakening of its functions. This certainly leads to a decrease in mental abilities, affects behavior, coordination, mood. No wonder drunk people become more aggressive and do not realize the consequences of their actions. Constantly drinking alcohol, there comes a complete degradation of a person's personality.
The main risks of the action of alcoholic beverages are associated with:
memory impairment;
Decreased intelligence;
Manifestation of immoral and illegal acts;
Loss of a critical attitude towards oneself as a person;
hallucinations;
Mental disorder.
Under the influence of alcohol on the nervous system, people change their behavioral responses. He loses his shyness, restraint. He does things he wouldn't do when sober.
The comments are critical, with the manifestation of unmotivated aggression, rage and anger. A person's personality degrades in direct proportion to the amount and duration of alcohol consumption.
Gradually, a person loses interest in life. His creative and labor potential is declining. All this negatively affects career growth and social status. As they say, a person sinks: he stops taking care of himself, leads an immoral lifestyle, quits his job and withdraws from society.
This is not a complete list of all the consequences of alcohol abuse. Affecting the entire body, nerve endings, diseases such as polyneuritis of the lower extremities develop. This is the result of not only constant exposure to nerve endings and their inflammation, but also a deficiency in essential nutrients. Alcoholics are often deficient in B vitamins.
The disease manifests itself as a feeling of acute weakness in the lower extremities, numbness, pain in the knees. Ethanol affects the muscles and nerve endings, which causes atrophy of the entire muscular system, which ends in neuritis and paralysis.
Drinking alcohol leads to disruption of the blood supply to brain cells. Constantly experiencing oxygen starvation, cells die. If you look at the brain of an alcoholic, then it is an uncharted planet with craters and depressions: the brain is wrinkled, its surface is covered with ulcers and scars.
If the liver cells can be cleansed and are able to recover, then the brain cells die forever.
The effect of alcohol on blood pressure
Drinking alcohol can increase blood pressure to a critical level. Drinking alcohol once temporarily increases arterial pressure, but repeated and regular drinking can lead to persistently high values.
People who constantly drank alcohol in large quantities, while limiting consumption, can reduce blood pressure readings by 1-3 mm Hg. Art. But this is not so much if it was at a critically high level.
If you are one of these people, then abruptly giving up alcohol is also dangerous. You need to reduce the pressure gradually, respectively, reducing the amount of alcohol you drink. People who stop drinking abruptly have a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.
The effect of alcohol on the female body
Alcohol and female body- two incompatible things. The female body perceives the action of alcohol in a completely different way and the risks from such a hobby are much more serious than for men.
That is why female alcoholism comes much earlier. If a man can abuse alcohol for years and not become a degraded alcoholic, then for a woman this period takes much less time.
In addition to influencing moral and social behavior, the whole body of a woman suffers from it, including reproductive function. The risk of having a sick child drinking woman several times greater than drinking man non-alcoholic woman.
Alcoholism is the scourge of our modern society. And no arguments that drinking in small doses is good for health can not be compared with the risks that its use can bring. They exceed all the benefits of it. Moreover, many people, starting with small doses, do not notice how they become chronic alcoholics.
How alcohol affects our body
What dose of alcohol is harmless
Alcohol, ethyl alcohol (ethanol), wine alcohol, C2 H5 OH is a colorless volatile liquid characteristic odor and pungent taste, mixes well with water.
Alcohol is a waste product of yeast and can be produced chemically. It is highly flammable, burns, is used as a technical fluid in shock absorbers, brakes, etc., and is a good solvent for many organic substances. Used as raw material in chemical industry and also as a fuel.
Alcohol is used in medicine for the preparation of tinctures and extracts. It destroys the cell membrane and through the destroyed membrane the necessary medicinal substances are delivered faster into the cell. In the Western pharmaceutical industry, when creating pharmaceuticals tend to do without ethyl alcohol. Alcoholic medicines are not recommended for children.
At topical application alcohol causes denaturation of proteins in the cytoplasm of microorganism cells. This property is used to treat the hands of health workers, sterilize instruments, etc.
Alcohol is a cellular toxin when ingested, the body tries to neutralize it. This is what the liver does. In liver cells, hepatocytes, ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde by the action of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which, by the action of another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase, is oxidized to acetic acid.
Acetic aldehyde is several times more toxic than ethyl alcohol. It causes a hangover, which, in fact, is a serious poisoning. In people who abuse alcohol, the body has to defend itself against excessive amounts of alcohol. They increase the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase, which processes alcohol and accumulates acetaldehyde.
The second enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase, cannot be activated. As a result, pronounced poisoning with acetaldehyde occurs.
With the systematic use of alcoholic beverages, alcohol dehydrogenase cannot cope with the decomposition of alcohol. Weaker additional enzymes come into action in the body and the concentration of acetaldehyde in the body still increases. In the future, even small doses of alcohol dramatically increase the concentration of acetaldehyde, self-control is lost and cravings for the next dose of alcohol appear instead of the quickly disintegrated one.
As early as the beginning of the twentieth century in 1915. At the XI Pirogov meeting of Russian doctors, alcohol was recognized as a narcotic poison. Doctor of Medicine A.L. Mendelssohn in the "Textbook of sobriety", published in 1913. in St. Petersburg wrote: “Alcohol cannot be considered a food product in the usual sense of the word. This is a poison for the nervous system, classified as a narcotic substance: it, however, not only paralyzes the brain, but also has a detrimental effect on internal organs. Science is not able to indicate a harmless dose of beer, wine or vodka. Further, "No one really needs them ... Only complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages is a reliable protection against possible alcoholism and all its consequences."
Great Soviet Encyclopedia (vol. 2, p. 116): "Alcohol is a narcotic poison."
Foreign experts attribute alcohol to drugs such as depressants.
Modern narcologists consider alcohol to be a cytoplasmic poison that has a destructive effect on all human systems and organs, and an officially permitted drug.
The health consequences of drinking alcohol can be divided into 4 groups:
Influence on the central nervous system;
– influence on reproductive organs and gene pool;
Influence on the development of cardiovascular diseases;
Other physiological effects of alcohol consumption.
The effect of alcohol on the central nervous system
Drinking alcohol causes intoxication. Alcohol intoxication is acute alcohol poisoning. It is caused by hypoxia (oxygen starvation) of the cells of the cerebral cortex.
Alcohol causes blood clots to form in small vessels brain. Due to hypoxia of the cells of the cortex, some of them die and a cemetery of neurons is formed in the brain. How more people drank alcohol, the more dead neurons.
Alcohol inhibits the activity of nerve cells, develops
lethargy, slowing down of speech, impaired mental activity, decreased concentration. Increased risk of injury, accidents and deaths. Large doses of alcohol lead to the development of a coma, and death can occur from respiratory failure due to its suppression or from aspiration of vomit.
Scientists have found that 85% of “moderate drinkers” and 95% of alcoholics have a decrease in brain volume. After four years of drinking alcohol, the brain becomes “wrinkled” due to the death of billions of neurons. The systematic use of alcohol leads to a decrease in brain mass. In women, this degradation, associated with the loss of brain matter, occurs faster than in men.
The mental abilities of such people are reduced, the freshness and originality of thoughts are lost. Creativity disappears. The processing of current information is difficult, the replenishment of life and professional skills is disrupted. Decreased efficiency, reduced desire to work. Those who are addicted to alcohol are incapable of systematic work. Character deteriorates, morality falls.
Alcohol suppresses the function of the cerebral cortex, subcortical formations begin to control human behavior. Human behavior becomes aggressive, his base biological instincts are manifested.
Determined that mental capacity and memory deteriorate under the influence of even the smallest doses of alcohol. Violated coordination of movements, vigilance, intelligence. Only 25 grams of vodka worsen memorization by 60 - 70%.
Full recovery of brain functions, including its capabilities of systemic analytical thinking, after drinking alcohol occurs after 18-20 days. Thus, scientific data are confirmed that if people drink alcohol twice a month, then their brain is not able to work at the level of capabilities given to them by nature. That is why the consumption of alcohol by politicians, statesmen, leaders who make responsible decisions and form public opinion is unacceptable. Otherwise, it will lead to inadequate guidance and decisions and may set a bad example for the entire society.
