Dangers of Alcohol: 15 Health Risks – It’s no secret that alcohol use can result in severe health problems, including liver cirrhosis and injuries sustained from car accidents. But liver disease and car crashes are not the only health risks posed by drinking. In fact, researchers have linked alcohol consumption to more than 60 different conditions. Furthermore, we are not fully aware of all of the effects alcohol has on the body.

The Dangers of Alcohol

The following are 15 health conditions associated with chronic, excessive drinking.

1. Anemia

Excessive drinking can lead to a dramatic reduction in the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. This condition, also known as anemia, can cause a host of symptoms, including fatigue, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath.

2. Increased Risk of Cancer

Regular drinking increases the risk of cancer, which researchers believe is the result of the body converting alcohol into acetaldehyde, a carcinogen. Cancers linked to alcohol use include those involving the mouth, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus, breast, liver, and colorectal region. Cancer risk is compounded in heavy drinkers who also engage in tobacco use.

3. Heart Disease and Poor Cardiovascular health

Heavy alcohol consumption, especially binge drinking, makes blood platelets more likely to clump together into clots, which can result in a heart attack or stroke. In a 2005 study, Harvard researchers revealed that binge drinking doubled the risk of fatality among those who had initially survived a heart attack.

Heavy drinking can also lead to cardiomyopathy, a potentially deadly disease in which the heart muscle weakens and eventually fails. It has also been associated with heart rhythm abnormalities such as atrial and ventricular fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart’s upper chambers twitch erratically, rather than constrict rhythmically and can cause blood clots to form that can trigger a stroke. Conversely, ventricular fibrillation causes erratic twitching in the heart’s primary pumping chambers. It can result in a rapid loss of consciousness and, without emergency treatment, sudden death.

4. Liver Cirrhosis

One of the most well-known dangers of alcohol is its effect on the liver. Alcohol is damaging to liver cells, and many chronic drinkers develop cirrhosis, a potentially lethal condition that causes the liver to become so severely inflamed and scarred that it is unable to function correctly. However, some people who drink excessive amounts never develop liver cirrhosis, and some who don’t drink as much can get it.

5. Dementia

As people get older, their brains shrink at a rate of around 1.9 percent each decade, on average. But excessive drinking speeds the shrinkage of certain key areas of the brain, leading to memory deficits and other symptoms of dementia. Dementia is one of the most tragic dangers of alcohol use.

Heavy drinking can also result in subtle but potentially debilitating impairments in executive functioning, which includes the ability to plan, make judgments, problem-solve, and other aspects of higher-order abilities that allow us to maximize our human functions.

In addition to “regular” dementia that results from brain atrophy, excessive drinking can lead to nutritional deficiencies, such as with thiamine, that may become so severe that they trigger other types of dementia (e.g., Wernicke-Korsakoff’s syndrome).

6. Depression

It’s been well-established that that heavy drinking is closely associated with depression. One theory is that depressed people may resort to alcohol use in an attempt to “self-medicate” to relieve emotional pain. However, many studies have shown that it can work the other way around and that heavy drinking can cause or exacerbate depression. The depressant effects are one of the most insidious dangers of alcohol.

7. Seizures

Heavy drinking can trigger seizures, even in people who don’t have epilepsy. It can also negatively interact with the action of medications used to treat convulsions.

8. Gout

Gout is a painful condition caused by the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints. Although some cases are primarily hereditary, alcohol and other dietary factors appear to play a role. Alcohol may also aggravate existing cases of gout.

9. Hypertension

Alcohol can interfere with the sympathetic nervous system which regulates constriction and dilation of blood vessels in response to stress, temperature, and exertion. Heavy drinking—binge drinking in particular—can cause blood pressure to increase Over time, this effect can become chronic. High blood pressure (hypertension) has been associated with many other health problems, including heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.

