Fitness Club

For a number of years alcoholism research has demonstrated the fact that there is strong correlation between alcoholism and dangerous health conditions.

For instance, in 2005, medical research and alcohol abuse and alcoholism statistics showed that alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency cost the United States an estimated $220 billion per year. It may be noted that this substantial alcohol-related expenditure was significantly more than the cost associated with cancer ($196 billion) or with obesity ($133 billion). While it is appropriate to emphasize these facts, it is also noteworthy to highlight the fact that an interrelationship exists between all three of these health problems.

More accurately, chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction are also highly correlated with obesity and with cancer.

To be sure, substance abuse research has demonstrated the fact that alcohol addiction can amplify the risk for various kinds of cancer, especially cancer of the voice box (larynx), esophagus, liver, rectum, colon, kidneys, and throat. Abusive and recurring drinking can also result in immune system difficulties and abnormality to the fetus during pregnancy.

Heavy Drinking Breaks Down the Person’s Organs and Systems

Additionally, if alcohol dependency continues over a period of years, the individual’s body organs will likely be affected in an unsafe manner. As an illustration, chronic, abusive drinking is particularly hurtful to the liver since the liver does most of the work of processing the alcohol that has been consumed. Excessive amounts of alcohol kills liver cells and eradicates the ability of liver cells to regenerate. This medical circumstance leads to a progressive inflammatory injury to the liver that can sooner or later lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a serious and potentially deadly disease.Heavy, long-term drinking not only can result in serious liver damage, but it can also lead to damage to the heart and to the brain. Physical damage this serious may be irreparable and may, in turn, result in serious ill health or an early death.

The Significance of Alcohol Counseling

It is important, consequently, to know how to identify the various alcoholism symptoms and the “alcohol signs” so that the alcohol addicted individual can be given the opportunity to get the professional alcohol rehab he or she requires.

Alcoholism and Sophisticated Brain Exploration

Fortunately, medical investigation is constantly unearthing new and significant information. Recent alcoholism research supplies a high-quality example. Stated differently, for approximately the past ten years, complicated brain-imaging scanning instruments have verified that continuous and long lasting irresponsible drinking modifies the configuration of the brain to a significant extent, therefore resulting in brain disease that can last months, years, or perchance as long as the person lives.

More explicitly, medical research has shown that people who have been drinking in a hazardous manner for a substantial length of time increase their risk for developing long lasting and significant adaptations in the brain.

This type of damage may be directly related to the alcohol’s effects on the brain, to severe liver disease, or might be indirectly associated with the drinker’s poor overall health.

Hazardous Drinking, Malnutrition, and Mental Disorders

As a final example of diverse medical conditions that are to a great extent associated with alcohol addiction, consider that according to medical research, the excessive and repeated abuse of alcohol can result in erosive gastritis, a condition that limits the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

This kind of organ malfunctioning is correlated with malnutrition and to a variety of acute mental and neurological disorders including sleep disturbances, memory loss, and psychosis such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s syndrome. This latter medical condition is a lasting debilitating condition that is epitomized by persistent memory and learning problems.

Summary

It is apparent that repetitive, hazardous drinking is directly or indirectly related to a variety of severe medical problems that can and do result in dangerous illness and premature death. Such information needs to be emphasized and presented to everyone in our society so that most individuals will be able to abstain from irresponsible drinking while other people who have a drinking problem will get the professional therapy they need.

Tags: alcohol addiction, alcohol dependency, alcohol abuse