Typical forms of alcohol damage to the central nervous system:
alcohol withdrawal syndrome;
Hangover seizures (alcoholic epilepsy);
Variants of delirium tremens that occur in a state of alcohol withdrawal and are accompanied by delirium (delusions), occur at stages II-III of alcoholism, during the period of cessation of drinking, delirium appears, visual, auditory and / or tactile hallucinations, there may be chills and fever. Hallucinations are usually threatening in nature, often presented in the form of small dangerous creatures (insects, devils). Sometimes ends in death. The main danger in delirium is the risk of self-harm.
Wernicke's encephalopathy - brain damage as a result of a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1), usually occurring in chronic alcoholism, visual impairment, gait and coordination disorders, disorientation - confusion;
Korsakov's psychosis - a combination of polyneuritis with severe memory impairment, which relate to the memorization of current events and the reproduction of the recent past;
Alcoholic dementia - impaired mental (cognitive) functions, loss of normal perception, thinking, counting, speech, attention;
Manifestations of cognitive dysfunction: memory loss, mental performance, violation of rational knowledge of the world and interaction with it, perception of information, violation of its processing and analysis, memorization and storage.
Atypical forms of alcohol damage to the central nervous system:
Atypical variants of delirium tremens - occur after repeated psychoses, often with fantastic content - alcoholic oneiroid;
Alcoholic paranoid - delusional perception of the environment, anxiety, fear and psychomotor restlessness;
Acute and chronic alcoholic hallucinosis;
Alcoholic delirium of jealousy.
The effect of alcohol on reproductive organs and the gene pool
When drinking alcohol, it lingers in the gonads, and in women it is 35%, and in men it is 55% more than in the blood.
Studies have found that even a single intake of alcohol 250 - 300 ml reduces the blood concentration of the male sex hormone - testosterone by 4 times and, accordingly, reduces sexual function in men. Already an hour after drinking alcohol, it is found in the seed of a man and in the ovaries of a woman. When the male and female germ cells, poisoned with alcohol, merge, defective embryos are obtained.
Children conceived while intoxicated are the main contingent of auxiliary schools. More than 90% of children with mental and physical disabilities are born to parents who started drinking at school age.
In children whose fathers used before the birth of the child alcoholic drinks for at least 4 - 5 years, signs of mental disability are found.
A break in the use of alcohol by male alcoholics at the age of 2-3 years against the background of general strengthening and anti-alcohol treatment creates favorable conditions (but does not guarantee) for normal mental development children conceived during this period.
The use of alcohol by a woman before and during pregnancy leads to toxicosis of pregnancy, miscarriages, premature births, intrauterine malformations of the child, a deficiency in fetal weight at the time of birth, and a slowdown in the rate of psychophysical development. Mentally retarded people born from drunken parents inevitably give the same offspring.
WHO experts believe that in Russia alone, on the basis of drunkenness and alcoholism, more than 30% of the population currently has mental defects. At the same time, 13% of children out of their total number lag behind in intellectual development from the average level, and 25% cannot master the program of a general education school.
The effect of alcohol on the development of cardiovascular disease
Alcohol is one of the leading risk factors for morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Alcohol is in second place in the risk of the causes of the prevalence of arterial hypertension.
Elderly man with heart vascular problems may die suddenly from taking a relatively small dose of alcohol. There are three external factors, provoking sudden cardiac death: alcohol intake, exercise stress, psycho-emotional stress. If these factors coincide in time, the probability sudden death increases.
Alcohol contributes to the formation of blood clots in the arteries, the development of cerebral strokes, myocardial infarction.
Chronic alcohol intoxication reduces the life expectancy of men with diseases of the cardiovascular system by an average of 17 years.
Thus, there is a direct relationship between mortality from cardiovascular disease and alcohol consumption.
In recent decades, publications have appeared on the protective effect of low doses of alcohol in cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, in particular in coronary heart disease.
According to research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the United States, the director of this institute commented: “Despite the fact that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of developing coronary disease heart, science is not convinced that alcohol is the cause of this risk. The risk reduction may be due to as yet unidentified factors associated with alcohol use in combination with factors that reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, such as lifestyle, diet or physical activity, or with substances in alcoholic beverages.”
Current research is inconsistent, and is limited to the age groups of men over 45 and menopausal women.
It would be most reasonable and correct from the position of prevention of cardiovascular lesions not to drink alcohol, since the harm from alcohol far outweighs the benefits.
Other Physiological Consequences of Drinking Alcohol
Alcohol is the cause of acute and chronic gastritis, acute and chronic pancreatitis, fatty liver, acute and chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, chronic renal failure, anemia.
Alcohol contributes to the development of gastric and duodenal ulcers, acute pneumonia, aggravates the course of hepatitis B and C, and suppresses the immune system.
Drinkers are more likely to develop pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other lung diseases.
According to WHO experts, alcohol can cause more than 60 diseases and disorders in humans.
Effects of alcohol on children and adolescents
Children are very sensitive to alcohol. A case of death of a child who was under 1 year old is described due to three times the imposition of vodka compress during the day for chest when coughing. There was a case of the death of a five-year-old child who drank 10 g of alcohol as a result of an oversight. The younger the body, the more detrimental to him the effect of alcohol.
Children and adolescents very quickly become addictive and have a positive attitude towards alcohol. Children at the same time imitate adults, parents. They may surreptitiously consume alcoholic beverages and may develop alcohol poisoning. At the same time, they may experience loss of consciousness, impaired pulmonary and cardiovascular activity.
If a family often arranges alcoholic feasts, then the children of this family later associate holidays and weekends with drinking alcohol.
In adolescence, the attraction to alcohol is formed 8 times faster than in adults. Their behavior is disturbed, aggressiveness is manifested, a hangover syndrome is formed. And all this is 1-3 years after the onset of systematic drinking. The sons of persons suffering from alcoholism are 4 times more likely to become alcoholics, compared with the sons of those who did not have alcoholism.
Features of the influence of alcohol depending on the type of drinks
Alcoholic drinks are mixtures of water and alcohol with the addition of other substances that give drinks a certain taste and smell.
Everyone begins to drink alcohol with characteristic drinks - beer, wine, vodka.
Beer
Women - lovers of beer, introduce themselves into the body an additional amount of the female hormone. This leads to an increase in the uterus, the growth of uterine tissues, the release of excessive secretion and mucus in the fallopian tubes, a violation menstrual cycle. This reduces a woman's reproductive capacity. At the same time, women's attraction to men increases and dominant behavior is manifested in relation to men. However, excess estrogen in women can cause breast cancer.
Hops, like hemp, contain drugs such as marijuana and hashish in slightly smaller amounts. Hops produce some morphine, the active principle of opium and heroin.Thus, beer is a "bouquet" of narcotic substances. Even the German Chancellor Bismarck said: "Beer makes people stupid, lazy and powerless."
Beer contains glucose, sucrose, fructose, dextrins and other carbohydrates, amino acids, polypeptides, B vitamins, ascorbic, folic, nicotinic acids, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus ions. This useful material, but there are very few of them, and when drinking beer, they are washed out of the body and excreted in the urine, since beer has a diuretic effect.
According to research, people are drawn to beer to get a mild inebriation. One liter of beer has the same effect on the body as 87 ml of vodka, and in terms of the total toxic effect it exceeds the toxicity of vodka.
Low-alcohol drinks are especially dangerous for teenagers and women, because through beer these categories are quickly attached to the use of alcohol. A habit is formed that turns into an addiction.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage obtained by complete or partial alcoholic fermentation of grape juice. Alcohol and other substances can be added to wine and fortified wine is obtained.
By quality and aging time, wines are divided into:
- young;
- without endurance;
- sustained;
- vintage (aged wines from the same grape varieties that retain a certain aroma and taste);
- collection (wine with a very long aging time up to tens and hundreds of years).
Alcohol and sugar content in wines
Table or natural wines:
- dry - prepared by complete fermentation of the wort with a residual sugar content of not more than 0.3%, alcohol - 8.5 - 15% vol., sugar up to 4 g / l; “Dry” wine is called because it is “dry”, sugar is completely fermented;
- semi-dry - alcohol 8.5 - 15% vol., sugar - 4 - 18 g / l;
- semi-sweet - alcohol 8.5 - 15% vol., sugar - 18 - 45 g / l;
- sweet - alcohol 8.5 - 15% vol., sugar - not less than 45 g / l.