10. Infectious Diseases

Excessive drinking suppresses the immune system, providing a foothold for many infections, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases. People who drink too much are also are more likely to engage in risky sex, and thus face a higher risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

11. Nerve Damage

Heavy drinking can induce a form of nerve damage known as alcoholic neuropathy, which is characterized by a painful pins-and-needles feeling or numbness in the extremities as well as incontinence, constipation, muscle weakness, erectile dysfunction, and other issues. Alcoholic neuropathy may manifest because alcohol is harmful to nerve cells, or because nutritional deficiencies caused by heavy drinking impair nerve function.

12. Ulcers and Gastrointestinal Issues

One of the common dangers of alcohol consumption are digestive system problems, including stomach ulcers, heartburn, acid reflux, and inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis). As alcohol moves through the gastrointestinal tract, it exerts its toxic effects.

Damage to the digestive system can also cause dangerous internal bleeding due to enlarged veins in the esophagus caused by chronic liver disease. Alcohol also interferes with gastric acid secretion, and delays gastric emptying and impairs the muscle movements throughout the entire bowel.

13. Pancreatitis

In addition to contributing to stomach irritation, drinking can cause inflammation n the pancreas. Chronic pancreatitis impedes the digestive process, resulting in severe abdominal pain and persistent diarrhea. Some cases of chronic pancreatitis are related to gallstones, but the majority appear to arise due to alcohol consumption.

14. Osteoporosis

Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption, particularly during adolescence and young adulthood, can significantly affect bone health and increase the risk of developing osteoporosis and a loss of bone mass later in life. Osteoporosis, in turn, increases the risk of fractures, especially in the proximal femur of the hip. Alcohol also interferes with vitamin D production and calcium and cortisol levels which can add to weakening of the bone structure.

15. Accidents and Injuries

Drinking alcohol in any amount has been linked to car accidents, domestic violence, falls, drowning, occupational injuries, homicide, and suicide. A person’s ability to drive can be impaired with as little as one drink, and a person who drinks excessively is likely to sustain a more severe injury during an accident.

Chronic or heavy drinking poses substantial health risks. Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol, be it on a single occasion or over the long term, can lead to severe and sometimes irreversible damage to one’s body.

No pattern of drinking is without its risks. Moreover, we don’t have a solid method of predicting all the ways in which an individual will be harmed as a result of the chronic heavy drinking of alcohol.

Treatment for Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a devastating and potentially life-threatening chronic disease that can result in a myriad of severe and long-lasting health problems. Fortunately, despite all of these dangers of alcoholism, it is very treatable at any stage. Those who are suffering are urged to undergo detox and long-term professional treatment as soon as possible to reduce the potential health risks associated with the disease.

Harmony Treatment and Wellness offers a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to treatment in both partial-hospitalization and outpatient formats. Our programs include modalities vital to the recovery process, such as psychotherapy, individual and group counseling, group support, and aftercare planning.

We employ highly-trained addiction specialists who deliver these services to clients with care and expertise. We are dedicated to providing people with the tools and support they so desperately need to recover from substance abuse and learn how to foster healthy, satisfying lives for themselves.

If you or someone you love is suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, please contact us today. Discover how we help people free themselves from the chains of addiction once and for all!

Teenage alcoholism is a common problem that, tragically, is related to thousands of fatalities each year. Even those teenagers who are not yet dependent on alcohol are more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder later in life if they start drinking at an early age.

Teenage Alcoholism: A Widespread Problem

Although alcohol addiction is more often thought of as an adult disorder, teenage alcoholism is a very real and prevalent problem. Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the world, including for those under age 21. And, although the number of U.S. teens who drink has been decreasing in recent years, there are still millions of underage drinkers in the country.

Indeed, more than half of Americans between 12-20 years old report having experimented with alcohol, and 1 in 5 teens become excessive drinkers. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in 2010 there were approximately 10 million underage drinkers in the U.S.—among those, 6.5 million engaged in binge drinking and two million were heavy drinkers.

