Alcohol abuse is a pressing problem of modern society, which gives rise to crimes, accidents, injuries and poisoning in all segments of the population. Alcohol addiction is especially difficult to perceive when it concerns the most promising part of society - students. The mortality rate of the working-age population due to the use of alcoholic beverages ranks high. Scientists estimate alcoholism as a collective suicide of the nation. Addiction to alcohol, like cancer, destroys the personality of an individual and society as a whole from within.
How does alcohol affect the human body? Let's look at the effect of alcoholic drinks on all organs and find out how alcohol affects the brain, liver, kidneys, heart and blood vessels, nervous system, as well as on men's and women's health.
Effect of alcohol on the brain
All organs suffer from the negative effects of alcoholic beverages. But most of all it goes to neurons - brain cells. People know how alcohol affects the brain from the feeling of euphoria, high spirits and relaxation.
However, at the physiological level, at this time, destruction of cells of the cerebral cortex occurs even after small doses of ethanol.
- Normally, the blood supply to the brain occurs through thin capillaries.
- When alcohol enters the blood, blood vessels narrow and red blood cells stick together, forming blood clots. They clog the lumen of the brain capillaries. In this case, the nerve cells experience oxygen starvation and die. At the same time, a person feels euphoria, without even suspecting the destructive changes in the cerebral cortex.
- Capillaries from congestion swell and burst.
- After drinking 100 g of vodka, a glass of wine or a mug of beer, 8 thousand nerve cells die forever. Unlike liver cells, which can regenerate after alcohol withdrawal, nerve cells in the brain do not.
- Dead neurons are excreted in urine the next day.
Thus, under the influence of alcohol on blood vessels, an obstacle to normal blood circulation in the brain is created. This is the cause of the development of alcoholic encephalopathy and epilepsy.
The pathoanatomical autopsy of the skull of persons who abuse alcoholic beverages naturally reveals destructive pathological changes in their brain:
- reducing its size;
- smoothing of convolutions;
- the formation of voids in place of dead areas;
- foci of pinpoint hemorrhages;
- availability serous fluid in the cavities of the brain.
With long-term abuse, alcohol affects the structure of the brain. Ulcers and scars form on its surface. Under a magnifying glass, the brain of an alcoholic looks like the lunar surface, pockmarked with craters and craters.
The effect of alcohol on the nervous system
The human brain is a kind of control panel for the entire body. Its cortex contains centers for memory, reading, movement of body parts, smell, and vision. Poor circulation and cell death of any center are accompanied by shutdown or weakening of brain functions. This is accompanied by a decrease in a person’s cognitive (cognitive) abilities.
The influence of alcohol on the human psyche is expressed in a decrease in intelligence and personality degradation:
- memory impairment;
- decreased IQ;
- hallucinations;
- loss of critical attitude towards oneself;
- immoral behavior;
- incoherent speech.
Under the influence of alcohol on the nervous system, a person’s behavioral reactions change. He loses his modesty and restraint. He does things that he wouldn't do in his right mind. Stops being critical of your emotions. He experiences unmotivated attacks of rage and anger. A person’s personality degrades in direct proportion to the amount and duration of alcohol consumption.
Gradually a person loses interest in life. His creative and labor potential is declining. All this has a negative impact on career growth and social status.
Alcoholic polyneuritis of the lower extremities develops after prolonged use of ethyl alcohol. Its cause is inflammation of the nerve endings. It is related to acute shortage in the body of B vitamins. The disease is manifested by a feeling of severe weakness in the lower extremities, numbness, and pain in the calves. Ethanol affects both muscles and nerve endings - it causes atrophy of the entire muscular system, which ends in neuritis and paralysis.
The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system
The effect of alcohol on the heart is such that it works under load for 5–7 hours. While drinking strong drinks, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure rises. Full heart function is restored only after 2-3 days, when the body is finally cleansed.
After alcohol enters the blood, a change occurs in the red blood cells - they are deformed due to membrane rupture, stick together, forming blood clots. As a result, blood flow in the coronary vessels is disrupted. The heart, trying to push blood through, increases in size.
The effects of alcohol on the heart when abused include the following diseases.
- Myocardial dystrophy. In place of cells killed as a result of hypoxia, connective tissue develops, which impairs the contractility of the heart muscle.
- Cardiomyopathy - typical consequence, which is formed over 10 years of alcohol abuse. It most often affects men.
- Cardiac arrhythmia.
- Coronary heart disease - angina pectoris. After drinking alcohol, the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the blood increases, which increases oxygen consumption by the heart muscle. Therefore, any dose can cause coronary insufficiency.
- The risk of developing myocardial infarction in heavy drinkers is higher than in healthy individuals, regardless of the condition of the coronary vessels of the heart. Alcohol increases blood pressure, which causes heart attack and premature death.
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is characterized by hypertrophy (enlargement) of the ventricles of the heart.
Symptoms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy are as follows:
- dyspnea;
- a cough, often at night, that people associate with a cold;
- fatigue;
- pain in the heart area.
Progression of cardiomyopathy leads to heart failure. Shortness of breath is accompanied by swelling of the legs, enlarged liver, and cardiac arrhythmia. When people have heart pain, subendocardial myocardial ischemia is often detected. Drinking alcohol also causes hypoxia - oxygen starvation of the heart muscle. Since alcohol leaves the body over several days, myocardial ischemia persists throughout this time.
Important! If your heart hurts the next day after drinking alcohol, you need to get a cardiogram and consult a cardiologist.
Alcoholic drinks affect heart rate. After heavy alcohol consumption, they often develop various types arrhythmias:
- paroxysmal atrial tachycardia;
- frequent atrial or ventricular extrasystole;
- atrial flutter;
- ventricular fibrillation, which requires anti-shock treatment measures (often fatal).
The presence of this kind of arrhythmias after taking large doses of alcohol is called “holiday” heart. Violation heart rate, especially ventricular arrhythmias, often result in death. Arrhythmias can be regarded as signs of cardiomyopathy.
The effect of alcohol on the human cardiovascular system is a fact that has been scientifically established and substantiated. The risk of these diseases is directly proportional to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol and its breakdown product, acetaldehyde, have a direct cardiotoxic effect. In addition, it causes a deficiency of vitamins and proteins and increases blood lipids. During acute alcohol intoxication The contractility of the myocardium sharply decreases, which leads to a lack of blood in the heart muscle. Trying to compensate for oxygen deficiency, the heart increases contractions. In addition, during intoxication, the concentration of potassium in the blood decreases, which causes rhythm disturbances, the most dangerous of which is ventricular fibrillation.
The effect of alcohol on blood vessels
Alcohol lowers or increases blood pressure? - even 1-2 glasses of wine increases blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension. After drinking alcoholic beverages, the concentration of catecholamines - adrenaline and norepinephrine - increases in the blood plasma, which increase blood pressure. There is a concept called “dose-dependent effect”, which shows how alcohol affects blood pressure depending on its amount - systolic and diastolic pressure increases by 1 mmHg when ethanol increases by 8-10 grams per day. People who abuse alcohol are at risk hypertension increased 3 times compared to abstainers.
How does alcohol affect blood vessels? Let's figure out what happens to our blood vessels when drinking alcohol. The initial impact of alcoholic beverages on vascular wall expanding. But after this a spasm occurs. This leads to ischemia of the blood vessels of the brain and heart, leading to heart attack and stroke. Alcohol also has a toxic effect on the veins in such a way that the flow of blood through them is disrupted. This leads to varicose veins of the esophagus and lower extremities. People who abuse libations often experience bleeding from the veins of the esophagus, which ends in death. Does alcohol dilate or constrict blood vessels? - these are just stages of its sequential impact, both of which are destructive.