Special, i.e. fortified wines:
- strong - alcohol - 17 - 21% vol., sugar - 30 - 120g / l;
- sweet - alcohol - 14 - 20% vol., sugar - up to 150g / l;
- semi-dessert - alcohol - 14 - 16% vol., sugar - 50 - 120 g / l;
- dessert - alcohol - 15 - 17% vol., sugar - 160 - 200 g / l;
- liqueurs - alcohol - 12 - 16% vol., sugar - up to 210 - 300 g / l.
Flavored wines- alcohol - 16 - 18% vol., sugar - up to 6 - 16 g / l.
Sparkling wine– saturated in the secondary fermentation process carbon dioxide. The most famous sparkling wine in the world is champagne. It contains alcohol - 9 - 13% vol., sugar - 0 - 15 g / l. When drinking champagne, alcohol penetrates the blood faster, and intoxication sets in faster, and the consequences of such intoxication are more severe, the head hurts more than from drinking vodka.
IN positive feedback about wine indicate that red grape wine contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that have a cardioprotective, anti-atherosclerotic effect, inhibit platelet aggregation, increase the concentration of lipoproteins high density and also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Chronic alcohol consumption to prevent the development of coronary heart disease can lead to alcoholic liver damage.
Studies by domestic and foreign scientists point to healthy alternatives to red wine.
So John D. Folts of the Medical School of Wisconsin points out that 3 cups of red grape juice prevents plaque formation in the blood vessels, as does 1 cup of red wine. The scientist reports that it is not alcohol that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, but flavonoids, which are also found in grape juice.
Dr. Krasey points out that there are less toxic sources of antioxidants, polyphenols and other substances found in red wine. These are vegetables, fruits, garlic, spices, herbs and nutritional supplements. They have much more antioxidants than wine. Wine is drunk, as a rule, not for the sake of antioxidants, but for the sake of intoxication, because of its narcotic properties.
Vodka
Vodka — alcoholic drink, a colorless water-alcohol solution with a characteristic taste and alcoholic odor. The vodka production process includes mixing rectified ethyl alcohol from food raw materials with corrected water, treating the water-alcohol solution with activated carbon or modified starch, filtering it, adding certain ingredients, if they are provided for in the recipe, mixing, control filtering, bottling into consumer packaging and processing of finished products.
Alcoholic (including vodka) culture is the main source of high Russian mortality. Strong alcoholic beverages resulting from distillation contribute to the rapid achievement of dangerous high concentration alcohol in the blood and pose a greater danger to human life and health than beer and wine. The exceptional severity of the alcohol situation in the CIS countries is explained by the combination of vodka culture of alcohol consumption of the "northern" type (drinking large doses strong alcohol) and the presence of alcohol-tolerant policies of these states.
In countries where the most popular drinks are wine or beer, even a high level of alcohol consumption is not accompanied by disastrous consequences. This is evidenced by the experience of not only France, Portugal, Germany, Austria, but also the post-socialist Czech Republic, Poland, Armenia, Georgia.
In all countries of the alcohol belt, without exception, there is a severe complex of alcohol problems: supermortality, leading to the extinction of the nation, degradation of the social environment, an increase in crime due to alcohol abuse, etc.
In some cases, when preparing cheap varieties of vodka, purification is not carried out at all, the mixture of alcohol and water is blended with various artificial additives (alcosoft, glycerin, soda, etc.), which mask the taste of the drink, making it soft. The harm to the human body, who has taken such a product, increases many times due to exposure to toxic impurities (ether-aldehyde fractions and other by-products of fermentation).A one-time intake of 400 grams of undiluted ethyl alcohol (95-96%) is a lethal dose for the average person (death occurs in 30-50% of cases). to drink to a short time a lethal dose in the form of a liter of vodka or moonshine is quite possible, but drinking 4 liters of wine is extremely difficult, and drinking 10 liters of beer is almost impossible.
Half a liter of vodka or moonshine is a dose that can lead to a stroke, cardiac arrest, death from injury, as a consequence of inappropriate behavior.
Regular consumption of vodka inevitably leads to diseases internal organs(cirrhosis of the liver). Initially, a deep damage to the body manifests itself in the form of a hangover syndrome.
Among the most common causes of death of an alcoholic are myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke, cirrhosis of the liver and cancer.
Ethyl alcohol has a narcotic effect on the central nervous system, which affects labor safety. The use of even small amounts of alcohol disrupts the coordination of movements, the speed of visual and motor reactions, and negatively affects thinking. With severe intoxication, the real perception of the external world is disturbed, a person becomes unable to consciously control his actions.
Significant alcohol consumption at work and at home increases injuries, occupational diseases, accidents, etc.
Liqueurs
In liqueurs, alcohol is used with attractive additives, so women and young people are often addicted to liqueurs. Liqueurs are usually served at the end of a meal with tea or coffee, and also as a digestif - drinks served at the end of a meal. Used both undiluted and as part of a variety of mixed drinks and cocktails, mixes well with various juices. They are also used to prepare all kinds of dishes, especially desserts.
Liqueurs are classified as "heavy" alcoholic products and can cause nausea and vomiting, so it is customary to dilute them with water.
cocktails
Cocktails make alcohol attractive, especially to young people and women. Unlike ethyl alcohol, even diluted with water, cocktails taste good and do not cause a gag reflex. Alcohol, masked by natural food additives, destroys this reflex.
"Energetic drinks" - contain shock doses of caffeine and up to 4 - 9% alcohol.
Small doses of alcohol
Recently, there has been a lot of research and reasoning about the benefits of small doses of alcohol. They write that "light to moderate" alcohol consumption may have a protective effect in coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, cholesterol gallstones, atherosclerosis, “prolongs life”, “stimulates mental activity”. At present, everyone understands the comprehensive harm of alcohol for both the individual and society as a whole. However, leaders of the alcohol business, having great financial resources, promote the benefits of small doses of alcohol and pay for "studies" that point to the benefits of alcohol.
In modern medical literature, there is evidence that the mortality of the population is growing after exceeding the dose of 15 ml of alcohol per day. The use of moderate doses of alcohol (about 25 g per day) significantly increases the incidence of liver cirrhosis, alcoholism, cancer of the upper respiratory tract, cancer of the digestive system, breast cancer, hemorrhagic stroke, pancreatitis. At daily use one glass of red wine per day increases the risk of developing oncological diseases. It turns out that even small and moderate doses of alcohol increase the incidence and mortality of the population.
The “benefit” of small doses of alcohol is refuted by studies by a number of Western scientists. So Joanne Hietall from the School of Medicine at the University of Tampere in Finland convincingly proved that the consequences of drinking the so-called "moderate" doses of alcohol, although poorly distinguishable, a person may not feel them subjectively, but internal processes disturbed in the body. She divided the effects of alcohol into eight categories.
Some researchers believe that small doses of alcohol can improve the sensitivity of body cells to insulin and reduce the risk of developing diabetes II type.
According to some publications, there positive effect from small doses of alcohol in coronary heart disease, but it is refuted by other researchers.
The results of such studies were first published in 1974. Hardy Friedman and Abraham Siegelaub presented data on the effects of alcohol in moderate doses on non-smokers. IN this study it was noted that there is an inverse relationship between the amount of alcohol and the risk of myocardial infarction. After the publication of this information, similar experiments began to be carried out in different countries of the world.
The results of the studies allow us to see the relationship between the health status of patients and the amount of alcohol. In 2000, scientists from Italy summarized the results of previous tests. Based on 28 studies, they presented their own analysis, confirming the opinion that 25 g of alcohol per day will reduce the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction by 20%. To date, it has not been possible to establish the real reasons for such results.
Less quantity cholesterol plaques formed due to the fact that HDL redirect cholesterol from the blood back to the liver. Thanks to this, it is excreted from the body, and does not accumulate in the vessels. Scientists have not established for certain the mechanism of the effect of alcohol on the content of HDL. There is an assumption that alcoholic beverages can affect the liver enzymes involved in their production.