In addition to the many adverse health impacts that are directly the result of drinking, young drinkers are especially susceptible to deaths related to excessive alcohol use. According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, every year 5,000 people 21 and under die from alcohol-related injuries, including suicide and homicide, and an additional 600,000 were injured as a result of alcohol abuse.

Warning Signs

Common warning signs of teenage alcoholism include the following:

• Drinking alone in isolation
• Hanging out with friends who also drink
• Reckless and impulsive behavior
• Drinking with increased frequency and amount per episode
• Making excuses for alcohol use
• Profound changes in behavior
• Withdrawal from friends and family

Teenage Binge Drinking

Due to inexperience with alcohol use, a lower objection to risk, and vulnerability to peer pressure, teens have a significantly higher risk of binge drinking than many other age groups. Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of at least 4-5 or more alcoholic beverages in under two hours. Binge drinking affects the whole body and induces uncomfortable symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, hangovers, headaches, and low energy.

Unfortunately, 45 percent of 9th graders, half of all 10th graders, 58 percent of 11th graders and 65 percent of 12th graders report having engaged in binge drinking at least once during their lives.

Although binge drinking does not necessarily equate to full-blown alcohol addiction, it is one of the main contributing factors to teenage alcoholism. Binge drinking increases a person’s tolerance to alcohol, and once this occurs, young drinkers can easily become dependent on alcohol, either while still underage or in their adult years.

Researchers suggest that adolescents are more likely than adults to misuse alcohol because of the way the human brain develops. The teenage brain’s pleasure centers develop more rapidly than the part of the brain responsible for decision-making. Teens are particularly susceptible to binge drinking because their impulse control ability has not yet fully matured.

Moreover, many adolescents do not have the mental capacity to fully comprehend the consequences of drinking or even be actively aware of them. Teens can encounter immediate adverse effects, such as brain damage and delayed puberty. Indirect injuries, such as car crashes and sexual assaults, are also common problems from drinking.

Risks of Teenage Drinking

Alcohol consumption places teens at risk for many different adverse consequences. Drinking large amounts of alcohol while the brain is still developing will stunt personal growth. This damage can make it very difficult to successfully manage responsibilities at school and home, potentially impacting one’s future in negative ways.

Teenagers who drink have a higher risk of the following consequences, in addition to many others:

Risk Factors for Teenage Alcoholism

People who begin consuming alcohol at a young age are more likely to develop a dependence on alcohol later in life. Although no one is immune to developing a problem, some factors can increase the likelihood that a young person will engage in alcohol abuse, including the following:

Genetics – Teenagers who have parents or siblings that have an alcohol use disorder are as much as four times more likely to develop a problem of their own.

External pressure – Teenagers whose parents, siblings or friends are heavy drinkers are more likely to initiate drinking earlier and believe that this behavior is normal and acceptable.

Personality – Adolescents who believe alcohol use increases sociability or likeability are more likely to drink to excess in an effort to fit in.

Treating Teenage Alcoholism

Underage drinking can expose teens to a myriad of consequences, but there is hope. If your teen exhibits signs of alcoholism or changes in behavior due to increased alcohol abuse, contact a treatment provider immediately. Addiction professionals can help parents find the right facility with adolescent treatment programs and evidence-based therapies designed for their teens.

If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, contact Harmony Treatment and Wellness today. Discover how we help people free themselves from the grip of addiction so they can begin to experience the healthy and fulfilling lives they deserve!

How to Help an Alcoholic – It can be horrible to watch someone you love suffering from the chronic disease of addiction. Whether you’re struggling with alcoholism yourself or watching it unfold in another, over time, you may begin to lose hope that there is any way to overcome this devastating condition.

As someone close to the alcoholic, you also have a significant influence over his or her life. Although you cannot save them yourself, you can encourage them to seek help and support them on their journey to recovery. The following are tips on how to help an alcoholic admit they have a problem and find solace in recovery.

