Health Risks Associated with Heavy Alcohol Drinking

Health Risks Associated with Heavy Alcohol Drinking

Even with the knowledge of the health risks that come with the dependence on alcohol, alcoholics always tell themselves that they won’t let it get to that level. Ignoring the effects that alcoholism can have on your health does not reduce them in any way. As a matter of fact, scientists have found over 60 diseases are associated with heavy drinking. Also, it is worth noting that alcoholism is one of the main causes of fatal car accidents.

The following are some of the top diseases that are linked to heavy consumption of alcohol.

Cancer

One of the main health risks caused by alcoholism is cancer. According to scientists, acetaldehyde, a chemical that results from the conversion of alcohol, is a carcinogen. Among the sites where the cancerous cells might grow are the liver, larynx, breast, and the mouth. It was found that the risk of getting cancer is higher for the alcoholics that use tobacco as well.

Dementia

It is normal for the aging to have a deteriorating functioning of the brain. The rate is around 1.9% every ten years. This rate of brain shrinkage is, however, higher for the heavy alcohol drinkers. In fact, it affects more specific areas of the brain that are used in essential functions like memory, causing its loss. This is one of the symptoms of dementia. Furthermore, alcoholism is blamed for affecting a person’s ability to make sensible decisions, solve problems, and be effective in the performance of everyday tasks.

Cardiovascular diseases

Heavy drinking has been found to cause the clumping of platelets, which causes blood clots. The effect is improper flow of blood through the heart, which can be a reason for strokes and heart attacks. Another effect of alcoholism is the development of the cardiomyopathy condition. This is a fatal condition that affects the muscles of the heart, making them too weak to pump the blood and the heart may therefore end up failing. Also, one may get a trial or ventricular fibrillation which causes twitching of the heart chambers. This can lead to chronic strokes or unconsciousness that can be deadly. In addition, please read up on what a thrombocyte is by clicking the link in the text.

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Cirrhosis

It is impossible to discuss the effects of alcohol without mentioning liver cirrhosis. Alcohol addiction is serious and is the leading cause of this condition of the liver. It is like a massive scar on the liver which distorts the operation of the liver. The thing about this disorder is that it tends to affect some people and not others. You might find a heavy long-term drinker without the infection, but a light drinker is suffering from the same. You cannot tell who is and who isn’t likely to be affected.

High blood pressure

Alcohol can interfere with the sympathetic nervous system. This would disrupt some of its functions which include the dilation and constriction of blood vessels in the instance of temperature, stress, and the like. Bingeing can result in excessive blood pressure, which can become chronic over time. High blood pressure can result in fatal strokes, heart disease and kidney failure among other health problems.

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