Currently, it is only well established that alcohol consumption in moderation reduces the risk of developing coronary artery disease and this happens due to high density lipoproteins.
Another theory is based on the effect of alcohol on the biochemical reactions that provide the process of blood clotting. Violations of this mechanism lead to the formation of blood clots, which can clog the vessel. There is an assumption that platelets under the influence of alcohol lose their high properties of "stickiness".
In the 1980s, researchers at Brown University Memorial Hospital found that alcohol increased levels of prostacyclin, which reduces blood clotting. At the same time, the level of thromboxane, which contributes to this process, decreased in the body. The experiments were conducted by Walter Log from the Keck Medical College of the University of Southern California, who was able to prove that alcohol raises the level of the activator of profibrinolysin, which allows dissolving blood clots. A decrease in blood clotting can also be considered an indirect reason for reducing the risk of coronary artery disease.
Another factor is the reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. It is this disease that predisposes to the development of coronary artery disease. Alcoholic beverages increase insulin sensitivity. Thanks to this, the process of normal glucose utilization is being established. But this applies only to "moderate", that is, small doses. Alcohol abuse leads to the opposite results and stimulates the development of diabetes.
Thus, a comprehensive study of the effect of alcoholic beverages on the development of coronary artery disease was carried out. Scientists have been able to identify some factors that contribute to the positive effects of alcohol in moderation. Please note that these recommendations are not universal.
The positive and negative impact depends on the general condition of the patient, the presence of concomitant ailments, etc.
Permissible amounts of alcohol consumption
A moderate dose for women is 10-20 gr. ethanol, for men - 30-40 gr. These are "standard portions".
In 2002, data on the relationship between alcohol and the risk of coronary artery disease were presented at the convention of the American Association of Cardiovascular Diseases. The results of examination of 128,934 patients were analyzed. A lethal outcome occurred in 16,539 cases, including 3,001 from coronary heart disease. Their medical histories were checked, and it turned out that those who drank 1-2 standard drinks every day had a 32% less chance of dying from this disease.
The risk of the disease is also reduced in those people who consume two or less standard servings of alcoholic beverages per day. In this case, the fact of reducing blood clotting is of primary importance. In small doses, alcohol has practically no effect on the content of HDL.
Is it possible to drink alcohol with coronary artery disease?
Previously, numerous studies have been reviewed that confirm the existence of a link between the use of alcoholic beverages and a decrease in the risk of developing an ailment. Thus, CHD and alcohol are compatible. It should be remembered that the use of alcohol is allowed only in moderate doses.
Alcohol abuse can cause serious harm to health, including a negative impact on the cardiovascular system. In addition, it should be remembered and understood that alcohol is not a remedy for recovery. It cannot be taken with certain medicines, as this may lead to side effects. Alcohol in moderate doses with coronary artery disease is allowed, but only if there are no contraindications.
Remember that a single large dose of alcohol can cause death or the occurrence of cerebral strokes. Drinking alcohol is not recommended if the patient has elevated blood triglycerides or is on an anti-obesity diet.
What drink do you prefer?
Scientists have not been able to find out if there is a difference in the positive effects of certain alcoholic beverages. Data about best use red wine appeared on the basis of studies of mortality rates in different countries. So, in France - the capital of winemakers - the number of deaths from coronary artery disease is half that in the United States. The benefits of red wine are due to the presence in its composition of a large number of substances with antioxidant properties. They allow to restrain the development of atherosclerosis.
Scientists - supporters of "small" doses found methodological errors in their own studies on the effects of alcohol. So, Kay Fillmore and her working group in 2009 rechecked 54 out of 56 studies and found that only 2 out of 35 studies on mortality from coronary heart disease contain no errors!
In 2007 a study by Australian scientists led by L. Harris "Alcohol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in the light of possible errors in the classification of subjects" was completed. The paper concludes that in men there is no statistically significant "protective" effect of alcohol, while in women it was observed, but only for red wine. In this case, the protective effect of red wine in the women's group was caused not by alcohol, but by the antioxidants contained in red wine.
For preventive purposes, red wine can be replaced with grape juice, wine vinegar, fresh fruit and vegetables. They contain more antioxidants and without the admixture of the poison ethanol.
The following arguments indicate the dangers of "small doses" of alcohol.
1. The use of alcohol by adults with the "therapeutic" purpose of alcohol, even in small doses, is an undesirable provocative example for children. Children do not need alcohol, in any quantities.
2. Regular use of small doses breaks, changes consciousness, the logic of thinking is broken, and thinking should be clear.
3. The "permissible" dose of alcohol varies depending on the study country by 2-3 times. count up safe dose for a particular person is difficult, it changes in different periods of life, even for one person. People fall asleep gradually and imperceptibly. Drinking alcohol in small doses is the path to drinking alcohol in large doses.
4. If there is benefit from small doses of alcohol, then why is it not possible to teach people to use teaspoons of it? Because main goal drinking alcohol is not to get health benefits, but to become intoxicated, change consciousness, get alcoholic "pleasure".
5. Alcohol consumption tends to increase doses, which means that the threshold for safe drinking with highly likely will be transferred.
6. Promotion of the regular use of small doses of alcohol is provocative from the point of view of national security: if this idea is introduced into the minds of the residents of our CIS countries, then the question of “to drink or not to drink” alcohol will be resolved in favor of sobriety.
What regular alcohol consumption leads to is clearly seen in the examples of countries with its traditional use: France, where they drink only dry and high-quality wines, Germany, where they love beer very much, are increasingly filled with people from more sober civilizations: Turks, Arabs, Chinese, people from countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
Thus, recommendations to consume alcohol in small doses, in particular in the form of beer, wine or “energy drinks”, are provocative, have commercial interest and political meaning and are aimed at destroying the health of individuals, families and the state.
"Cultural" drinking
In our time, there is an introduction to the "culture of drinking" from an early age in families. Children are connected to home feasts with the use of alcohol. Children are given diluted wine so that they think it is a "seasoning" for dishes. And it is used "culturally". After all, this is what the French and Italians do.
IN modern Russia and other CIS countries, there are too few families where wine is just a seasoning for dishes. Adults in these cases cannot be a positive example for children. Many generations living in the CIS countries did not drink wine and completely managed without instilling a “culture of drinking” in their minor children. In childhood, alcohol is quite dangerous for health. In addition, the earlier a child begins to take alcohol, the more likely he is to become an alcoholic.
Even the great Avicenna allowed the appointment of small doses of red wine for indigestion, but he warned that wine should not be given to children.
In Western countries, medicines for children are not made on an alcohol basis.
IN medicinal tinctures alcohol is strictly dosed, and they are prescribed in limited doses in drops.
Alcohol capital and business want to violate the natural sobriety of children so that children do not create a stereotype that you can just be sober. After all, the earlier the introduction to alcohol is started, the more income from this.
Drunkenness and alcoholism
Domestic drunkenness- this is not yet a disease, it is a tribute to the traditions existing in our society, these are “drinking” attitudes in individual groups, among colleagues, friends or relatives, this is a way of life.
Domestic drunkenness does not require narcological treatment, a person of his own free will can stop alcohol consumption at any time or significantly reduce it, without experiencing any unpleasant sensations from abstinence. Domestic drunkenness can continue throughout a person's life, the amount of alcohol consumed can remain unchanged or increase to certain limits. But everyday drinking can turn into alcoholism.
Many drinkers believe that they are not alcoholics. In their view, an alcoholic is a degenerate person, with a blue nose, unwashed, unshaven, uncut, with trembling hands, who has lost human form and dignity, as a rule, having lost his job, often his family, drinking with random drinking companions, lying around anywhere. There are such alcoholics, and they are in late stages illness.
But there are other alcoholics who drink and this does not yet affect their health, work, family relationships. While they are all right, there is no hangover, binges, alcoholic personality changes, social degradation, but they already have alcoholism.
Alcoholism This is already a disease that needs treatment. Unlike domestic drunkenness, a patient with alcoholism cannot independently stop drinking alcohol and cannot arbitrarily regulate its amount.
In the body of a patient with alcoholism, such changes occur in which the body rebels, demanding the intake of alcohol. This does not happen with domestic drunkenness.