When it Is Time for a Confrontation

People outside of the healthcare industry have many preconceived notions about how to help those suffering from addiction. For example, you may have been told that your loved one needs to hit “rock bottom” to motivate them enough to change. Others may adhere to the archaic idea that addiction is a moral failing or matter of willpower, and unless the person decides to “just say no,” there is nothing you can really do but pray.

However, it is often the case that these individuals have not personally experienced or witnessed addiction firsthand. The reality is that many people have had great success in recovery programs, even if they were resistant to it initially or they never hit what might be considered to be the lowest point in this disease.

Most people intuitively know when the negative effects of alcoholism have become evident in a person’s life. These consequences often include mental and physical health problems, relationship conflicts, poor performance at work or school, and financial or legal issues.

How to Confront an Alcoholic

Confronting an alcoholic about their addiction will be a very sensitive conversation. When preparing for the discussion, there are several vital elements to consider:

Use a Careful Approach

Before facing your loved one, remember to keep your attitude in check. As frustrating as the person can be, you have to consider where they’re coming from. Addiction is a complex, chronic disease that often accompanies other mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression.

Negative talk about their failures may only push them away. Instead, you should focus on expressing love and concern. Let them know that you and others are there to support them and that you are doing this because you care deeply about their mental and physical well-being.

Research Treatment Options

If they seem unmotivated to confront their addiction, it’s up to you and other loved ones to begin researching treatment options for them. Alcohol recovery often begins with detox, but this process can be risky to do at home. If someone has been drinking heavily for a prolonged period, withdrawal symptoms can be life-threatening. Therefore, it’s safest to detox in a clinical environment that is capable of monitoring the person’s health during the alcohol withdrawal process.

After an individual has completed a detox program, he or she should be immediately transferred into addiction treatment. Ideally, this would be an inpatient or partial-hospitalization program, but, in some cases, outpatient treatment may be appropriate.

When researching options, you should look for an accredited facility that offers comprehensive, customized treatment and evidence-based services that include psychotherapy, counseling, group support, and aftercare planning.

Stage an Intervention

An intervention is sometimes a last-ditch effort for the alcoholic who refuses to recognize or deal with the problem. During an intervention, the person’s closest friends and family gather together in an attempt to persuade him or her to seek help.

The thought of staging an intervention can be frightening. You may be understandably worried that the person will react with anger and the relationship will become even more strained. While this is certainly a possibility, you cannot let it be your primary concern. Instead, you should use that fear as inspiration to put as much thought and care into preparation as possible.

Interventions can be extremely effective when they are approached and planned correctly. It is a very good idea to work with a therapist or counselor who specializes in interventions to help you prepare for and facilitate the conversation. Interventionists are experts at managing these gatherings, ensuring that the dialog is appropriate and that the conversation goes smoothly and is constructive and beneficial.

Understand Your Role And, If Necessary, Step Back

It can be easy to get swept up in the turmoil of your loved one’s alcoholism, but you must remember to take good care of yourself as well. You can support your friend or family member throughout their recovery process while also understanding that it is not your job to save them. You can encourage him or her and provide some tough love, but, in the end, they must take responsibility for their own lives.

And, no matter what has contributed to their addiction, remember that it’s not your fault. Every person makes their own choices—you are not responsible for their actions, and you should not feel guilty or blame yourself.

If you feel it might be beneficial, consider speaking to a therapist or counselor to help you or other loved ones process the trauma. Alcoholism can be difficult and sometimes devastating for everyone involved, and it’s okay for the friends and family members of those suffering from addiction to reach out and seek support for themselves.

Educate Yourself

One of the best things you can do is learn about alcoholism. Read all you can and share articles, books, and information with friends and family members. You should also consider attending open meetings of Al-Anon—these meetings serve as support for family and friends who are coping with a loved one’s alcoholism.