The main damaging effect of alcohol on blood vessels is related to how alcohol affects the blood. Under the influence of ethanol, red blood cells stick together. The resulting blood clots spread throughout the body, clogging narrow vessels. Moving through the capillaries, blood flow becomes significantly more difficult. This leads to disruption of blood supply to all organs, but the greatest danger is to the brain and heart. The body initiates a compensatory reaction - it increases blood pressure in order to push blood through. This leads to heart attack, hypertensive crisis, and stroke.
Effect on the liver
It's no secret how harmful alcohol affects the liver. The stage of ethyl alcohol release is much longer than absorption. Up to 10% of ethanol is released into pure form with saliva, sweat, urine, feces and during breathing. That is why after drinking alcohol a person has a specific smell of urine and “fumes” from the mouth. The remaining 90% of ethanol has to be broken down by the liver. Complex biochemical processes occur in it, one of which is the conversion of ethyl alcohol into acetaldehyde. But the liver can only break down about 1 glass of alcohol in 10 hours. Unsplit ethanol damages liver cells.
Alcohol affects the development of the following liver diseases.
- Fatty liver. At this stage, fat in the form of globules accumulates in hepatocytes (liver cells). Over time, it sticks together, forming blisters and cysts in the area of the portal vein, which interfere with the movement of blood from it.
- At the next stage, alcoholic hepatitis develops - inflammation of its cells. At the same time, the liver increases in size. Fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea appear. At this stage, after stopping ethanol consumption, liver cells are still able to regenerate (recover). Continued use leads to a transition to the next stage.
- Liver cirrhosis - typical disease with alcohol abuse. At this stage, liver cells are replaced connective tissue. The liver becomes covered with scars; when palpated, it is dense with an uneven surface. This stage is irreversible - dead cells cannot recover. But stopping alcohol consumption stops liver scarring. The remaining healthy cells perform limited functions.
If alcohol consumption does not stop at the stage of cirrhosis, the process progresses to the stage of cancer. A healthy liver can be maintained with moderate consumption.
The equivalent is a glass of beer or a glass of wine per day. And even with such dosages, you should not drink alcohol every day. It is necessary to allow alcohol to completely leave the body, and this takes 2-3 days.
Effect of alcohol on the kidneys
The function of the kidneys is not only the formation and excretion of urine. They take part in balancing acid-base balance and water-electrolyte balance, produce hormones.
How does alcohol affect the kidneys? - when consuming ethanol, they go into intensive operation mode. The renal pelvis is forced to pump a large volume of fluid, trying to remove substances harmful to the body. Constant overload weakens the functional ability of the kidneys - over time, they can no longer work constantly in an enhanced mode. The effect of alcohol on the kidneys can be seen after festive feast on the swollen face, high blood pressure blood. Fluid accumulates in the body, which the kidneys are unable to remove.
In addition, toxins accumulate in the kidneys, then stones form. Over time, nephritis develops. Moreover, after drinking alcohol, it happens that the kidneys hurt, the temperature rises, and protein appears in the urine. The progression of the disease is accompanied by the accumulation of toxins in the blood, which the liver is no longer able to neutralize and the kidneys to remove.
Lack of treatment leads to the development of renal failure. In this case, the kidneys cannot form and excrete urine. Poisoning of the body with toxins begins - general intoxication with a fatal outcome.
How does alcohol affect the pancreas?
The function of the pancreas is to secrete enzymes into small intestine to digest food. How does alcohol affect the pancreas? - under its influence, its ducts are clogged, as a result of which enzymes do not enter the intestines, but inside it. Moreover, these substances destroy gland cells. In addition, they affect metabolic processes involving insulin. Therefore, if you abuse alcohol, diabetes can develop.
When subjected to decomposition, enzymes and breakdown products cause inflammation of the gland - pancreatitis. It manifests itself in the fact that after drinking alcohol the pancreas hurts, vomiting appears and the temperature rises. Pain in the lumbar region is girdling in nature. Alcohol abuse affects the development of chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for breast cancer.
The effect of alcohol on the female and male body
Alcohol affects a woman's body to a greater extent than a man's. In women, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol, is found in lower concentrations than in men, so they get drunk faster. The same factor influences the formation of alcohol dependence in women faster than in men.
Even after consuming small doses, women's organs undergo great changes. Under the influence of alcohol on a woman’s body, reproductive function is primarily affected. Ethanol disrupts the monthly cycle and negatively affects reproductive cells and conception. Drinking alcohol accelerates the onset of menopause. In addition, alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the breast and other organs. With age negative influence alcohol on female body increases because its elimination from the body slows down.
Alcohol negatively affects important brain structures - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The consequence of this is its negative impact on the male body - the production of sex hormones decreases, which is why potency decreases. As a result, family relationships collapse.
Alcohol negatively affects all organs. It has the fastest and most dangerous effect on the brain and heart. Ethanol increases blood pressure, thickens the blood, and disrupts blood circulation in the brain and coronary vessels. Thus, it provokes a heart attack, stroke, and hypertensive crisis. With long-term use, irreversible diseases of the heart and brain develop - alcoholic cardiomyopathy, encephalopathy. The most important organs designed to remove toxins from the body - the liver and kidneys - suffer. The pancreas is damaged and digestion is disrupted. But stopping alcohol intake early in illness can restore cells and stop organ destruction.
Many books have been written about the dangers of alcohol. Little and reluctantly people talk about the benefits of alcohol. Unless during a noisy feast. It’s hard to find a book that would colorfully talk about the positive effects of alcohol on the human body.
Is there any benefit to What effect do they have on the body? And are there any less dangerous drinks among them? Before answering the question about the benefits of alcohol, it is worth doing small excursion into history.
When did strong drinks appear? Who invented them? Did people in ancient times think about the benefits of alcohol and what its harmful powers are? Or did people start talking about the traditions of discussing the quality and effect of alcohol only in recent centuries?
Ancient times
The first appeared several thousand years ago. This is evidenced by the results of archaeological excavations. In prehistoric times, hardly anyone thought about the benefits of alcohol. At least, researchers know little about this. Nevertheless, there is more accurate information about the attitude of the ancient Egyptians to alcohol. Texts dating back to 2100 BC speak of the positive effects of alcohol on the human body.
Once upon a time, Sumerian settlements were located in southern Mesopotamia. People lived here who firmly believed that alcohol was to blame for their imperfections. According to myth, the deities who created the first man first took a fair amount on their chests. That is why weak, evil, envious people appeared on earth.
One of the most popular drinks in the world is beer. He is loved in Europe, Asia, and America. Every year, factories produce several tens of thousands of types of low-alcohol drinks. On the menus of cafes and restaurants you can see not only all kinds of beer, but also various beer cocktails. It is generally accepted that the best producers of the foamy drink are Germany and the Czech Republic. But it was invented by the ancient Egyptians.
The inhabitants of Egypt also revered wine, which they considered a divine drink. They not only drank it at dinner, but also used it for medicinal and ritual purposes. The traditions of producing alcoholic beverages in ancient times developed in China and Rome.
Middle Ages
After Columbus discovered New World, European sailors had the opportunity to taste puke - the wine of the Aztecs. This drink is still produced in South America. Its basis is fermented agave juice.
In Europe, the most popular drink was beer. The production of cider, apple and grape wine also developed. Alcohol is beneficial in small doses. This was well known to the inhabitants of medieval Europe, where epidemics constantly roamed due to monstrous unsanitary conditions. It was much safer to quench your thirst with wine than with water. The sweetish alcoholic drink saved many French and Germans from cholera.