Alcoholism is a progressive disease, and if its first symptoms appear, it will steadily develop, new clinical manifestations of it will appear, personality degradation and all the consequences of an alcoholic disease.
Stages of alcoholism
Alcoholic disease has 3 stages.
The first stage of alcoholism is preceded by the stage of "cultural" drinking from one to ten years. People who are predisposed to alcoholism go through this stage quite quickly in a few months. Then comes the stage of uncultured drinking, and this is the first stage of alcoholism.
First stage
Second stage
Life becomes out of control. Alcohol occupies the main place in consciousness, without alcohol life becomes uninteresting, meaningless. Family, children, work and everything else fade into the background. Some drink almost constantly, others intermittently, but in both cases the disease progresses. Only absolute sobriety can stop the course of alcoholism. At this stage, one stops drinking or tries to quit often, as fatigue sets in and health begins to fail.
Third stage
Alcoholic disease is treated exclusively by long-term sobriety and nothing else.
Often, alcohol is absolutely contraindicated for healthy people, who, after small doses of alcohol, become violent, aggressive, insane. They don't remember what they did or what happened to them. This condition qualifies as pathological intoxication. Due to unmotivated aggressiveness and altered consciousness, such people commit illegal acts and criminal offenses. Unlike ordinary intoxication caused by large doses of alcohol, pathological intoxication is caused by a small amount of alcohol. And if it happened once, it can always happen again. These people should always stay sober.
Relationship between drunkenness and blood alcohol content(V.I. Prozorovsky, A.F. Rubtsov, I.S. Karandaev, 1967)
Blood alcohol content Functional assessment
Less than 0.3 g/l No effect of alcohol
0.3 – 0.5 g/l Negligible effect
0.5 – 1.5 g/l Slight intoxication
1.5 – 2.5 g/l Moderate intoxication
2.5 - 3 g / l Strong intoxication
3.0 – 5.0 g/l Severe poisoning, possible
death
Over 5 g/l Fatal poisoning
Acute ethanol poisoning
The strength of ethanol depends on the dose, tolerance to alcohol (liver function), the degree of individual production of enzymes that neutralize alcohol (alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase).
As a result of the action on the cerebral cortex, intoxication occurs with characteristic alcoholic excitation. When ethanol poisoning develops nausea, vomiting and dehydration (alcohol dehydrates the body).
In large doses, an anesthetic effect occurs. The inhibitory effect on the central nervous system is caused by stimulation of GABA receptors (gamma - aminobutyric acid). GABA is the main neurotransmitter involved in the processes of central inhibition.
Sensory sensations are difficult, attention decreases, memory weakens. There are defects in thinking, judgments, orientation and self-control are disturbed, a critical attitude towards oneself and surrounding events is lost. Often there is an overestimation of one's own capabilities. Reflex reactions are slow and inaccurate. Often there is talkativeness, euphoria, pain sensitivity decreases (analgesia).
Spinal reflexes are reduced, coordination of movements is disturbed. When taking large doses of alcohol, excitation is replaced by depression and sleep sets in. At severe poisoning stuporous or coma: the skin is pale, moist, breathing is rare, the exhaled air has the smell of ethanol, the pulse is frequent, the body temperature is lowered.
Emergency care for acute alcohol poisoning includes the following activities:
1. Gastric lavage to clean washings.
2. Water load with forced diuresis with diuretics.
3. In case of respiratory failure of central origin - artificial ventilation of the lungs.
4. Alkalizing therapy with 4% sodium bicarbonate solution intravenously.
5. Symptomatic therapy according to indications
In the presence of alcoholic coma the patient is sequentially injected with naloxone at a dose of 0.01 mg/kg in 10 ml of a 40% glucose solution, and then 1 ml of 6% thiamine bromide is also injected there. There comes an awakening effect in case of poisoning with alcohol, drugs and sleeping pills. Activated charcoal is not effective in ethyl alcohol poisoning, it does not absorb alcohol.
Planned treatment of alcoholism is carried out by psychiatrists - narcologists in drug treatment rooms and hospitals.
Treatment of alcoholism includes two main stages:
1. Relief of acute alcoholic disorders.
2. Anti-relapse therapy.
Relief of acute alcoholic disorders, prevents and eliminates the withdrawal syndrome and its complications - hangover seizures and alcoholic delirium.
For this, analogues of ethanol are used - benzodiazepines: diazepam, chlordiazepoxide (elenium), lorazepam. Barbiturates and anticonvulsants are also used. These drugs are prescribed by psychiatrists - narcologists to eliminate withdrawal symptoms, prevent seizures and delirium tremens.
Vitamins are also prescribed: thiamine (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) and nicotinic acid (vitamin PP). To restore the electrolyte balance of potassium and magnesium ions and eliminate dehydration, intravenous drip infusions are performed (glucose, gemodez, panangin).
Anti-relapse (maintenance) therapy It is aimed at reducing the severity of alcoholic excesses, preventing binges and mitigating the adverse effects of alcohol abuse.
It is carried out with the following drugs: disulfiram, naltrexone, acamprosate. These drugs inhibit acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, an enzyme that converts the poisonous acetaldehyde into acetic acid. At the same time, acetaldehyde syndrome or disulfiramalcohol reaction (DAR) develops:
- increased blood pressure;
- tachycardia;
- heartbeat;
- throbbing pain in the head;
- blurred vision;
- nausea and vomiting;
Shortness of breath and feeling short of breath;
- redness of the skin;
- fear of death, prompting an alcoholic to stop drinking alcohol.
A successful and innovative dosage form of disulfiram are water-soluble (effervescent) tablets called Antabuse. The tablets are tasteless and odorless and can be added to food and drink by the patient's relatives. Each intake of a soluble tablet will ensure the supply of the drug to the patient's body and implies the timely development of a therapeutic effect.
Treatment for alcoholism will be effective when the patient has good motivation for treatment, i.e.
-
he must recognize himself as a sick person suffering from alcoholism;
- He must be willing to be treated alcohol addiction;
- he must have the intention in the future not to drink alcohol at all in any form.
One of the old methods of treating alcoholism is "Hemming". The patient is sutured under the skin or an intravenous drug is injected (Torpedo, Esperal, NIT, SIT, MST, etc.). When alcohol enters the body, these drugs begin to produce toxic substances that cause nausea, vomiting, fear of death and form a negative attitude towards alcohol in a person. At the same time, if a person takes a large dose of alcohol, then heart rhythm disturbances, angina attacks occur, myocardial infarction and cerebral edema may develop.
The preparations used for filing are harmless if the person is in a state of sobriety. But they do not remove the primary craving for alcohol. It turns out that you want to drink, but it's scary - there is a fear of death. This method is painful for many, but for some patients it can be quite effective.
"Coding" This is emotional stress therapy. A “code” is laid in the subconscious mind that prohibits the use of alcohol. This method was developed by the Ukrainian doctor - narcologist A. Dovzhenko, with whom the term "coding from alcoholism" is associated.
Through emotional and stressful influence, a program is introduced into the patient's consciousness possible occurrence, life-threatening severe health disorders when using even small doses of alcohol. This method is effective for people susceptible to hypnosis.
In a state of hypnosis, a person is instilled with indifference and aversion to alcohol, the appearance of bad consequences in case of its use. The doctor conducting such treatment necessarily checks the patient for sensitivity to hypnosis. For patients who are not very susceptible to hypnosis, additional techniques are carried out, for example, when pronouncing the hypnosis formula, the phrase “if you drink at least a little, you will die” is said and at the same time the doctor presses on the eyeballs. The same goes for coding.
Hardware treatment is carried out using special medical equipment that affects the human brain. As a result of this impact, healthy functions the brain, the activity of the centers of attraction to alcohol is neutralized. This removes the primary craving for alcohol, and a person without
"breaking" enters a sober life. The most well-known method of electrical brain stimulation TES is a therapy developed by scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the guidance of Professor V.P. Lebedev, is used in 17 countries of the world.
Psychotherapy- This is a soft psychotherapeutic work to maintain the emotional-volitional sphere of the patient. Psychotherapy can be used independent method and in combination with other methods. For effective recovery from alcoholism, the patient's family must be involved in the treatment process. The participation of family members in the treatment process increases the effectiveness of treatment, up to lifelong abstinence from alcohol.