Keep Your Emotions in Check

Alcoholism is associated with intense emotions in both the alcoholic and among his or her loved ones. Some interactions can be very destructive and encourage the individual to continue their addiction.

Watching a loved one continuing to suffer is a powerless feeling. However, when talking to the person, you can not let your personal pain direct the conversation. Emotional appeals as to how much they’ve hurt you or others can exacerbate their own negative feelings, possibly increasing their desire to drink and escape overwhelming emotions.

Don’t Cover for the Alcoholic

Every person, even those with addiction, must take responsibility for their own behavior and decisions. Making excuses to a boss or teacher, doing work for them, and paying their bills only helps to enable their addiction. Unless it’s a life-threatening situation, you should never lend money to someone with alcoholism.

Pick Your Battles

If you confront an alcoholic every time he or she misbehaves, soon you might find your words falling on deaf ears. This possibility is especially likely if you try to have a conversation with them when they are still intoxicated. Instead, wait until they can have a rational conversation (and preferably not severely hungover) before confronting them.

Never Drink with an Alcoholic

Sometimes it might feel like it’s okay to drink with a loved one who is an alcoholic. This behavior is never acceptable, however, regardless of the situation, and it will only serve to condone drinking and encourage the person to continue their habit.

You Don’t Have to Do it Alone

Harmony Treatment and Wellness treats and supports patients in recovery through the use of a comprehensive approach that customizes treatment to the individual. Call us today to learn about our treatment options and how we can help your loved one break free from addiction and get a new lease on life!

Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, which means that it reduces activity and functions in the brain and body. Alcohol can impair vision, coordination, judgment, the ability to multitask, reaction time, sleep, and decision-making skills. Because of the decreased reaction time from excessive alcohol consumption, many people are unable to perform everyday tasks safely, such as operating a motor vehicle.

Short-Term Effects of Alcohol

A blood alcohol concentration of .08% or above can result in the following short-term effects:

Very high blood alcohol levels can induce even more dangerous complications, including the following:

Even a small amount of alcohol can impair a person’s brain function and the ability to concentrate. A moderate amount of alcohol can cause slurred speech, poor vision, and the increased need to urinate or sleep.

A very excessive amount of alcohol can induce breathing difficulties, alcohol poisoning, coma, and death. Alcohol poisoning causes the body to shut down completely and is a life-threatening medical emergency.

The short-term effects of alcohol consumption can appear after just a few drinks. However, people who have low tolerance levels may be affected after having only one or two drinks. Some of these effects might appear harmless, but they are signs that alcohol is having a serious impact on the body.

The short-term effects of alcohol abuse also include the following:

Blackouts and Lapses in Memory – These side effects of excessive alcohol use are common among heavy drinkers. Binge drinkers often have sparse or no memories of their behavior and are surprised to discover activities they were involved in the next day.

Loss of Inhibitions – Neural impairment caused by drinking can result in reduced inhibitions, distorted perception and the inability to think clearly and rationally. This effect can result in risky, impulsive, and dangerous behavior, which may be entirely out of character for many people.

Mood Swings – The initial effects of drinking include the release of the feel-good chemical dopamine in the brain, but this effect is temporary, and dopamine levels will eventually crash. This crash can cause a rapid mood shift from happy to depressed, anxious, or angry, and, in extreme cases, can result in suicidal thoughts or aggressive behavior.

Long-Term Effects of Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol can have devastating effects on one’s health and well-being. Liver disease, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, pancreatitis, and several forms of cancer are all linked to the long-term abuse of alcohol.

Moreover, repeatedly drinking above the recommended daily allowance (1 or 2 drinks for women and men, respectively) can lead to the development of at least sixty different diseases and significantly impact one’s emotional well-being.

Dependence

Abusing alcohol for a prolonged period can lead to a condition known as dependence. Dependence occurs when the brain grows accustomed to the presence of a substance, such as alcohol, and becomes unable to work correctly without it. This condition results in unpleasant and, in extreme cases, life-threatening withdrawal symptoms when the person attempts to quit drinking, often driving him or her to relapse to avoid these effects.

