At the end of a hard day at work, you want to relax with a glass of wine or a can of beer. Apparently, what will happen if you drink alcohol every day "for pleasure"?
The so-called "nighttime alcoholism" does not arouse open disapproval from society. At first glance, nothing bad happens: there is no instant withdrawal from a glass of vodka. But the frequent use of alcohol affects the human body, regardless of the "elite" drinks. Successful young people aged 25 to 40, buying expensive cognac, don't even notice the last link in the liquor chain that is in the same line as them - a haggard man with a stubble of beard and rumpled clothes. If you insinuate that this is their possible future, they will certainly be offended. However, if a person drinks alcohol every day, he will soon have to pay not only with money, but also with health, family ties and position in society.
The insidiousness of ethyl alcohol
The amount of alcohol consumed in terms of pure alcohol should not exceed 5 ml / day (women) and 10 ml / day (men). It's better to break it down into several tricks. That is, 25 ml of strong drink, 100 ml of wine, 250 ml of 3-4% beer drunk on the festive table will not bring destructive damage to the woman's body (for men, the amount doubles). However, the frequency of use of even these "harmless" doses makes them dangerous.
The destruction of the body starts gradually. It directly depends on age, health, weight, hereditary predisposition. With an unfavorable coincidence of these factors, the first stage of alcoholism can occur in six months or a year. And a person who abuses alcoholic beverages will live the rest of his life on alcoholic drugs.
Psychic changes
Since the daily use of alcohol is aimed at quickly obtaining a psychotropic effect ("relaxation"), psychological dependence occurs first. After a week, you get used to relieving stress in this way, with no break to sober up, and after a year you forget that it could be different.
The main symptoms of what is happening in the body:
- Insomnia. Despite the strong hypnotic effect of ethanol, healthy sleep phases are disrupted under its influence. Sleep becomes deeply narcotic or vice versa - short, restless. Afterwards, the person has to drink alcohol just to fall asleep.
- Nervousness and irritability. The constant presence of alcohol in the blood causes a lack of oxygen in the brain. Along with sleep disturbances, this leads to fatigue, which causes alcohol consumption earlier. This is how a "vicious circle" forms.
- Lowering the criticality threshold. A person starts reacting strongly to comments ("Yes, I drink constantly, but what's so terrible about that? "), constantly finds new reasons to drink.
- Look for a reason. Gradually, festive banquets and small drinks are replaced by bountiful drinks on TV each evening. The patient is ready to blame the entire world for having a formal reason to take another dose.
- Growing aggressiveness. It is in the first and second phases of alcoholism that most domestic crimes occur. Imaginary courage makes you look for adventure, the case often ends in fights.
Physiological changes
The long-term consequences of drinking alcohol are irreversible disturbances in the body.
- Change in blood composition. Literally a few hours later, glucose levels decrease, thrombus formation increases, and blood circulation worsens.
- Avitaminosis. In a context of general intoxication, lack of vitamins seems to be a small problem. However, it gradually leads to hair loss, destruction of dental tissue, indigestion and decreased immunity. Perhaps the development of anemia, early dementia, acute clinical depression.
- Effect of aging. The classic signs of an alcoholic are swelling of the face, vascular "stars" in the cheeks, pale or cyanotic-purple skin. The person looks 10-15 years older than the passport age. Women's appearance changes especially quickly.
- Destruction of nerve cells and tissues of internal organs. Absorbed by esophagus, ethanol with bloodit spreads to all cells in the body, gradually affecting the liver, kidneys, stomach, brain.
Big belly and skinny legs - all the "delights" of beer alcoholism
Beer is one of the most insidious drinks. Stores offer a wide selection of a wide variety of varieties, commercials demand "cool down". The initial low psychological alertness, which is triggered by strong alcohol, leads to an increase in alcoholism in domestic beer.
Unlike vodka, beer has a lower caloric content, is easier to tolerate and has a mild hangover syndrome. However, if you drink it daily, the effects will be the same.
The elements that beer contains affect the production of hormones. In men addicted to beer, breasts grow, fat accumulates in the belly and sides, the timbre of the voice becomes higher, impotence develops. If a woman drinks a lot of beer, she acquires masculine traits: the voice becomes hoarse, the antennae begin to grow above the upper lip, the figure becomes stocky, masculine.
Alcoholism in beer gradually destroys the hormonal system. Infertility, thyroid gland tumors, diseased pancreas - this is just a short list of problems with frothy drink abuse.
But beer has the most damaging effect on the heart. In people who periodically drink up to 3-5 liters of beer a day, the volume of the heart muscle increases several times. There is the so-called "bovine heart" effect, which doctors call cardiomegaly. Muscle tissue gradually degenerates, shortness of breath develops, heart rate changes. In the future, the "bull's heart" is at risk for serious complications.
It is important to remember that small doses of ethanol in beer lead to the formation of alcohol dependence. It's just a lot harder to track him down.
Is the truth in the wine?
Talking about the relative usefulness of wine, doctors refer to beverages that are products of grape fermentation, with a concentration of no more than 13%. A glass of dry wine a week will do no tangible harm.
However, being infatuated with them has the same sad consequences that come with drinking alcohol. Wine causes destruction of the brain's limbic system, which is responsible for memories and emotions. Abuse of wine leads to memory loss, dementia, premature dementia and impaired consciousness.
Red wine is contraindicated for migraines, hypertension, diabetes, gastritis. White wine has a negative effect on the pancreas and nerve cells in the brain.
Dessert wines are high in calories, the combination of sugar and preservatives exacerbates the negative properties of ethanol.
Champagne wines, due to saturation with carbon dioxide, accelerate the absorption of alcohol in the blood. How much can a person drink at a festive table so as not to get drunk on champagne? Literally a glass. Also, individual reaction can be unpredictable.
alcohol and chemistry
Can I drink low-alcohol beverages alongside medication? The medical answer will be categorical: no!
Even "harmless" antipyretics such as aspirin and acetaminophen, when combined with exposure to ethanol, can cause sudden stomach bleeding or anaphylactic shock.
During treatment, it is worth giving up even small doses of alcohol at night. Ethanol increases the resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics, increases the side effects of many drugs. Furthermore, the disease itself is a contraindication.
You should not discover experimentally what will happen if you drink alcohol along with medication. There is a high probability of complications, even fatal ones.
Memorandum for the environment
It's worth worrying if:
- your loved one drinks more alcohol every day (including low-alcohol drinks);
- got angry, nervous;
- he has symptoms of intoxication (hangover syndrome);
- complains of depression, insomnia, nightmares;
- no holiday in the house goes without alcohol.
When the first symptoms appear, it is important to communicate the need for treatment to the person. However, you cannot talk to an alcoholic when he is under the influence of intoxicating drinks or has a hangover. Choose a convenient time, don't insist, speak calmly, softly. Seek professional help if needed.
Remember, if one spouse drinks alcohol, there is a danger that the other spouse will become addicted.