New time
On the consciousness of residents Western Europe influenced by the ideas of Martin Luther and John Calvin, who argued that wine is nothing more than a divine gift. Until the 18th century, attitudes towards alcohol were positive. People who did not know how to drink in moderation were not condemned.
Healing drink
It was said above: little is said about the benefits of alcohol; much attention is given to its harmful power. It's worth clarifying here. Wine is the only alcoholic drink about which many articles and books have been written. It is recommended by doctors for certain diseases. Poets and philosophers wrote a lot about him, and most of all - Omar Khayyam.
Red wine is considered a healing drink. It contains tannin, which, when entering the body, thins the blood. Red wine is an excellent preventative against cardiovascular diseases.
Red wine contains flavonoids - natural antioxidants that stop the negative effects of free radicals. It’s not for nothing that this drink is called the elixir of youth. Wine also contains many beneficial substances, including iron, which prevents anemia. Doctors recommend using the drink as a prevention of vitamin deficiency.
Alcohol dilates blood vessels. Therefore, it is useful in moderate doses. Especially wine, the healing properties of which are given above. But do not forget that any alcohol is addictive. Moreover, dependence develops from regular use. A person who drinks 50 grams of wine daily is more susceptible to addiction than someone who drinks a bottle of Cabernet once every six months.
Best wines
Luxury liquor stores offer a wide selection of wines. Not every one of them has healing power. Healthy wine is dry or semi-dry. It contains many useful substances, little alcohol and sugar. The most popular varieties:
- "Pinot noir".
- "Sauvignon Blanc"
- "Shiraz".
- "Riesling".
- "Cabernet".
Wine lovers unanimously say: you can and should drink this drink every day. Abstract scientists are often mentioned who supposedly confirmed this version through research. It is worth knowing: there is no established limit of alcohol without harm to health. Doctors still disagree about what or if it exists. One person can drink a couple of glasses of wine with lunch for twenty years and feel great. Such meals will turn another into an alcoholic within a year.
Acceptable rate
Still, most doctors believe that a man can drink a glass of wine a day. The permissible norm for a woman is two times less, that is, 75 ml. The trouble is that wine lovers cannot adhere to such strict limits. Where there is one glass, there is a second one.
The fairer sex is interested in the calorie content of alcohol per 100 grams. By the way, red wine is included in some diets. One hundred grams of dry food contains only 64 kcal. It's not much. It is impossible to gain weight by drinking a glass of wine regularly. However, this drink awakens the appetite.
Champagne
Sparkling wine appeared in the 17th century. It became widely known thanks to the monk, whose name can be seen today in any luxury alcohol store. "Dom Perignon" is the name of one of the most expensive sparkling wines.
Champagne is the general name of a drink that appeared several centuries ago in one of the French provinces. There are a lot of varieties. Of course, the choice should be made in favor of more expensive brands. For example, Veuve Clicquot, Brut, Extra Brut. "Asti Martini" girls' favorite, contains too much sugar, its calorie content is twice that of dry wine.
It is extremely strange to talk about the benefits of champagne or any other alcohol. Nevertheless, there are versions about the healing power of this drink. Just like dry wine, it contains antioxidants and normalizes blood pressure. But only if you drink it in small doses. The permissible volume per day for a woman is 75 ml.
Cognac
And there are many myths about the benefits of this strong alcoholic drink. Neither expensive Armenian cognac nor French "Martel" is a panacea or medicine. Doctors categorically do not recommend drinking it regularly. It's addictive. The permissible norm for a man is one glass per day, that is, 50 ml. For a woman, even less - 25 ml.
Still, cognac is not without beneficial qualities. If it's high quality. Expensive Armenian cognac, like elite French drinks, contains sodium, potassium, and calcium. Taking it in small doses helps strengthen the immune system. Low-quality drinks, which are often found on store shelves, contain pesticides, sulfur compounds and other chemicals.
Beer
This drink does not belong to the category of sophisticated ones. Nevertheless, many ladies prefer it to exquisite French and Italian wines. Beer contains hops, malt, sugar and, of course, alcohol. Is every day dangerous?
This drink may seem quite harmless - intoxication comes gradually, and more often it is replaced by a pleasant feeling of relaxation. Is it possible to become addicted by drinking one or two glasses of beer after a hard day at work? Undoubtedly. Any alcohol can be addictive - both strong and low alcohol. There is even such a thing as “beer alcoholism.” True, it has no scientific justification. Alcoholism does not come from vodka, beer, or cognac. Alcohol addiction has standard symptoms.
According to popular belief, drinking beer leads to the appearance of extra pounds. In reality, vodka, which is allowed on the so-called Kremlin diet, contains more calories. It is not the foamy drink itself that is harmful, but the snacks that go with it. Traditionally, beer is served with crackers, nuts, and chips. These are very high-calorie foods, and it is their consumption that leads to excess weight.
Beer contains beneficial substances. One or two glasses do not have a negative effect on the body. But it’s better to avoid all kinds of beer cocktails. By the way, it is advisable to drink any alcoholic drink in its pure form. A cocktail, which, in addition to the intoxicating drink, contains only lemonade, is harmless, which cannot be said about the so-called “ruff”. Vodka and beer is a mixture that, in large quantities, does not have the best effect on your state of mind. In addition, in the morning she can remind herself of an unbearable headache.
Liqueurs
A pleasant sweet drink is included in many popular cocktails. Liquor can be strong, dessert. We will not repeat ourselves about the risk of developing alcoholism; we will only say that this drink is also useful in small doses. But, of course, not everyone. Only natural, devoid of flavors and dyes.
Becherovka
This is one of the most popular liqueurs, a Czech drink with herbal flavor. Once upon a time, Becherovka was sold exclusively in pharmacies; it was used as a stomach remedy.
The strength of the drink is 38%. It contains twenty herbs, some of which are found, as a rule, in Karlovy Vary. It was here, at one of the best resorts in Eastern Europe, that Joseph Becher came up with a recipe for a medicinal tincture, which later became a popular alcoholic drink. The list of ingredients is kept secret. Becherovka is produced only in the Czech Republic.
Aperitifs
This is a common drink that is usually consumed before meals. Drinking aperitifs is a typically European tradition. She came to us relatively recently. Although the menu of many Russian establishments has a whole section with aperitifs, they are ordered both after lunch and during it.
The most popular aperitif is vermouth. The drink has a tart, slightly bitter taste. Wermut translated from German means “wormwood”. This drink appeared in the late Middle Ages and was originally a medicine.
There are several types of vermouth. All of them are an excellent remedy for improving digestion. True, in large quantities Vermouth can cause heartburn.
Ethanol is present in low proportions in human blood and is a natural metabolite. To understand how alcohol affects the human body, it is necessary to imagine the process of its processing. When ethanol enters the body with food, it is oxidized into acetaldehyde, which is 30 times more toxic than alcohols. The breakdown processes take place in the liver. An excess of ethanol inevitably entails the accumulation of acetaldehyde, which in this case does not have time to be converted into acetate. Intoxication occurs, poisoning of the body, which leads to a sharp deterioration in health, loss of consciousness, and there is a possibility of death.
What organs does alcohol affect?
Now we will try to more carefully study how alcohol affects the body, which organs it affects. Ethanol is quickly absorbed into the blood and distributed to all nodes. The maximum effect of alcohols occurs 50 – 70 minutes after ingestion. During this time, ethanol is absorbed into the blood through the small intestine and gastric mucosa. The central nervous system is damaged, the membrane of which is destroyed.
10% alcohol is excreted through the kidneys and lungs, through breathing. This is the reason why it is easy to determine the degree of intoxication with a breathalyzer. The remaining 90% is processed by the liver.
According to research, alcohol is the most harmful drug in the world. British pharmacologist and psychotherapist David Nutt puts the dangers of alcohol on a par with heroin. According to his own research, cocaine is twice as effective, LSD is ten times worse.