Tolerance

Tolerance also develops over time as a result of the brain’s propensity to diminish the effects of an intoxicating substance following repeated exposure. As tolerance occurs, the user is compelled to consume increasing amounts of alcohol to feel the desired effects.

Tolerance is dangerous and not conducive to a healthy life—consuming alcohol in higher and higher amounts becomes correspondingly riskier regarding health, emotional, financial, legal, and social effects. Along with behavior comes an increased risk of death due to acute alcohol poisoning.

Liver Cirrhosis

The liver is possibly the most essential organ needed for the process of alcohol metabolism. Repeated excessive use of alcohol can result in the liver’s normal cells becoming damaged and being replaced by scar tissue. Over time, the liver may become less able to heal itself or perform its normal functions. Ultimately, liver disease can lead to life-threatening problems and end-stage liver disease.

Cancer

Consuming alcohol at high levels is the second leading cause of cancer after smoking tobacco. Exceeding the daily limit of alcohol on a regular basis, even by just a small amount, can result in a higher risk of developing the following forms of cancer:

Hypertension

Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks per session raises blood pressure temporarily, but repeated binge drinking can result in chronic increases.

Injuries

Intoxicating effects of alcohol can result in injuries from falls or misadventure, such as bruising, broken bones, etc. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), alcohol is related to as many as 30% of adult hospital admissions, especially those to emergency departments.

Mental Effects

Alcohol is a depressant and therefore using alcohol as a means to self-medicate often leads to the opposite effect of what a person initially intended. Alcoholism can cause depression, anxiety, and exacerbate symptoms of pre-existing mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder.

What’s more, alcohol use interferes with medications such as antidepressants that are used to treat mood disorders. Alcohol is also especially dangerous when used in combination with other central nervous system depressants, such as benzodiazepines and barbiturates.

Brain Damage

People who drink large amounts of alcohol for a prolonged period have an increased risk of incurring severe and persistent changes in the brain. For example, people who suffer from chronic alcoholism often have a deficiency of thiamine (B1), a vital nutrient required by all tissues in the body, including the brain.

Some of these persons will go on to develop a serious brain disorder known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), a condition characterized by two separate conditions. First, there is a relatively short-lived but severe condition called Wernicke’s encephalopathy, and following is a long-lasting and highly-debilitating disease called Korsakoff’s psychosis. The symptoms of Wernicke’s encephalopathy includes confusion, paralysis of the nerves that move the eyes, and impaired muscle coordination.

Social Effects

When alcohol becomes a persistent aspect of a person’s life, it’s not just the person drinking that feels the effects. Those close to him or her are impacted as well. Drinking habits and related problematic behaviors tend to become a source of arguments and often result in relationship strain and conflicts.

Financial and legal consequences among alcoholics are also common. And these, in turn, can result in seemingly insurmountable debt, unemployment, license suspension, and even incarceration. Alcoholism also contributes to aggression and violence, including physical and sexual assaults.

Treatment for Alcoholism

Alcoholism is most effectively treated using an integrated, evidence-based approach designed specifically for each individual. Such an approach should include services such as psychotherapy, counseling, group support, health and wellness programs, and aftercare planning.

Harmony Treatment and Wellness offers these services in both partial-hospitalization and intensive outpatient formats. Outpatient treatment is particularly beneficial for those who have already completed an inpatient stay or partial-hospitalization while they transition back to society, or need more flexibility to attend to important life responsibilities.

We employ highly-skilled addiction specialists to facilitate services and to provide our clients with the essential tools, resources, education, and support they need to recover and sustain long-term wellness and sobriety.

If you or a loved one is struggling with alcoholism, contact us today. Discover how we help people free themselves from the chains of addiction and go on to lead happy and fulfilling lives!