Shocking Reasons Alcohol May Be The Deadliest Addiction Of All
Illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine commonly receive the most attention when it comes to deadly substance abuse addictions. However, alcohol can be just as dangerous to society, which may come as a surprise to some. Many reports indicate it could be even more dangerous than some illegal street drugs, only because it can catch many individuals off-guard. Excessive alcohol consumption has a significant negative impact on many vital organs and can severely deteriorate them to an irreparable condition if the abuse goes on long enough.
But the physical effects are not the only effects alcohol can have on the body — this addiction can also cause a significant amount of damage to the human psyche. Alcoholism not only affects the individual but those around them as well. Since alcohol is legal for those who meet the age of majority, it is more prevalent than the illegal drugs in society, which is part of the reason its dangers go unnoticed. Curious about the effects alcohol can have on the body and psyche when consumed in excess? Start reading now.
Too Much Alcohol Gets To The Heart
Drinking too much alcohol over an extended period puts the heart at risk for quite a few different complications. According to the American Heart Association, too much alcohol raises the level of triglycerides in the body, which store fat that is used for energy. Unfortunately, a high level of triglycerides puts additional strain on the heart. Other heart health concerns related to alcohol consumption include high blood pressure, heart failure, and an increase in calories consumed each day. While an increase in calories may not seem like much, nor does it appear to impact the heart, it is deceiving. Increases in calorie consumption can eventually lead to obesity, which greatly increases the risk an individual will develop diabetes.
Furthermore, heart conditions stemming from alcohol addiction include cardiomyopathy - which is the stretching and drooping of your heart muscle - cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), and sudden cardiac death. Binge drinking can also lead to heart problems, such as a stroke. This is why the American Heart Foundation recommends drinking in moderation and avoid it altogether if addiction to other substances or practices is an issue.
Continue reading to discover the effects excessive alcohol intake has on the liver.
The Liver Is The First Line Of Defense
When an individual consumes alcohol, their liver becomes the first line of defense, as it is the organ responsible for detoxing the body and removing the alcohol from the individual’s blood in a process called oxidation. If the liver does its job properly, alcohol is converted to water and carbon dioxide. However, excessive drinking results in a buildup of alcohol within the body, which can destroy cells and eventually organs since the liver might not be able to detoxify the body fast enough. This starts with an increase in the risk of fatty liver, which is an early stage of alcoholic liver disease and is extremely common in individuals who consume over two ounces of alcohol a day (as pictured above).
Continue reading to discover additional effects excessive alcohol consumption has on the liver if fatty liver progresses.
When Fatty Liver Progresses
If fatty liver continues to progress further into alcoholic liver disease, it can lead to other serious conditions such as cirrhosis, which occurs when scar tissue replaces the healthy tissue in the liver. Cirrhosis, the symptoms of which include a yellow tinge to the skin, unexplained weight loss, and ease of bruising or bleeding, is irreversible and often leads to liver failure even if the individual abstains from drinking alcohol. Thus, it is essential to catch it in the fatty liver stage, which is typically cured within six weeks if the individual ceases drinking alcohol.
Continue reading to discover the effects of alcohol on the pancreas.
Alcohol Messes With The Pancreas
Many do not consider the effects that alcohol has on the pancreas, although it is a vital organ in the body. It produces two critical substances for the body to function efficiently: digestive juices the intestines use to break down food eaten, and hormones involved in digestion, such as insulin, which many individuals know is responsible for regulating blood sugar.
Excessive alcohol consumption often results in the pancreas producing toxic substances, which can lead to pancreatitis, a condition in which the pancreas becomes inflamed. Acute pancreatitis often comes on quickly but thankfully goes away within a couple of days. However, chronic pancreatitis means the inflammation is recurring and results in the pancreas stopping its function and causing irreversible damage. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include abdominal pain (behind the ribs and spreading around the back), nausea, vomiting, as well as a high fever. Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis include recurring pain behind the ribs and in the back, jaundice (yellow tinge to skin and eyes), and unexplained weight loss. Most cases of chronic pancreatitis are due to long-term heavy drinking.
Continue for more details on the effects excessive alcohol has on the body.