In maintaining resistance to alcohol, group psychotherapy, in particular participation in the work of Alcoholics Anonymous groups, is effective.
Reflexology- can be effectively used in the treatment of alcoholism. Doctors - reflexologists with the help of needles, magnets and other reflexotherapeutic techniques harmonize the energy system of the human body, which is unbalanced in various diseases, including alcoholism. And the elimination of excess desire in alcoholism, as in any other addiction (tobacco, drug, food, gaming), allows you to effectively get rid of alcohol addiction and be completely indifferent to alcohol.
Endorphins are "internal hormones of happiness", the production of which is sharply reduced in a patient with alcoholism. It is because of the deficiency of one's own endorphins that numerous manifestations of alcohol dependence arise: pathological craving for alcohol, depression, guilt, and withdrawal syndrome develops.
Reflexologists successfully treat these conditions by "forcing" the patient's body to produce endorphins in the right quantities. These methods are based on the reaction of the body in response to the corrective, therapeutic effect of needles or magnets received from the external and internal environment, carried out with the participation of the nervous system.
Reflexology can be used as an independent method in the treatment of alcoholism, as well as combined with other therapeutic methods, for example, when withdrawing from hard drinking, you can use points that calm the nervous system and thereby reduce the drug load on the body of a patient with alcoholism, significantly increasing their effectiveness.
The treatment of alcoholism by reflexotherapy is effective and ensures a sober life of a person in the future. According to numerous reviews of patients who have undergone a course of treatment for alcoholism by reflexotherapy, the vast majority of patients have good long-term results in the treatment of alcoholism. Patients who have undergone reflexology treatment like their sober life, they always, even after many years, note the powerful healing effect that they felt on themselves after the treatment. The craving for alcohol disappears, indifference to it appears.
“There is alcohol, but it is not needed, not interesting and even disgusting” - this is how those who had alcohol addiction after the treatment that I conduct treat alcohol. I carry out the treatment with magnets, which I install on certain points on the hands and feet, and fix them with a band-aid for several hours. Already after 1 - 2 sessions, alcohol becomes unnecessary, indifference to alcohol appears, alcohol passes away. Full course treatment is 8 - 10 sessions. The efficiency of the method is up to 90%. These people further lead sober healthy lifestyle life without alcohol.
In order to recover and get rid of alcohol addiction, one must be willing to recover from alcoholism, and have the intention not to drink alcohol at all in the future. Positive result will be required.
Conclusions about alcohol and the consequences of its use:
1. Alcohol is a poison in any form, including in small doses. Separate beneficial features alcoholic products cannot exceed their harm and recommend their use for medicinal or food purposes.
2. Alcohol causes mental and physical addiction leading to disability and premature death.
3. Alcohol causes moral and mental degradation, destroys families, leads to crimes.
4. Alcohol leads to the birth of defective offspring and the degeneration of individuals, social groups and entire nations.
5. Promotion of drinking regularly "small doses" of alcohol is harmful to people, is not correct in its essence, since alcohol is harmful even in small doses.
6. Promotion of early introduction to the "culture" of drinking in the family is harmful and dangerous for the younger generation, as it helps to educate future alcohol consumers, this is necessary for producers and sellers of alcohol to increase the production and sale of alcohol.
Bibliography:
Mendelson A.L. sobriety textbook- St. Petersburg, Russian Society for the Fight against Alcoholism, 1913;
Permyakov A.V., Viter V.I. Pathomorphology and thanatogenesis of alcohol intoxication- Izhevsk, Expertise, 2002;
Egorov A.Yu., Shaidukova L.K. Modern features of alcoholism in women: age aspect. Narcology. 2005;
Nemtsov A.V. Alcoholism in Russia: history of the issue, current trends. Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry named after S. Korsakov. 2007; Alcoholism (supplement), issue 1:37:
www.lecheniealcogoliizma.ru Article: Clinic for the treatment of alcoholism by Professor V.L. Malygin;
www.president-med.ru Article: A few words about the principles of alcoholism treatment;
www.tes.by Article: Possibilities of medicine in the treatment of alcoholism;
www.medportal.ru Article: Controlled drinking: myth or reality;
www.grinchenko.tveresa.info Article: Alcohol and its properties;
www.likar.info Article: What do you know and what do you not know about alcoholism;
www.alcogolism.ru Article: Stages of alcoholism;
www.mycharm.ru Article: Ten facts about alcohol you need to know
Toxicology of ethanol;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Alcoholic drinks;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Beer;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Wine;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Vodka;
http://medi.ru/ Yu.P. Sivolap Article: Alcoholism and modern methods of its treatment.
Alcoholism is a topical and important problem modern society, our country in particular. The unstable economic situation, constant crises and problems, the availability of alcoholic beverages are all factors contributing to the spread of this problem. The age of people starting to take alcohol is constantly rejuvenated. So high school students in schools are already fully formed consumers of alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Then, with the onset of student age, the level of consumption only grows, and gradually a person is drawn into the regular intake of doses of alcohol, sometimes without noticing it. The impact of alcohol on the human body is difficult to underestimate, since alcohol is one of the most common causes of disability, disability, health and death of the population. At the same time, able-bodied men of the most productive age are most often affected by alcoholism. There are frequent cases of poisoning with low-quality alcohol.
It should be noted that alcoholism is a disease that, in addition to medical, also has a social character. People who are prone to alcoholism commit crimes, their families break up more often, children lose their fathers, and sometimes their mothers. Domestic drunkenness, which is an ordinary feast, contains a threat to the individual himself and to society as a whole. Approximately 25% of people who began to "use" in everyday life situations - holidays, family celebrations have every chance of becoming alcoholics.
Alcohol has its detrimental effect on absolutely all organs and systems of the human body and psyche, and this has already been proven by scientists and pathologists. It also contributes to the development of chronic diseases.
The effect of alcohol on the brain
Alcohol disrupts the access of oxygen atoms to the molecules of the brain, thereby providing it with oxygen starvation. If fasting becomes regular and prolonged over time, it can lead to memory loss, partial dementia, and sometimes death. All these are the consequences of the death of brain cells that do not receive sufficient nutrition for a long time. The effect of alcohol on the brain is also expressed in the effect on the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the "thinking" function of the brain. Accordingly, becoming an alcoholic, a person is no longer able to fully and correctly think, which makes him a moderately useful member for society.
The cardiovascular system
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the most common cause death of people not only in our country, but all over the world. Alcohol affects the heart muscle, which is already under severe stress, which adversely affects health. This is why so many people who drink alcohol die at a young age. Autopsy doctors claim that in people suffering from alcoholism, the heart after death is enlarged in size, sometimes quite significantly.
Even those people who take alcohol moderately and in small quantities sometimes experience heart rhythm disturbances after drinking a glass or two of alcohol. Under the influence of alcohol, ischemic disease, hypertension rapidly progresses, and often the heart is affected by a heart attack.
Respiratory system
Alcohol abusers often develop chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and tuberculosis. At the same time, the rate of breathing itself increases significantly, since the access of oxygen to the lungs is difficult. Often drinking alcohol is accompanied by smoking. In this case, the load on the respiratory system increases several times. These two habits - alcohol and smoking are very harmful in themselves, and in combination they represent a doubly dangerous force that affects human health.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
The first affected is the gastric mucosa, which takes the main "blow". Due to the regular intake of alcohol, the mucous membrane is irritated, then gastritis and peptic ulcer develop. Diseases of the stomach - more often than all other diseases accompany alcoholism. With a sufficiently long intake of alcoholic beverages, the normal functioning of the salivary glands is destroyed. At the same time, the separation of saliva becomes less abundant and its chemical composition changes, which impairs food processing.
Liver disease
Since the liver is responsible for cleaning the entire body of various toxins, impurities and poisons, it often simply cannot cope with the volume of toxic substances that enter the body with alcohol. As a result, health suffers greatly. Therefore, so often with regular and prolonged alcohol intake, especially Low quality, people develop hepatitis, which then gradually turns into cirrhosis of the liver.
