Most people don't think of alcohol as a drug...but it is. Alcohol abuse has destroyed more lives, broken apart more families, caused more diseases and contributed to more auto fatalities than any other drug. It is the major contributing factor in the growing epidemic of domestic violence.
More than half of all adults drink, but, not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. Alcholism is a complex psychosocial disease. Those who drink risk becoming an alcoholic. It impairs your judgement and affects the way you think, feel and communicate.
The cause of alcoholism is unknown, but, like heart disease, there are both controllable and uncontrollable risk factors. Having an alcoholic parent is an uncontrollable risk. You are at risk if you are angry, lonely or sad or have few or no friends. Those who are poor or under great stress are also at risk for alcoholism.
Alcohol addiction has 4 characteristics:
If you answered YES to any of these questions, you need to look carefully at how alcohol is affecting your life and your relationships with others. Discuss your concerns with your primary care doctor.
How much alcohol is “safe” to drink on a daily basis?For some, no amount of alcohol is safe to take in. It is highly addictive and, as tolerance level increases, control decreases.
Numerous studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption helps protect against heart disease by raising HDL (good) cholesterol and reducing plaque accumulations in your arteries. Alcohol also has a mild anti-coagulating effect, keeping platelets from clumping together to form clots. Both actions can reduce risk of heart attack but exactly how alcohol influences either one still remains unclear.
On the other hand, drinking more than three drinks a day has a direct toxic effect on the heart. Heavy drinking, particularly over time, can damage the heart and lead to high blood pressure, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, (enlarged and weakened heart), congestive heart failure, and stroke. Heavy drinking puts more fat into the circulation in your body, raising your triglygeride level. That's why doctors will tell you “If you don't drink, don't start”. There are other, healthier ways to reduce your risk of heart disease like eating right, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
What's “Moderate Drinking” for one may be legally drunk for another. By nature's design, a woman's body metabolizes alcohol differently so that 1 alcoholic beverage in a woman is equal to 2 in a man. Alcohol remains in a woman's body longer than in a man's. Also, the older you are, the less efficient the body can metabolize alcohol. Many states have revised their drunk-driving laws and 0.08 percent is considered to be intoxicated. Women, especially women of small stature, must be alert to these laws and metabolic differences when drinking, and limit their alcohol intake accordingly.
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Normal Heart | Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy - weakened by chronic excessive alcohol intake. (photos courtesy of Health Edco. Used by permission) |
Studies show that alcoholics have a worse outcome after undergoing surgical procedures. The reasons for this are not entirely clear. Poorer outcomes may be attributed to a poorer general state of health with malnutrition and the depressant effects of alcohol. Binge drinking (consuming large amounts of alcohol infrequently, such as on weekends) places one at risk for atrial fibrillation which may also be a factor in surviving surgery. Still another factor is that heavy drinking affects the body's ability to stop bleeding. A liver damaged by alcohol has trouble making clotting proteins.
Alcohol interacts with many drugs - both prescription and non-prescription. Mixing alcohol with your medicine can lead to serious untoward effects.
Alcoholism increases risk of cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer and cancer of the liver.
Long-term heavy use of alcohol destroys the cerebellum of the brain, causing irreversible brain damage and resulting in slowed thinking, an unsteady walk and slurred speech.
Alcoholism contributes to many diseases, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, malnutrition, pancreatitis, stomach ulcer, fetal alcohol syndrome and heart disease, just to name a few.
Cutting back on drinking or abstaining altogether isn't easy. If you have a physical dependence on alcohol, you most likely need medical assistance to help you to break the habit. If you feel you just drink too much as a pattern of behavior you've slipped into, then, here are some tips to replace drinking behaviors with more healthful ones:
If you or someone you care about has a drinking problem, you can obtain information from the Yellow Pages by looking under “Social Service Organizations”, for Alcoholic Annonymous. Alanon and Alateen are support groups for those living with an alcoholic. Read books and talk to your family physician or minister. Alcoholism is treatable but only if the person who is drinking is willing to admit she has a problem and is willing to accept help. Alcoholism is a disease that is characterized by denial, so, while you may not be able to change the behavior of someone you love, you still need to get help for yourself because alcoholism becomes a family illness.
Note: Moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. A drink, according to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is roughly 1/2 ounce of absolute alcohol, a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce bottle of beer or 1/2 ounce distilled spirits (80 proof). Each contains about the same amount of alcohol.
Sources:
Alcohol and Heart Disease |
Gender Differences |
Mitral Valve Prolapse |
Women’s Heart Risk Quiz
Sleep Disturbances: Heart at Risk |
What is Heart Disease? |
Cardiac Arrhythmia Management in Women |
Heart Disease Facts |
Panic Attack or Heart Attack |
Three Women from New Jersey
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Noreen
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