Long term and short term effects of alcohol use
The short term effects of alcohol can be quite beneficial and not always negative. Most adults won't experience any negative effects from a drink or two, even if they drink it every day and are still mild drinkers.
That's when the number of servings goes up. and alcohol tolerance develops, problems begin. Alcohol abuse can lead to addiction, which is diagnosed as alcoholism.
The long-term consequences of alcohol abuse include domestic violence, drunk driving and other destructive behavior.
Short term effects of alcohol
A drink corresponds to a glass of wine, wine or a can of beer. This intake is completely safe and may even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and alcohol dementia. The short-term effects of higher doses vary with the drinker's weight, gender and other factors, including alcohol allergy. The positive effects of alcohol are undeniable. These include the deep calm and relaxation that psychotic people crave. Stress often decreases, the person becomes less focused, reflexes slow, reaction times increase, and coordination becomes less. All of these effects are due to slowed brain activity and start to appear after drinking more than three or four drinks. In rarer cases, people can get hurt after drinking an alcoholic beverage, especially if it was their first alcoholic drink or if they had some underlying medical condition.
The short term effects of alcohol include:
- Abdominal pain, nausea or diarrhea:Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, causing these effects. Note that these symptoms may indicate the development of alcoholic gastritis.
- Relaxation:Most people feel calmer and happier when they drink, so many people turn to drinking when they are stressed or upset. They get excited and talk more.
- Impaired Vision and Hearing:Alcohol is a depressant and slows down the nervous system. Because the central nervous system controls motor and cognitive functions, humans will exhibit longer response times. More pronounced effects included stuttering, blurred vision, and muffled hearing. Sometimes these effects of alcohol can appear even after a single drink, so combine drinking and driving.
- Fatigue, drowsiness:is part of alcohol's calming effect. Drowsiness begins after the initial arousal has passed. However, the opposite effect can also occur, called alcohol insomnia.
- Poor self-control, faint thinking:By impairing the function of the central nervous system, alcohol makes a person less restrained and prone to behaviorseems out of the ordinary. A person is more likely to break the law or engage in risky sexual activities, such as unprotected sex while under the influence of alcohol. Negative consequences of drinking include "getting up early" when people are denied service in a restaurant, if they get drunk, and they fight.
- Memory impairment:The effect of alcohol consumption on memory is well known and also due to decreased nervous system activity. Violations can lead to drunkenness, when a person does not remember the events that happened after drinking. Another terrible side effect is delirium.
- mood swings:the initial "cheerfulness" fades, giving way to depression. This sometimes causes people to continue drinking and mood swings can occur. They are sometimes very severe - depression in alcoholics can eventually lead to suicide attempts with mixed results. Celebrity chef and TV presenter Anthony Bourdain, who has battled alcohol and drug addiction, is a tragic example.
The consequences of alcohol: risks and dangers
Some of the short-term effects of alcohol can be fatal, and alcoholics are especially at risk. Drinking is defined as drinking too much in a short period of time - 4 or more drinks in one sitting. Alcohol poisoning occurs when blood alcohol levels reach a toxic level, leading to hangover symptoms that are more likely to occur when drinking poor quality beverages. Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency and is fatal if left untreated. The following symptoms may appear:
- Confused or dazed, the person cannot hold his head, feels depressed;
- Unconscious;
- Convulsions;
- Low body temperature or vice versa;
- Run or shiver;
- Pale, cold, bluish skin;
- Uneven or slow breathing;
- Develops chronic illnesses such as gout;
- Loss of bladder and bowel control;
- Coma.
Long term effects of alcohol
Long-term effects of alcohol can include liver damage, depression, cancer, immune system disorders, increased blood pressure, decreased sexual ability in men and loss of libido in women. female or pancreatitis. Over time, people who drink alcohol may experience cognitive impairment. Side effects of this habit include irritability and a growing inefficiency at work due to alcohol. Alcohol abuse negatively affects the kidneys, causing serious damage. If long-term abuse can cause cirrhosis, a serious liver disease requires a liver transplant in many cases. Many people in the country died of cirrhosis.