Looking for relief from alcoholism?
We know what to do with it! Get a free, anonymous consultation:
In some cases, alcohol causes the blood vessels in the esophagus to dilate. Veins become deformed and lose their effectiveness, and the walls become thinner. There is a high risk of internal hemorrhage. Hemorrhagic shock and acute blood loss occurs. Medical attention is urgently needed and there is a high risk of death.
Ethanol actively destroys the shell gastrointestinal tract. First of all, the microflora suffers, which to a certain extent forms immune system. The intestinal mucosa is covered with numerous erosions and dying tissues. Subsequently, ulcers and malignant tumors appear.
Ethanol that gets into the heart literally corrodes the muscle structure, destroying cells. Microscars form on the tissues, and elasticity is significantly reduced. The heart does not have time to push blood. The liver does not have time to process glucose. Monosaccharides remain in the body and are converted into fatty tissues that cover the heart and other organs.
The liver takes on the main dose of ethanol. Healthy cells and hepatocytes die. Replacement occurs with fatty and connective tissues, which leads to hepatosis. The disease is characterized by a serious metabolic disorder in the liver. This is initial stage cirrhosis. The latter is one of the six leading causes of death for people aged 30 to 60 years. In some cases, cirrhosis leads to cancer.
Ethanol stimulates the active release of enzymes in the stomach. As a result, the walls begin to digest themselves. The decomposition of internal tissues and food begins. The acid-base balance is disrupted. Gastritis occurs, followed by ulcers and cancer.
Alcohol, once in the pancreas, causes spasm of the ducts. There is an accumulation of enzymes that begin to digest organ tissue from the inside. The gland swells greatly, which characterizes the onset inflammatory processes. Tissue death begins, followed by decomposition. The result is pancreatitis, which is a fatal disease.
Which organs are affected most by alcohol? – this issue does not cause controversy in medical circles. The effects of ethanol on the brain are irreparable when other damage can be restored to varying degrees. But, it is impossible to completely or even half rid the body of the consequences.
How alcohol affects the brain
The human nervous system consists mainly of receptors and microcapillaries. When ethanol enters the blood, red blood cells stick together, forming blood clots. Clots block the thinnest blood capillaries. The vessels burst, forming numerous microhemorrhages. Tens of thousands of brain cells are irreversibly destroyed. In the morning, a person feels a characteristic headache.
Disturbance in the functioning of the blood vessels of the brain leads to its oxygen starvation. Drowsiness occurs and mental activity decreases. Since alcohol affects the brain and microcapillaries, the risk of stroke increases. Internal hemorrhage often leads to complete or partial paralysis, often to death.
Dead cells are excreted in urine and sweat. Redness of the eyeballs and swollen blood vessels are observed. The stronger the pain, the more damage is done to the lining of the brain. The effect of alcohol on the central nervous system causes severe addiction– neurotransmitter metabolic disorder in the brain. The disorder is accompanied by satisfaction deficit syndrome. As a result, a person feels a constant or regular need for alcoholic beverages.
How does alcohol affect the blood?
Ethanol promotes the adhesion of red blood cells and blood cells. As a result, blood clots form. Blood clots, similar to flakes, instantly spread throughout the body. Many vessels and capillaries remain clogged, which reduces the nutrition of certain organs. Severe dehydration occurs. Adhesives cannot function as an oxygen carrier.
Clogged capillaries located in the nasal cavity do not provide the tissue with the required amount of nutrients. Tissues that die as a result of starvation turn blue and become covered with a characteristic purple color. As a result, drinkers' noses turn blue, their faces swell, and their skin loses its elasticity.
As alcohol affects the blood and brain, causing addiction, the need for treatment arises. A timely visit to a drug treatment clinic in most cases helps to eliminate oncological diseases, other forms of pathogenesis. In the most advanced cases, complete cleansing of the blood from toxins and blood clots is necessary.
How difficult is it to get rid of alcoholism?
Complex psychoneurological disorders may require complex treatment for drug addiction. Most clients have difficulty with how to persuade a loved one to seek help. This is due to the peculiarities of the human defense mechanism. A careful approach is required so as not to run into complete denial or aggression. There is no need to apply pressure. Unfortunately, you can only persuade a loved one if he himself wants to fight the disease. Ultimate demands more often lead to the breakdown of families than to a positive result.
First of all, you should put yourself in the place of a person in trouble. In most cases, the patient is aware of the harm that alcohol has on the body and on the social level. It makes sense to explain how alcohol affects the human brain and body. The patient should be made to understand how significant his importance is in society and in the family, and how strong drinks destroy that very importance. It is important that a person at least partially assess his situation with an outside sober look.
The next step is to prove to the patient that there are effective methods exit from alcoholism. Bring to the attention of the severity of the physical and psychological condition of a person suffering from alcohol addiction. That the help of specialists will not be a waste of time and effort.
Can't convince you to stop drinking?
We will help you do this for free! Leave a request.
Alcohol, ethyl alcohol (ethanol), wine alcohol, C2 H5 OH– a colorless volatile liquid with a characteristic odor and pungent taste, mixes well with water.
Alcohol is a waste product of yeast fungi and can be produced chemically. It is highly flammable, burns, is used as a technical fluid in shock absorbers, brakes, etc., and is a good solvent for many organic substances. Used as a raw material in the chemical industry and also as a fuel.
Alcohol is used in medicine to prepare tinctures and extracts. It destroys the cell membrane and through the destroyed membrane the necessary medicinal substances are delivered faster into the cell. In the Western pharmacological industry, when creating pharmaceuticals, they strive to do without ethyl alcohol. Alcohol-based medications are not recommended for children.
When applied topically, alcohol causes denaturation of proteins in the cytoplasm of microbial cells. This property is used to treat the hands of healthcare workers, sterilize instruments, etc.
Alcohol is a cellular toxin When ingested, the body tries to neutralize it. This is what the liver does. In liver cells and hepatocytes, ethanol, under the action of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, is converted into acetaldehyde, which, under the action of another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase, is oxidized to acetic acid.
Acetaldehyde is several times more toxic than ethyl alcohol. It causes a hangover, which is essentially serious poisoning. In people who abuse alcohol, the body has to protect itself from excessive doses of alcohol. They increase the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase, which processes alcohol and accumulates acetaldehyde.
The second enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase, cannot be activated. As a result, severe poisoning with acetaldehyde occurs.
With the systematic consumption of alcoholic beverages, alcohol dehydrogenase cannot cope with the decomposition of alcohol. In the body, weaker additional enzymes come into action and the concentration of acetaldehyde in the body increases even more. In the future, even small doses of alcohol sharply increase the concentration of acetaldehyde, self-control is lost and a craving appears for the next dose of alcohol to replace the one that quickly disintegrated.
Back at the beginning of the twentieth century in 1915. At the XI Pirogov meeting of Russian doctors, alcohol was recognized as a narcotic poison. Doctor of Medicine A.L. Mendelssohn in the "Textbook of Temperance", published in 1913. in St. Petersburg wrote: “Alcohol cannot be considered a food product in the usual sense of the word. This is a poison for the nervous system, classified as a narcotic substance: it, however, not only paralyzes the brain, but also has a detrimental effect on internal organs. Science is unable to indicate a harmless dose of beer, wine or vodka.” Further, “Nobody really needs them... Only complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages – reliable protection against possible alcoholism and all its consequences.”
Great Soviet Encyclopedia (vol. 2, p. 116): “Alcohol is a narcotic poison.”
Foreign experts classify alcohol as a drug such as a depressant.