Three stages of liver damage:
- Fatty degeneration. It develops in moderate but regular drinkers. The liver increases in size, unable to cope with the increased stress. If at this stage you completely refuse to take alcohol, there is every chance for a successful outcome of events and full recovery person.
- Alcoholic hepatitis. At this stage, there are sometimes quite severe pain in the right side, which indicates that the disease is progressing. The whites of the eyes turn yellow, as the liver can no longer cope with the removal of waste and poisons from the body.
- Cirrhosis. This stage is already extreme degree breakdown of the liver. It usually leads to death, as the body completely ceases to perform its functions.
Effect on the kidneys
The vast majority of alcoholics excretory function kidney is impaired. This happens due to damage to the mucous membrane of the renal epithelium - the tissue lining the surface of the organ.
Alcohol also has a very detrimental effect on the human immune system, literally turning it off for a while. This gives harmful microbes and bacteria an opportunity to infect the body. The effect of alcohol on the human body is therefore very insidious. Alcoholics often get colds and other viral infections. At the same time, the processes of blood purification and the production of new red blood cells are disrupted, and allergic reactions often develop.
Impact on the reproductive system
The gonads are very strongly influenced by alcohol. In one third of men who abuse alcohol, there is a significant decrease in the ability to have a normal sexual life. This is the so-called "alcoholic impotence". Due to such an important dysfunction for a man, he often develops neurosis, depression and other mental health disorders. In women, there is an onset of early menopause, the ability to conceive is lost or reduced, and during pregnancy, if it does occur, they are more often worried about toxicosis .
Effects on the skin and muscles
Under the influence of alcohol, muscles often atrophy, lose their tone and weaken. The effect of alcohol on the muscular system is similar to the effects of malnutrition. Skin diseases- frequent accompanying alcoholism. Since the immune system is half disabled, it may not be able to cope with viral attacks. The liver also does not function at full strength, so the cleansing of the body is not carried out well enough. As a result, various boils, ulcers, pimples appear on the surface of the skin, allergic rashes and other decorations.
Delirium tremens
Everyone knows jokes about "white tremens". And it would be funnier if it weren't so true. Hallucinations, convulsions, sudden numbness of the limbs - all this frequent consequences excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Delirium tremens is one of the worst forms of alcohol poisoning. It leads to death in two percent of cases, even when medical care is provided. Without the timely arrival of doctors, it leads to death in 20% of cases. The disease is characterized by strong and fantastic delusional hallucinations, lapses in memory and consciousness, severe agitation, disorientation in space and time. The patient is feverish, he completely loses control over himself, he often needs to be pacified by force.
The effect of alcohol on offspring
The harmful effects of alcohol on unborn children have been known since antiquity. Yes, in Ancient Greece newlyweds were forbidden to drink at the wedding, especially in Sparta, known for its strict criteria for the health of newborns. And in ancient Rome, young men under 30 were generally forbidden to drink until they had families and had children.
To date, medical research has collected a lot of facts that directly point to the harmful effects of alcohol on the health of unborn children. Frequent cases birth of the dead and premature babies. Also, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy often give birth to children with pathologies, disabilities and chronic diseases from birth. In most cases of birth of mentally retarded children, one or both parents abused alcohol.
In general, the overall life expectancy with the systematic intake of alcohol is significantly reduced. Early aging of the body, the onset of disability, comes on average 15-20 years later than in people who do not abuse alcohol.
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Alcohol abuse is an urgent problem of modern society, which gives rise to crimes, accidents, injuries and poisoning in all segments of the population. Alcohol addiction is especially difficult to perceive when it concerns the most promising part of society - students. The mortality of the working-age population due to the use of alcoholic beverages occupies a high position. Scientists evaluate alcoholism as a collective suicide of the nation. Addiction to alcohol, like cancer, destroys the personality of an individual and society as a whole from the inside.
How does alcohol affect the human body? Let's look at the effect of alcoholic beverages on all organs and find out how alcohol affects the brain, liver, kidneys, heart and blood vessels, nervous system, as well as male and female health.
The effect of alcohol on the brain
All organs suffer from the negative effects of alcoholic beverages. But most of all goes to neurons - brain cells. How alcohol affects the brain, people know by the feeling of euphoria, high spirits and relaxation.
However, on physiological level at this time, the destruction of the cells of the cerebral cortex occurs even after small doses of ethanol.
- Normal blood supply to the brain occurs through thin capillaries.
- When alcohol enters the blood, blood vessels constrict and red blood cells stick together, forming blood clots. They clog the lumen of the capillaries of the brain. In this case, nerve cells experience oxygen starvation and die. At the same time, a person feels euphoria, not even suspecting the destructive changes in the cerebral cortex.
- Capillaries from congestion swell and burst.
- After drinking 100 g of vodka, a glass of wine or a mug of beer, 8 thousand nerve cells die forever. Unlike liver cells, which can regenerate after alcohol withdrawal, nerve cells in the brain do not regenerate.
- Dead neurons are excreted in the urine the next day.
Thus, under the influence of alcohol on the vessels, an obstacle is created for the normal blood circulation of the brain. This is the cause of the development of alcoholic encephalopathy, epilepsy.
On the autopsy of the skull of persons who abuse alcohol, destructive pathological changes in their brain are naturally traced:
- reduction in its size;
- smoothing of convolutions;
- the formation of voids at the site of the dead areas;
- foci of point hemorrhages;
- the presence of serous fluid in the cavities of the brain.
With prolonged abuse, alcohol affects the structure of the brain. Ulcers and scars form on its surface. Under a magnifying glass, the brain of an alcoholic looks like the lunar surface, riddled with craters and funnels.
The effect of alcohol on the nervous system
The human brain is a kind of control panel for the whole organism. In its cortex are the centers of memory, reading, movement of body parts, smell, vision. Violation of blood circulation and death of cells of any center is accompanied by a shutdown or weakening of brain functions. This is accompanied by a decrease in the cognitive (cognitive) abilities of a person.
The influence of alcohol on the human psyche is expressed in a decrease in intelligence and personality degradation:
- memory impairment;
- decrease in intelligence quotient;
- hallucinations;
- loss of self-criticism;
- immoral behavior;
- incoherent speech.
Under the influence of alcohol on the nervous system, a person's behavioral reactions change. He loses his modesty, restraint. He does things he wouldn't do in his right mind. Stop being critical of your emotions. He has unmotivated bouts of rage and anger. A person's personality degrades in direct proportion to the amount and duration of alcohol consumption.
Gradually, a person loses interest in life. His creative and labor potential is declining. All this negatively affects career growth and social status.
Alcoholic polyneuritis of the lower extremities develops after prolonged use of ethyl alcohol. Its cause is inflammation of the nerve endings. It is associated with acute shortage in the body of vitamins of group B. The disease is manifested by a feeling of sharp weakness in the lower extremities, numbness, soreness in the calves. Ethanol affects both muscles and nerve endings - it causes atrophy of the entire muscular system, which ends in neuritis and paralysis.
The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system
The effect of alcohol on the heart is such that for 5-7 hours it works under load. During the intake of strong drinks, the heartbeat quickens, blood pressure rises. Fully the function of the heart is restored only after 2-3 days, when the body is completely cleansed.
After the entry of alcohol into the blood, a change in red blood cells occurs - they are deformed due to rupture of the membranes, stick together, forming blood clots. As a result, the blood flow in the coronary vessels is disturbed. The heart, trying to push the blood, increases in size.
The consequences of the influence of alcohol on the heart when abused are the following diseases.
- myocardial dystrophy. In place of the cells that died as a result of hypoxia, connective tissue develops, which disrupts the contractility of the heart muscle.
- Cardiomyopathy is a typical consequence that develops over 10 years of alcohol abuse. It affects men more often.
- Heart arythmy.
- Ischemic heart disease - angina pectoris. After drinking alcohol, the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine increases in the blood, which increases the oxygen consumption of the heart muscle. Therefore, any dose can cause coronary insufficiency.
- The risk of developing myocardial infarction in drinking people is higher than in healthy individuals, regardless of the state of the coronary vessels of the heart. Alcohol increases blood pressure, which leads to heart attacks and premature death.
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is characterized by hypertrophy (dilation) of the ventricles of the heart.