Higher Risk Of Cancer
According to the National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, alcoholic beverages are a known human carcinogen - meaning they can cause cancer. Furthermore, significant research indicates the more alcohol an individual regularly drinks over time, the higher their risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer is. Such cancers include certain head and neck cancers, as well as esophageal, breast, colorectal, and liver cancer.
The increased risk is due to many factors, such as the body breaking down the ethanol in alcoholic beverages to acetaldehyde - a toxic chemical and likely carcinogen - which can damage DNA. Alcohol can also reduce the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients that can reduce cancer risk, such as vitamins A, C, D, and E. Excessive alcohol consumption can also increase the blood levels of estrogen, which has been linked to breast cancer. Alcohol also slows the body’s ability to repair damage, including damage caused by chemicals in tobacco, something many individuals smoke while they drink, which makes alcohol and tobacco a severe risk for the human body.
Compromised Immune System
Drinking a lot of alcohol puts increased stress on the immune system since it first needs to work at cleansing the body of alcohol, which means it is less able to fight off potential infections and illnesses. Thus, alcoholics are at an increased risk of contracting diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis than those who do not drink regularly or in excess. Furthermore, drinking while already sick lengthens the illness and can make it worse since the body will not have all its faculties necessary to fight. Alcohol is not the fluid individuals should drink when they are ill, even if they are lucky to only have a cold.
Continue reading to discover how alcohol increases the risk of clinical depression.
Alcohol Worsens Clinical Depression
As alcohol is classified as a depressant, it can worsen depression or increase the risk of clinical depression, particularly for alcoholics. Alcoholics often do not seek help when experiencing depression, and these feelings can lead them to drink more to forget about the feelings. This, however, is a vicious cycle since constant drinking simply makes the feelings and thoughts associated with clinical depression even worse. Furthermore, if depression is not properly treated, it can lead to suicidal thoughts and eventually suicide attempts.
Alcoholics who also have clinical depression are at an increased risk of losing connections with their family and friends, their job, and their livelihood. This is because depression and alcoholism often mean emotional and mental instability, leading to self-destructive behaviors (beyond simply excessive drinking).
Continue reading for more information on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption.
Availability Of Alcohol Masks The DangerAlcoholism
Alcoholism can often creep up on individuals quite quickly, and before they notice since it is legal to consume if over the age of majority. Furthermore, many social engagements include alcohol, which makes it hard to keep away from, particularly if an addiction develops. It can also be difficult to detect an alcohol abuse since because alcohol is readily available, accepted as part of Western culture, and often celebrated in film. Because of this, individuals with an issue often blend in with the general populace. It will likely be a loved one who notices a change, but by this time, the individual may already have serious damage physically, emotionally, and mentally due to alcoholism.
Driving Under The Influence
Alcohol slows a driver’s reflexes down substantially so getting behind the wheel can be deadly to the driver themselves, passengers in their vehicle, as well as any others on the road. Furthermore, alcoholics often have a higher tolerance, in their mind at the very least, so they are often less aware of when they are too drunk to drive or find they do not care.
Slow reflexes are just one of the elements affected by driving under the influence. Drivers with alcohol in their system cannot keep track of everything a sober driver can, such as the speed of their car, speed of surrounding traffic, traffic signs, lights at intersections, and pedestrians crossing the street. Many car accidents have been caused by a person driving under the influence of alcohol. Though no one is a perfect driver, the chances of getting into an accident and injuring themselves or others, or getting into a fatal accident, rise significantly.
Alcoholism Affects Generation After Generation
Alcoholism is medically known as alcohol abuse disorder, and scientists have been investigating the genetic and hereditary components of this disorder for years. Evidence indicates children who have one parent suffering from alcoholism are three to four times more likely to suffer from alcoholism themselves in the future. In 2008, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conducted a study reviewing research on genetics and alcohol abuse disorder, and their findings indicated genetics accounted for forty to sixty percent of the variance among those who had this disorder.
Passing on the predisposition to alcoholism to children means an alcoholic is likely to affect more than just themselves with this struggle, so the physical, mental, and emotional risks will apply to their children and their descendants, should the cycle continue even further. Thus, it is critical only to drink alcohol in moderation, and for individuals who are struggling with alcoholism to seek help as soon as possible. It may be a long road, but it is worth the journey.