Modern narcologists consider alcohol to be a cytoplasmic poison that has a destructive effect on all human systems and organs, and an officially approved drug.
The medical consequences of alcohol consumption can be divided into 4 groups:
Effect on the central nervous system;
– influence on the reproductive organs and gene pool;
Impact on the development of cardiovascular diseases;
Other physiological consequences of alcohol consumption.
Effect of alcohol on the central nervous system
Drinking alcohol causes intoxication. Alcohol intoxication is acute alcohol poisoning. It is caused by hypoxia ( oxygen starvation) cells of the cerebral cortex.
Alcohol causes blood clots to form in small vessels of the brain. Due to hypoxia of cortical cells, some of them die and a cemetery of neurons is formed in the brain. The more alcohol a person drinks, the more neurons die.
Alcohol inhibits the activity of nerve cells, developing
lethargy, slow speech, impaired mental activity, decreased concentration. The potential for injury, accidents and death increases. Large doses of alcohol lead to the development of a coma, and death may occur from respiratory failure due to its suppression or from aspiration of vomit.
Scientists have found that 85% of “moderate drinkers” and 95% of alcoholics have a decrease in brain volume. After four years of drinking alcohol, the brain becomes “shrunken” due to the death of billions of neurons. Systematic alcohol consumption leads to a decrease in brain mass. In women, this degradation, associated with the loss of brain matter, occurs faster than in men.
The mental abilities of such people decrease, the freshness and originality of thoughts are lost. Creative abilities disappear. It becomes difficult to process current information, the replenishment of vital and professional skills. Efficiency decreases, desire to work decreases. Those who are addicted to alcohol are incapable of systematic work. Character deteriorates, morality declines.
Alcohol suppresses the function of the cerebral cortex, and subcortical formations begin to control human behavior. A person’s behavior becomes aggressive, his base biological instincts manifest themselves.
It has been established that mental abilities and memory deteriorate under the influence of even the smallest doses of alcohol. Coordination of movements, vigilance, and intelligence are impaired. Just 25 grams of vodka impairs memory by 60–70%.
Full restoration of brain function, including its capabilities for systemic analytical thinking, after drinking alcohol occurs within 18 to 20 days. Thus, scientific evidence is confirmed that if people drink alcohol twice a month, then their brain is not able to work at the level of capabilities given to them by nature. That is why the consumption of alcohol by politicians, government officials, leaders who make responsible decisions and formulate public opinion. Otherwise, it will lead to inadequate guidance and decisions and may set a bad example for the entire society.
Typical forms of alcohol damage to the central nervous system:
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome;
Hangover seizures (alcoholic epilepsy);
Variants of delirium tremens, which occur in a state of alcohol withdrawal and are accompanied by delirium (delirium), occur at stages II-III of alcoholism, during the period of cessation of drunkenness, delirium, visual, auditory and/or tactile hallucinations appear, there may be chills and fever. Hallucinations are usually threatening in nature, often presented in the form of small dangerous creatures (insects, devils). Sometimes it ends in death. The main danger with delirium is the risk of self-harm.
Wernicke encephalopathy - brain damage as a result of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, usually occurring with chronic alcoholism, blurred vision, disturbances in gait and coordination of movements, disorientation - confusion;
Korsakoff psychosis is a combination of polyneuritis with severe memory impairments that relate to remembering current events and reproducing the recent past;
Alcoholic dementia - impairment of mental (cognitive) functions, loss of normal perception, thinking, counting, speech, attention;
Manifestations of cognitive dysfunction: decreased memory, mental performance, impaired rational cognition of the world and interaction with it, perception of information, impaired processing and analysis, memorization and storage.
Atypical forms of alcohol damage to the central nervous system:
Atypical variants of delirium tremens - occur after repeated psychoses, often with fantastic content - alcoholic oneiroid;
Alcoholic paranoid – delusional perception environment, anxiety, fear and psychomotor restlessness;
Acute and chronic alcoholic hallucinosis;
Alcoholic delirium of jealousy.
The effect of alcohol on the reproductive organs and gene pool
When drinking alcohol, it is retained in the gonads, and in women it is 35%, and in men it is 55% more than in the blood.
Research has found that even a single dose of 250–300 ml of alcohol reduces the concentration of the male sex hormone testosterone in the blood by 4 times and, accordingly, reduces sexual function in men. Within an hour after drinking alcohol, it is found in the semen of a man and in the ovaries of a woman. When male and female reproductive cells, poisoned by alcohol, merge, defective embryos are obtained.
Children conceived while intoxicated are the main population of auxiliary schools. More than 90% of children with mental and physical disabilities are born to parents who started drinking at school age.
Children whose fathers drank alcoholic beverages for at least 4 to 5 years before the birth of the child showed signs of mental retardation.
A break in the consumption of alcohol by male alcoholics for 2–3 years, against the background of restorative and anti-alcohol treatment, creates favorable conditions (but does not guarantee) for the normal mental development of children conceived during this period.
Alcohol consumption by a woman before and during pregnancy leads to toxicosis of pregnancy, miscarriages, premature births, intrauterine malformations of the child, a deficiency of fetal weight at the time of birth, and a slowdown in the rate of psychophysical development. Mentally retarded people born from drunken parents inevitably produce the same offspring.
WHO experts believe that in Russia alone, more than 30% of the population currently have mental defects due to drunkenness and alcoholism. At the same time, 13% of the total number of children are lagging behind in intellectual development from the average level, and 25% cannot master the general education curriculum.
The effect of alcohol on the development of cardiovascular diseases
Alcohol is one of the leading risk factors for morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Alcohol is in second place in the risk of causing the prevalence of arterial hypertension.
Elderly man with heart disease vascular problems can die suddenly from drinking a relatively small dose of alcohol. There are three external factors that provoke sudden cardiac death: alcohol intake, physical activity, psycho-emotional stress. If these factors coincide in time, the likelihood of sudden death increases.
Alcohol contributes to the formation of blood clots in the arteries, the development of cerebral strokes, and myocardial infarction.
Chronic alcohol intoxication reduces the life expectancy of men with heart disease vascular system, on average 17 years.
Thus, there is a direct relationship between mortality from cardiovascular diseases and alcohol consumption.
In recent decades, publications have appeared on the protective effects of small doses of alcohol on cardiovascular diseases in older people, in particular, with coronary heart disease.
According to research at the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the director of the institute commented: “Although moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease, science is not convinced that alcohol causes it. risk. The risk reduction may be due to as yet unidentified factors associated with alcohol consumption in combination with factors that reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, such as lifestyle, diet, or physical activity, or with substances contained in alcoholic beverages.”
Current research is controversial and limited age groups men over 45 years of age and women during menopause.
From the standpoint of preventing cardiovascular damage, the most reasonable and correct thing would be not to drink alcohol, since the harm from alcohol significantly outweighs the benefits.
Other physiological effects of alcohol consumption
Alcohol causes the development of acute and chronic gastritis, acute and chronic pancreatitis, fatty liver, acute and chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, chronic renal failure, and anemia.
Alcohol promotes development peptic ulcer stomach and duodenum, acute pneumonia, aggravates the course of hepatitis B and C, suppresses the immune system.
Alcohol lovers are more likely to have pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic obstructive disease lungs and other lung diseases.
According to WHO experts, alcohol can cause more than 60 diseases and disorders in humans.
The effect of alcohol on children and adolescents
Children are very sensitive to alcohol. A case of death of a child, who was under 1 year old, was described due to three times applying vodka compress during the day on the chest when coughing. There was a case of death of a five-year-old child who drank 10 g of alcohol as a result of an oversight. How younger body, the more harmful the effect of alcohol is on him.
