The Different Unpleasant Effects of Alcohol Addiction
Addiction is developing to a worldwide concern and ?alcohol addiction? is becoming a huge dilemma because of the wide distribution and legal property of alcohol.
The term ?alcoholism? has different definitions. Usually, alcoholism is the noun that refers to the condition that results from the repeated drinking of liquor. Medically speaking, alcoholism is referred to as an illness that results from an unyielding drinking of alcoholic drinks despite several unpleasant consequences.
One should not confuse the mere consumption of liquor with the clinical meanings of alcoholism. It is true that the description of alcoholism is associated with the taking in of liquor but the regularity and the quantity of alcohol usage are the significant components that are used to identify whether a person is suffering from alcoholism or not. The side-effects of alcohol addiction are divided into two groups: the long-term effects and the short-term effects.
It is known that alcohols, most notably ethanol, are probable central nervous system (CNS) sedatives. The degree of toxicity depends on many factors. For example, the level of toxicity is less when alcohol is used after having a meal as compared to the level of toxicity when the alcohol is consumed without having a meal first. In terms of hydration, the toxicity level is lower if the alcohol is diluted first prior to drinking.
The effects of alcohol in the human body are described to be ?biphasic?. The term biphasic describes the side-effects of alcohol intake that differs from time to time. Alcohol originally provokes euphoria and calmness. Too much consumption of alcohol may result to blurred vision and coordination problems. Biologically speaking, when alcohol is took in, it is delivered to the blood vessels and is diffused to all biological tissues in the body.
(A) HEART DISEASE: The people who take in alcoholic beverages seem to have lots of heart complications. Myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure may develop if the alcohol addiction continues.
(B) LIVER DISEASE: Several liver-related disorders may develop as a side-effect of alcohol addiction. Types of liver diseases that are caused by alcohol drinking are fatty change, alcoholic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and liver cirrhosis.
(C) CANCER: Several types of cancers like leukemia, malignant melanoma, prostate cancer and medullary carcinoma may occur as a side-effect of alcohol drinking.
(D) OTHERS: Alcohol intake may may lead to overweightness and fatal alcohol syndrome that leads into the disintegration of the CNS.
Determination of Alcoholism
(1) Screening: The screenings are basically self-reports that are intended to recognize the level of alcoholism addiction. The different substantial screening methods are CAGE Questionnaire, ADD Questionnaire, MAS Test, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Questionnaire, and the Paddington Alcohol Test.
(2) Urine and blood tests: By examining the blood and the urine of the patient, the nature of alcohol addiction will probably be recognized. Alcohol addiction may be examined through various indicators like red blood cell enlargement, Gamma-GT elevation, AST and ALAT ratio, and CDT elevation.
(3) Others: Some techniques such as the examining of the genetic predisposition or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders are used to determine the alcohol addiction status and the degree of toxicity.
Similar to the medical and psychological procedures used for drug addiction, the treatment in this case is also done in two distinct sections which are alcoholic detoxification and advising. The two treatment techniques have to be performed simultaneously. By conducting the detox treatments, the body of the person with alcoholism problems is detoxified. By executing the advising or the intervention processes, the addictive person may be persuaded to let go of alcohol addiction.
It is necessary to spread awareness about the harmful effects of drinking alcohol to the physical and mental system of the people in order to decrease the number of people who have alcoholism addiction.
Berlin Flores is a health and medicine journalist who has expertise in alcohol dependency subjects. Visit the alcoholism addiction website http://www.addictiontreatmentcenter.com for additional information regarding alcohol addiction.