The dangers of underage drinking are much older.
Other long-term effects also include the so-called dry drunk syndrome, where a person experiences the consequences of alcohol poisoning without ever drinking. When using alcohol for a long time, people develop stamina as the body gets more accustomed to alcohol. This forces them to consume dangerous quantities of alcohol without experiencing the short-term effects resulting in discontinuation.
The effects of alcohol on women
Alcohol affects women differently than men. Gone are the days when it was believed that only men were addicted to alcohol. Women are abusing alcohol more and more today - statistics show that millions of women drink in a manner considered dangerous to their safety, health and well-being. According to traffic authorities, a woman's blood alcohol concentration is high enough to 100% increase the risk of a fatal car accident after drinking a glass on an empty stomach.
Drunk driving seems to be a purely male problem and of course not.
The side effects of alcohol on the bodies of men and women vary markedly. According to experts, chronic drinking and intoxication put women at a much higher risk of health and safety than men. Drunk women are twice as likely to be sexually or physically abused. Data show that more than 50% of all sexual assaults recorded in the country involve women, men or both family members of alcoholics. A Norwegian study found that couples who drank a lot of different alcohol were more likely to divorce than those who drank equal amounts. This is especially true in relationships in which the wife is addicted to alcohol. The effects of alcoholism on women are more obvious. Long-term drinking is much more dangerous to women's health - women are more likely to die from cirrhosis or from brain, heart or breast cancer. Children of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy have an increased risk of being born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a lifelong developmental disorder manifested by abnormal facial features, increasedstunting, alcohol-induced brain damage and emotional disturbances.
Side effects of alcohol abuse
- Neurological disorders;
- Diabetes and cognitive impairmentare two possible long-term effects of alcohol. Chronic drinking leads to a higher risk of developing diabetes. This leads to obesity, as alcohol contains a lot of calories and damages the pancreas, where insulin is secreted;
Long-term alcohol abuse can also cause learning difficulties and problems. about memory. This increases your risk of developing mental disorders like depression and anxiety. - Another major problem associated with persistent alcohol abuse is the so-calleddetoxification syndrome:symptoms get worse every time a person consumes. ethanol. Alcohol also damages nerve cells, causing irreversible polyneuritis.
Most of the long-term negative effects of alcohol are related to health, but there are exceptions. Sexual assault, rape occurs after heavy drunkenness, heavier assault, reckless driving and robbery or theft carried out while intoxicating affects loved ones, friends and evencomplete strangers with whom they came into contact. The physical and cognitive decline caused by alcohol abuse is enormous every year.
The harmful effects of alcohol
Addiction occurs when the body cannot function properly without alcohol. The brain is unable to send the correct signals to the body once it gets used to the long-term effects of alcohol. When a person becomes addicted, he continues to drink, regardless of the physical or psychological symptoms caused by the drinking. Furthermore, an addict will continue to drink alcohol even if they lose their job, have a panic attack, break up with their family or are arrested for alcohol-related behavior. He also faces the risk of addiction to other drugs because they crave more than the amount of alcohol. Lack of rationalization and loss of inhibitions also tend to experiment with illegal drugs and lead to many of the social consequences of alcoholism.
Addiction is a physical disorder that requires treatment. The consequences of quitting alcohol are dangerous and can be life threatening. Treatment begins with detox. Ideally, treatment is in an inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation facility, where the patient is helped to achieve long-term alertness. If anything, experts believe that the short-term and long-term effects of alcohol are the most harmful of any other drug.
Alcohol exposure: treatments
At an inpatient rehabilitation center, patients receive intensive therapy and counseling to help find positive ways to cope with the stress that causes them to abuse alcohol. Treatment begins as soon as the detox process is over. These treatment programs last for a minimum of 30 days. They can last up to a year. The best rehabilitation centers are located in quiet, peaceful areas where patients can focus on their recovery. Therapists at these alcohol treatment centers recommend that patients continue outpatient treatment after their stay. You should also join support groups like Anonymous Alcoholics, e. g.