Children and adolescents very quickly develop an addiction and a positive attitude towards alcohol. Children imitate adults and parents. They may drink alcohol in secret and may experience alcohol poisoning. In this case, they may experience loss of consciousness, and pulmonary and cardiovascular activity may be impaired.
If a family often hosts alcoholic feasts, then the children of this family subsequently associate holidays and weekends with drinking alcohol.
IN adolescence The attraction to alcohol develops 8 times faster than in adults. Their behavior is disrupted, aggressiveness appears, and a hangover syndrome develops. And all this 1 to 3 years after the start of systematic drunkenness. The sons of persons suffering from alcoholism are 4 times more likely to become alcoholics, compared to the sons of those who did not have alcoholism.
Peculiarities of the influence of alcohol depending on the type of drinks
Alcoholic drinks are mixtures of water and alcohol with the addition of other substances that give the drink a certain taste and smell.
Everyone starts drinking alcohol with typical drinks - beer, wine, vodka.
Beer
Women who love beer inject additional amounts of female hormone into their bodies. This leads to an enlargement of the uterus, proliferation of uterine tissue, secretion of excess secretion and mucus in the fallopian tubes, disruption menstrual cycle. This reduces a woman's reproductive capacity. At the same time, women become more attracted to men and exhibit dominant behavior towards men. However, excess estrogen in women can cause breast cancer.
Hops, like hemp, contain drugs such as marijuana and hashish, in slightly smaller quantities. Hops produce some morphine, the active principle of opium and heroin.Thus, beer is a “bouquet” of narcotic substances. The German Chancellor Bismarck also said: “Beer makes people stupid, lazy and powerless.”
Beer contains glucose, sucrose, fructose, dextrins and other carbohydrates, amino acids, polypeptides, B vitamins, ascorbic, folic, nicotinic acids, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus ions. These are useful substances, but there are very few of them and when drinking beer they are washed out of the body and excreted in the urine, since beer has a diuretic effect.
According to research, people reach for beer to get a slight alcoholic intoxication. One liter of beer has the same effect on the body as 87 ml of vodka, and in total toxic effect exceeds the toxicity of vodka.
Low-alcohol drinks are especially dangerous for teenagers and women, since these categories quickly become accustomed to drinking alcohol through beer. A habit is formed that turns into an addiction.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink obtained by complete or partial alcoholic fermentation of grape juice. Alcohol and other substances can be added to wine to create fortified wine.
Based on quality and aging time, wines are divided into:
- young;
- without exposure;
- seasoned;
- vintage (aged wines from the same grape varieties, preserving a certain aroma and taste);
- collection (wines with a very long aging time of up to tens and hundreds of years).
Alcohol and sugar content in wines
Table or natural wines:
- dry - prepared by complete fermentation of the wort with a residual sugar content of no more than 0.3%, alcohol - 8.5 - 15% vol., sugar up to 4 g/l; The wine is called “dry” because it is “dry” and the sugar is completely fermented;
- semi-dry – alcohol 8.5 – 15% vol., sugar – 4 – 18 g/l;
- semi-sweet – alcohol 8.5 – 15% vol., sugar – 18 – 45 g/l;
- sweet - alcohol 8.5 - 15% vol., sugar - at least 45 g/l.
Special, that is, fortified wines:
- strong – alcohol – 17 – 21% vol., sugar – 30 – 120 g/l;
- sweet - alcohol – 14 – 20% vol., sugar – up to 150 g/l;
- semi-dessert – alcohol – 14 – 16% vol., sugar – 50 – 120 g/l;
- dessert – alcohol – 15 – 17% vol., sugar – 160 – 200 g/l;
- liqueur – alcohol – 12 – 16% vol., sugar – up to 210 – 300 g/l.
Flavored wines– alcohol – 16 – 18% vol., sugar – up to 6 – 16 g/l.
Sparkling wines– saturated with carbon dioxide during secondary fermentation. The most famous sparkling wine in the world is champagne. It contains alcohol – 9 – 13% vol., sugar – 0 – 15 g/l. When drinking champagne, alcohol penetrates the blood faster, and intoxication occurs faster, and the consequences of such intoxication are more severe, the headache is worse than from drinking vodka.
Positive reviews of wine indicate that red grape wine contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants, which have cardioprotective, anti-atherosclerotic effects, inhibit platelet aggregation, increase the concentration of high-density lipoproteins, and also have anti-inflammatory properties.
Chronic consumption of alcohol to prevent the development of coronary heart disease can lead to alcohol-induced liver damage.
Research by domestic and foreign scientists points to healthy alternatives to red wine.
So John D. Folts from Medical school Wisconsin states that 3 cups of red grape juice prevents plaque formation in blood vessels, same as 1 glass of red wine. The scientist reports that it is not alcohol that helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, but flavonoids, which are also contained in grape juice.
Dr. Crasey points out that there are less toxic sources of the antioxidants, polyphenols and other substances found in red wine. These are vegetables, fruits, garlic, spices, herbs and nutritional supplements. They have much more antioxidants than wine. Wine is drunk, as a rule, not for the sake of antioxidants, but for the sake of intoxication, because of its narcotic properties.
Vodka
Vodka- an alcoholic drink, a colorless aqueous-alcohol solution with a characteristic taste and alcoholic odor. The vodka production process includes mixing rectified ethyl alcohol from food raw materials with treated water, treating the aqueous-alcohol solution with activated carbon or modified starch, filtering it, adding certain ingredients if they are provided for in the recipe, stirring, control filtration, bottling into consumer containers and design of finished products.
Alcohol (including vodka) culture is the main source of high Russian mortality. Strong alcoholic drinks resulting from distillation contribute to the rapid achievement of dangerous high concentration alcohol in the blood and pose a greater danger to human life and health than beer and wine. The exceptional severity of the alcohol situation in the CIS countries is explained by the combination of the vodka culture of alcohol consumption of the “northern” type (drinking large doses of strong alcohol) and the presence of a tolerant policy towards alcohol in these states.
In countries where the most popular drinks are wine or beer, even high level alcohol consumption is not accompanied by catastrophic consequences. This is evidenced by the experience of not only France, Portugal, Germany, Austria, but also the post-socialist Czech Republic, Poland, Armenia, and Georgia.
In all countries of the alcohol belt, without exception, there is a severe complex of alcohol problems: excess mortality leading to the extinction of the nation, degradation of the social environment, an increase in crime due to alcohol abuse, etc.
In some cases, when preparing cheap varieties of vodka, no purification is carried out at all; the mixture of alcohol and water is blended with various artificial additives (Alcosoft, glycerin, soda, etc.), which mask the taste of the drink, making it soft. The harm to the human body who has taken such a product increases many times due to exposure to toxic impurities (etheraldehyde fractions and other fermentation by-products).A single dose of 400 grams of undiluted ethyl alcohol (95-96%) is a lethal dose for the average person (death occurs in 30-50% of cases). Drink to short time lethal dose in the form of a liter of vodka or moonshine is quite possible, but drinking 4 liters of wine is extremely difficult, and drinking 10 liters of beer is almost impossible.
Half a liter of vodka or moonshine is a dose that can lead to stroke, cardiac arrest, death from injury, as a consequence of inappropriate behavior.
Regular consumption of vodka inevitably leads to diseases internal organs(cirrhosis). Initially, deep-seated damage to the body manifests itself in the form of a hangover syndrome.
The most common causes of death for alcoholics are myocardial infarction, stroke, liver cirrhosis and cancer.
Ethyl alcohol has a narcotic effect on the central nervous system, which affects occupational safety. Drinking even small amounts of alcohol impairs coordination of movements, the speed of visual and motor reactions, and negatively affects thinking. With severe intoxication, the real perception of the outside world is disrupted, and a person becomes unable to consciously control his actions.