The symptoms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy are as follows:
- dyspnea;
- cough, more often at night, which people associate with a cold;
- fast fatiguability;
- pain in the region of the heart.
Progression of cardiomyopathy leads to heart failure. Edema of the legs, liver enlargement, and cardiac arrhythmia are added to shortness of breath. With pain in the heart in people, subendocardial myocardial ischemia is often detected. Drinking alcohol also causes hypoxia - oxygen starvation of the heart muscle. Since alcohol leaves the body within a few days, myocardial ischemia persists all this time.
Important! If the next day after alcohol hurts the heart, you need to do a cardiogram and consult a cardiologist.
Alcoholic drinks affect the heart rate. After heavy drinking, various types of arrhythmias often develop:
- paroxysmal atrial tachycardia;
- frequent atrial or ventricular extrasystole;
- atrial flutter;
- ventricular fibrillation, which requires anti-shock treatment (often fatal).
The presence of this kind of arrhythmias after taking large doses of alcohol is called a "holiday" heart. Cardiac arrhythmias, especially ventricular arrhythmias, are often fatal. Arrhythmias can be regarded as signs of cardiomyopathy.
The effect of alcohol on the human cardiovascular system is a fact that has been scientifically established and substantiated. The risk of these diseases is directly proportional to the use of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol and its breakdown product, acetaldehyde, have a direct cardiotoxic effect. In addition, it causes a deficiency of vitamins and proteins, increases blood lipids. During acute alcohol intoxication, the contractility of the myocardium is sharply reduced, which leads to a lack of blood in the heart muscle. Trying to compensate for the lack of oxygen, the heart increases contractions. In addition, during intoxication, the concentration of potassium in the blood decreases, which causes rhythm disturbances, the most dangerous of which is ventricular fibrillation.
The effect of alcohol on blood vessels
Does alcohol lower or raise blood pressure? - Even 1-2 glasses of wine increase blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension. After taking alcoholic beverages in the blood plasma, the concentration of catecholamines - adrenaline and norepinephrine, increases, which increase blood pressure. There is a concept, "dose-dependent effect", which shows how alcohol affects blood pressure depending on its amount - systolic and diastolic pressure increases by 1 mmHg with an increase in ethanol by 8-10 grams per day. In people who abuse alcohol, the risk of hypertension is increased by 3 times compared with teetotalers.
How does alcohol affect blood vessels? Let's figure out what happens to our blood vessels when we drink alcohol. The initial effect of alcoholic beverages on the vascular wall is expanding. But this is followed by a spasm. This leads to ischemia of the vessels of the brain and heart, leading to heart attack and stroke. Alcohol also has toxic effect on the veins in such a way that the flow of blood through them is disturbed. This leads to varicose veins of the esophagus and lower extremities. People who abuse libations often experience bleeding from the veins of the esophagus, which ends in death. Does alcohol dilate or constrict blood vessels? - these are only stages of its successive impact, both of which are destructive.
The main damaging effect of alcohol on blood vessels is related to how alcohol affects the blood. Under the influence of ethanol, erythrocytes clumping occurs. The resulting blood clots are carried throughout the body, clogging the narrow vessels. Moving through the capillaries, the blood flow becomes much more difficult. This leads to impaired blood supply in all organs, but the greatest danger is to the brain and heart. The body activates a compensatory reaction - it raises blood pressure in order to push the blood through. This leads to a heart attack, a hypertensive crisis, a stroke.
Effect on the liver
It's no secret how alcohol adversely affects the liver. The stage of release of ethyl alcohol is much longer than absorption. Up to 10% of ethanol is excreted in its pure form with saliva, sweat, urine, feces and breathing. That is why, after drinking alcohol, a person has a specific smell of urine and “fumes” from the mouth. The remaining 90% of ethanol has to be broken down by the liver. Complex biochemical processes take place in it, one of which is the conversion of ethyl alcohol to acetaldehyde. But the liver can only break down about 1 glass of alcohol in 10 hours. Unsplit ethanol damages liver cells.
Alcohol affects the development of the following liver diseases.
- Fatty liver. At this stage, fat in the form of balls accumulates in hepatocytes (liver cells). Over time, it sticks together, forming blisters and cysts in the portal vein, which disrupt the movement of blood from it.
- At the next stage, alcoholic hepatitis develops - inflammation of its cells. At the same time, the liver increases in size. There is fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. At this stage, after stopping the use of ethanol, the liver cells are still able to regenerate (recover). Continued use leads to the transition to the next stage.
- Cirrhosis of the liver is a typical disease associated with alcohol abuse. At this stage, liver cells are replaced by connective tissue. The liver is covered with scars, when palpated, it is dense with an uneven surface. This stage is irreversible dead cells cannot recover. But stopping alcohol stops liver scarring. Remaining healthy cells perform a limited function.
If the consumption of alcoholic beverages does not stop at the stage of cirrhosis, the process passes into the stage of cancer. A healthy liver can be maintained with moderate consumption.
The equivalent is a glass of beer or a glass of wine a day. And even with such dosages, you can not drink alcohol daily. It is necessary to allow alcohol to completely leave the body, and this requires 2-3 days.
The effect of alcohol on the kidneys
The function of the kidneys is not only the formation and excretion of urine. They take part in balancing acid-base balance and water and electrolyte balance, produce hormones.
How does alcohol affect the kidneys? - when using ethanol, they go into intensive mode of operation. The renal pelvis is forced to pump a large volume of fluid, trying to remove substances harmful to the body. Constant overloads weaken the functional ability of the kidneys - over time, they can no longer work constantly in an enhanced mode. The effect of alcohol on the kidneys can be seen after a festive feast by a swollen face, high blood pressure. The body accumulates fluid that the kidneys are not able to remove.
In addition, toxins accumulate in the kidneys, and then stones form. Over time, nephritis develops. At the same time, after taking alcohol, it happens that the kidneys hurt, the temperature rises, protein appears in the urine. The progression of the disease is accompanied by the accumulation of toxins in the blood, which are no longer able to neutralize the liver and excrete the kidneys.
Lack of treatment leads to the development of renal failure. In this case, the kidneys cannot form and excrete urine. Poisoning of the body with toxins begins - general intoxication with a fatal outcome.
How alcohol affects the pancreas
The function of the pancreas is to secrete enzymes into the small intestine to digest food. How does alcohol affect the pancreas? - under its influence, its ducts are clogged, as a result of which enzymes do not enter the intestine, but inside it. Moreover, these substances destroy the cells of the gland. In addition, they affect metabolic processes involving insulin. Therefore, alcohol abuse can lead to diabetes.
Being decomposed, enzymes and decay products cause inflammation of the gland - pancreatitis. It is manifested by the fact that after alcohol the pancreas hurts, vomiting appears and the temperature rises. Pain in the lumbar region are girdle in nature. Alcohol abuse affects the development of chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for prostate cancer.
The effect of alcohol on the female and male body
Alcohol affects a woman's body to a greater extent than a man's. In women, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol, is contained in a lower concentration than in men, so they get drunk faster. The same factor affects the formation of alcohol dependence in women faster than in men.
Even after taking small doses, women's organs undergo great changes. Under the influence of alcohol on a woman's body, reproductive function primarily suffers. Ethanol disrupts the monthly cycle, negatively affects the germ cells and conception. Drinking alcohol speeds up the onset of menopause. In addition, alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the breast and other organs. With age, the negative effect of alcohol on the female body increases, because its excretion from the body slows down.
Alcohol negatively affects important brain structures - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The consequence of this is its negative effect on male body- the production of sex hormones decreases, due to which the potency decreases. As a result, family relationships are destroyed.
Alcohol affects all organs negatively. It has the fastest and most dangerous effect on the brain and heart. Ethanol increases blood pressure, thickens blood, disrupts blood circulation in the cerebral and coronary vessels. Thus, it provokes a heart attack, stroke, hypertensive crisis. With prolonged use, irreversible diseases of the heart and brain develop - alcoholic cardiomyopathy, encephalopathy. suffer the most important organs designed to remove toxins from the body - the liver and kidneys. The pancreas is damaged, digestion is disturbed. But stopping alcohol early in the disease can repair cells and stop organ damage.
