Addiction is turning into a worldwide problem and “alcohol addiction” is turning into a big problem because of the availability and legality of liquor.
The term ‘alcoholism’ has many interpretations. Ordinarily, alcoholism is the term that describes the condition that results from the repeated intake of alcoholic beverages. Medically speaking, alcoholism is described as a disorder that results from an unyielding intake of liquor despite different unpleasant consequences.
One should not interchange the mere intake of alcohol with the clinical meanings of alcoholism. It is true that the meaning of alcoholism is related to the usage of alcoholic beverages but the constancy and the amount of alcohol intake are the important factors that are used to know if a person is suffering from alcoholism or not.
The effects of alcohol addiction are divided into two categories: the short-term effects and the long-term effects.
It is known that alcohols, especially ethanol, are potential central nervous system (CNS) sedatives. The degree of toxicity relies on a lot of factors. For example, the level of toxicity is less when alcohol is drank after having a meal as compared to the level of toxicity when the alcohol is consumed without eating first. In terms of hydration, the level of toxicity is lesser if the alcohol is diluted first prior to intake.
The side-effects of alcohol in the body are described to be ‘biphasic’. The term biphasic is used to describe the effects of alcohol intake that differs from time to time. Alcohol originally generates euphoria and complacency. Too much consumption of alcohol may progress to blurred vision and coordination problems. Biologically speaking, when alcohol is drank, it is discharged to the blood vessels and is diffused to every biological tissue in the human body.
(A) CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: The people who take in alcoholic beverages are vulnerable to lots of heart-related diseases. Myocardial infarction or congestive cardiac failure may occur if the alcohol addiction goes on.
(B) LIVER DISEASE: Many liver-related diseases may take place as a side-effect of alcohol addiction. Types of liver disorders that are caused by alcohol drinking are hepatic steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
(C) CANCER: Different types of cancers like leukemia, melanosarcoma, prostate cancer and follicular carcinoma may exist as a side-effect of alcohol intake.
(D) OTHER EFFECTS: Drinking alcohol may cause the problems of obesity and fatal alcohol syndrome that develops to the failure of the central nervous system.
Determination of Alcoholism
(1) Screening: The screenings are usually self-reports that are especially used to identify the presence of alcoholism addiction. Some of the relevant screening test procedures are CAGE Questionnaire, ADD Questionnaire, MAS Test, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Questionnaire, and the PAT Questionnaire.
(2) Urine and blood examinations: By examining the urine and the blood of the patient, the nature of alcohol addiction may possibly be determined. Alcohol addiction may be examined through several indicators like macrocytosis, GGT elevation, AST and ALT ratio, and CDT elevation.
(3) Others: Some procedures like the determination of the genetic predisposition or the DSM Diagnosis are used to determine the alcohol addiction level and the level of toxicity.
Same as the medical and psychological procedures used for drug addiction, the treatment alcoholism addiction is also classified into two different parts which are alcoholic detoxification and counseling. Both treatment methods are to be executed concurrently. By performing the detoxification treatments, the body of the addictive person is cleansed. By performing the counseling or the intervention techniques, the person who is addicted to alcohol may be convinced to let go of alcohol addiction.
It is important to discuss the various topics about the unfavorable side-effects of drinking alcohol to the mind and the body of the people in order to lessen the number of people who become addicted to alcohol.
About the Author:
Berlin Flores is a health and fitness essayist who is an expert when it comes to alcohol dependency issues. Visit the alcoholism addiction website http://www.addictionsearch.com alcohol addiction.
Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:47:28 - 100%
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