Significant alcohol consumption at work and at home increases injuries, occupational diseases, accidents, etc.
Liqueurs
In liqueurs, alcohol is used with attractive additives, which is why women and youth are often attracted to liqueurs. Liqueurs are usually served at the end of a meal with tea or coffee, and also as digestifs - drinks served at the end of a meal. Used both undiluted and as part of a variety of mixed drinks and cocktails, mixes well with various juices. They are also used for preparing all kinds of dishes, especially desserts.
Liqueurs are “heavy” alcoholic products and can cause nausea and vomiting, so they are usually diluted with water.
Cocktails
Cocktails make alcohol attractive, especially for young people and women. Unlike ethyl alcohol, even diluted with water, cocktails taste pleasant and do not cause a gag reflex. Alcohol disguised as natural food additives destroys this reflex.
"Energy drinks" - contain heavy doses of caffeine and up to 4–9% alcohol.
Small doses of alcohol
Recently, a lot of research and speculation has appeared about the benefits of small doses of alcohol. They write that “light and moderate” alcohol consumption can have a protective effect against coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, cholesterol gallstones, atherosclerosis, “prolongs life,” and “stimulates mental activity.” Nowadays, everyone understands the comprehensive harm of alcohol both for the individual and for society as a whole. However, the leaders of the alcohol business, having great financial resources, promote the benefits of small doses of alcohol and pay for “research” indicating the benefits of alcohol.
In modern medical literature there is evidence that the mortality rate of the population increases after exceeding the dose of 15 ml of alcohol per day. When consuming moderate doses of alcohol (about 25 g per day), the incidence of liver cirrhosis, alcoholism, upper respiratory tract cancer, digestive cancer, breast cancer, hemorrhagic stroke, and pancreatitis significantly increases. Drinking one glass of red wine per day increases the risk of developing cancer. It turns out that even small and moderate doses of alcohol increase the morbidity and mortality of the population.
The “benefits” of small doses of alcohol are refuted by studies by a number of Western scientists. Thus, Joanne Hietall from the School of Medicine at the University of Tampere in Finland convincingly proved that the consequences of drinking so-called “moderate” doses of alcohol, although poorly distinguishable, a person may not subjectively feel them, but the internal processes in the body are disrupted. She divided the consequences of alcohol into eight categories.
Some researchers believe that small doses of alcohol can improve the sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin and reduce the risk of developing diabetes mellitus Type II.
According to some publications, there is a positive effect of small doses of alcohol on coronary heart disease, but this is refuted by other researchers.
The results of such studies were first published in 1974. Hardy Friedman and Abraham Ziegelaub presented information on the effects of alcohol in moderate doses in nonsmoking patients. IN this study It was noted that there is an inverse relationship between the amount of alcohol and the risk of myocardial infarction. After this information was published in different countries similar experiments began to be carried out around the world.
The research results allow us to see the connection between the health status of patients and the amount of alcohol. In 2000, scientists from Italy summarized the results of earlier tests. Based on 28 papers, they presented their own analysis, confirming the opinion that 25 g of alcohol per day will reduce the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction by 20%. To date, it has not been possible to establish the real reasons for these results.
Fewer cholesterol plaques form because HDL redirects cholesterol from the blood back to the liver. Thanks to this, it is eliminated from the body and does not accumulate in the vessels. Scientists have not established for certain the mechanism of the effect of alcohol on HDL content. There is an assumption that alcoholic drinks can affect the liver enzymes involved in their production.
At present, it is only precisely established that drinking alcohol in moderation reduces the risk of developing coronary artery disease and this occurs due to high-density lipoproteins.
Another theory is based on the effect of alcohol on the biochemical reactions that ensure the process of blood clotting. Violations of this mechanism lead to the formation of blood clots, which can clog the vessel. There is an assumption that platelets under the influence of alcohol lose their high “stickiness” properties.
In the 1980s, researchers at Brown University Memorial Hospital conducted a study in which they found that alcohol increases levels of prostacyclin, which reduces blood clotting. At the same time, the level of thromboxane in the body decreased, which promotes this process. The experiments were carried out by Walter Logue from Medical College Keck University of Southern California, who was able to prove that alcohol increases the level of the activator profibrinolysin, which allows dissolving blood clots. A decrease in blood clotting can also be considered an indirect reason for reducing the risk of coronary artery disease.
Another factor is a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. It is this disease that predisposes to the development of IHD. Alcoholic drinks increase sensitivity to insulin. Thanks to this, the process of normal glucose utilization is established. But this applies only to “moderate”, that is, small doses. Alcohol abuse leads to the opposite results and stimulates the development of diabetes.
Thus, a comprehensive study was carried out on the effect of alcoholic beverages on the development of coronary artery disease. Scientists have been able to identify some factors that contribute to the positive effects of alcohol in moderation. Please note that these recommendations are not universal.
Positive and negative effects depend on the general condition of the patient, the presence of concomitant ailments, etc.
Acceptable volumes of alcohol consumption
A moderate dose for women is 10-20 g. ethanol, for men – 30-40 g. These are "standard portions".
In 2002, data on the relationship between alcohol and the risk of developing coronary heart disease were presented at the meeting of the American Cardiovascular Association. The results of the examination of 128,934 patients were analyzed. Death occurred in 16,539 cases, including 3,001 from coronary heart disease. Their medical histories were checked, and it turned out that those who drank 1-2 standard servings every day were 32% less likely to die from this disease.
The risk of the disease is also reduced in those people who drink two or fewer standard servings of alcoholic beverages per day. In this case, the fact of reducing blood clotting is of primary importance. In small doses, alcohol has virtually no effect on HDL levels.
Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have IHD?
Previously, numerous studies have been reviewed that confirm the existence of a connection between drinking alcohol and reducing the risk of developing the disease. Thus, IHD and alcohol are compatible. It should be remembered that alcohol consumption is allowed only in moderate doses.
Alcohol abuse can cause serious harm to health, including a negative impact on the cardiovascular system. In addition, you should remember and understand that alcohol is not a means of healing. It should not be taken with certain medicines, as this may cause side effects. Alcohol in moderate doses is allowed for ischemic heart disease, but only if there are no contraindications.
Remember that a single large dose of alcohol can cause death or brain strokes. It is not recommended to drink alcohol if the patient has elevated blood triglycerides or is on an anti-obesity diet.
Which drink do you prefer?
Scientists have not been able to find out whether there is a difference in the positive effects of certain alcoholic beverages. Data about greatest benefit red wine emerged from studies of mortality rates in different countries. Thus, in France, the capital of winemakers, the number deaths from coronary heart disease is half as much as in the United States. The benefits of red wine are explained by the presence in its composition large quantity substances with antioxidant properties. They are the ones who help curb the development of atherosclerosis.
Scientists who support “small” doses have discovered methodological errors in their own studies on the effects of alcohol. So, Kay Fillmore and her working group in 2009 rechecked 54 out of 56 studies and found that only 2 out of 35 studies on mortality from coronary heart disease did not contain errors!
In 2007 A study by Australian scientists led by L. Harris, “Alcohol consumption and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in the light of possible classification errors of subjects,” was completed. The work concluded that in men there was no statistically significant “protective” effect of alcohol, while in women it was observed, but only for red wine. In this case, it was not the alcohol that caused the protective effects of red wine in the group of women, but the antioxidants contained in red wine.
For preventive purposes, red wine can be replaced grape juice, wine vinegar, fresh fruits and vegetables. They contain more antioxidants and without the admixture of the poison ethanol.
The following arguments indicate the dangers of “small doses” of alcohol.
1. The use of alcohol by adults for “medicinal” purposes, even in small doses, is an undesirable provocative example for children. Children do not need alcohol, in any quantity.
2. Regular use of small doses disrupts, changes consciousness, the logic of thinking is disrupted, but thinking should be clear.
3. The “permissible” dose of alcohol varies depending on the country of study by 2–3 times. Calculate safe dose for a particular person it is difficult, it changes at different periods of life, even for one person. People become drunkards gradually and unnoticed. Drinking alcohol in small doses is a path to drinking alcohol in large doses.
4. If there are benefits from small doses of alcohol, then why can’t we teach people to drink it in teaspoons? Because the main purpose of drinking alcohol is not to gain health benefits, but to become stupefied, change consciousness, and receive alcoholic “pleasure.”
5. Alcohol consumption tends to increase in doses, which means that the threshold for safe consumption is likely to be crossed.
6. Propaganda for regular consumption of small doses of alcohol is provocative from the point of view of state security: if this idea is introduced into the consciousness of the residents of our CIS countries, then the question of “to drink or not to drink” alcohol will be resolved in favor of sobriety.
What regular alcohol consumption leads to can be clearly seen in the examples of countries with traditional alcohol consumption: France, where they drink only dry and high-quality wines, Germany, where they love beer, are increasingly filled with people from more sober civilizations: Turks, Arabs, Chinese, people from countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
Thus, recommendations to drink alcohol in small doses, particularly in the form of beer, wine or “energy drinks,” are provocative, have commercial interests and political implications and are aimed at destroying the health of individuals, families and the state.
"Cultural" drinking
Nowadays, families are introduced to the “drinking culture” from an early age. Children are included in home drinking parties. Children are given diluted wine so that they believe that it is a “seasoning” for dishes. And it is used “culturally”. After all, this is what the French and Italians do.
IN modern Russia and other CIS countries there are too few families where wine is just a seasoning for dishes. Adults in these cases cannot be a positive example for children. Many generations living in the CIS countries did not drink wine and did quite well without instilling a “drinking culture” in their minor children. IN childhood Alcohol is quite dangerous to health. In addition, the earlier a child starts drinking alcohol, the greater his chances of becoming an alcoholic.
Even the great Avicenna allowed the prescription of small doses of red wine for stomach upsets, but warned that wine should not be given to children.
In Western countries, medicines for children are not alcohol-based.
In medicinal tinctures, alcohol is strictly dosed, and they are prescribed in limited doses in drops.
Alcohol capital and business want to disrupt the natural sobriety of children, so that children do not create a stereotype that they can simply be sober. After all, the earlier the introduction to alcohol begins, the more income there will be.
Drunkenness and alcoholism
Domestic drunkenness- this is not a disease yet, this is a tribute to the traditions existing in our society, these are “drinking” attitudes in individual groups, among colleagues, friends or relatives, this is a way of life.
Domestic drunkenness does not require drug treatment; a person, of his own free will, can stop drinking alcohol at any time or significantly reduce it without experiencing any unpleasant sensations from abstinence. Household drunkenness can continue throughout a person’s life; the amount of alcohol consumed can remain unchanged or increase to certain limits. But everyday drunkenness can turn into alcoholism.
Many drinking people believe that they are not alcoholic. In their view, an alcoholic is a degraded person, with a blue nose, unwashed, unshaven, uncut, with shaking hands, who has lost his human appearance and dignity, as a rule, who has lost his job, often his family, drinks with random drinking buddies, lying around anywhere. There are such alcoholics, and they are in late stages diseases.
But there are other alcoholics who drink and this does not yet affect their health, work, or family relationships. So far, everything is fine with them, there are no hangovers, binges, alcoholic personality changes, social degradation, but they already have alcoholism.
Alcoholism– this is already a disease that requires treatment. Unlike everyday drunkenness, a patient with alcoholism cannot independently stop drinking alcohol and cannot arbitrarily regulate its amount.
In the body of a patient with alcoholism, changes occur in which the body rebels, demanding the intake of alcohol. This does not happen with everyday drunkenness.
Alcoholism is a progressive disease, and if its first symptoms appear, then it will steadily develop, new clinical manifestations, personality degradation and all the consequences of alcoholism will arise.
Stages of alcoholism
Alcohol disease has 3 stages.
The first stage of alcoholism is preceded by a stage of “cultural” drinking from one to ten years. People predisposed to alcoholism go through this stage quite quickly within a few months. Then comes the stage of poor drinking, and this is the first stage of alcoholism.
First stage
Second stage
Life becomes uncontrollable. Alcohol occupies the main place in consciousness; without alcohol, life becomes uninteresting and meaningless. Family, children, work and everything else fade into the background. Some drink almost constantly, others drink intermittently, but in both cases the disease progresses. Only absolute sobriety can stop the progression of alcoholism. At this stage, people stop drinking or try to stop drinking frequently, as fatigue sets in and their health begins to fail.
Third stage
Alcohol disease is treated exclusively by long-term sobriety and nothing else.
Often alcohol is absolutely contraindicated and healthy persons who, after small doses of alcohol, become violent, aggressive, and irresponsible. They don't remember what they did or what happened to them. This condition is classified as pathological intoxication. Due to unmotivated aggressiveness and altered consciousness, such people commit illegal actions and criminal offenses. Unlike ordinary intoxication, which is caused by large doses of alcohol, pathological intoxication is caused by small amounts of alcohol. And if it happened once, it can always happen again. Such people need to always remain sober.
The relationship between the state of intoxication and blood alcohol content(V.I. Prozorovsky, A.F. Rubtsov, I.S. Karandaev, 1967)
Blood alcohol content Functional assessment
Less than 0.3 g/l No influence of alcohol
0.3 – 0.5 g/l Minor influence
0.5 – 1.5 g/l Mild intoxication
1.5 – 2.5 g/l Moderate intoxication
2.5 – 3 g/l Strong intoxication
3.0 – 5.0 g/l Severe poisoning, possible
fatal outcome
Over 5 g/l Fatal poisoning
Acute ethanol poisoning
The strength of ethanol depends on the dose, tolerance to alcohol (liver function), and the degree of individual production of enzymes that neutralize alcohol (alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase).
As a result of the action on the cerebral cortex, intoxication with characteristic alcoholic arousal occurs. Ethanol poisoning develops nausea, vomiting and dehydration (alcohol dehydrates the body).
In large doses, an anesthesia effect occurs. The inhibitory effect on the central nervous system is caused by stimulation of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors. GABA is the main neurotransmitter involved in the processes of central inhibition.
Sensory sensations become difficult, attention decreases, and memory weakens. Defects in thinking and judgment appear, orientation and self-control are disrupted, and a critical attitude towards oneself and surrounding events is lost. There is often an overestimation of one's own capabilities. Reflex reactions are slow and inaccurate. Talkativeness, euphoria often appear, pain sensitivity decreases (analgesia).
Spinal reflexes are reduced and coordination of movements is impaired. When taking large doses of alcohol, excitement gives way to depression and sleep occurs. In severe poisoning, stuporous or coma: the skin is pale, moist, breathing is rare, the exhaled air smells of ethanol, the pulse is rapid, the body temperature is low.
Emergency assistance for acute poisoning alcohol includes the following activities:
1. Gastric lavage to clean rinsing water.
2. Water load with forced diuresis with diuretics.
3. In case of respiratory failure of central origin - artificial ventilation lungs.
4. Alkalinization therapy with 4% sodium bicarbonate solution intravenously.
5. Symptomatic therapy according to indications
In the presence of an alcoholic coma, the patient is sequentially administered naloxone at a dose of 0.01 mg/kg in 10 ml of a 40% glucose solution, and then 1 ml of 6% thiamine bromide is injected there. There is an awakening effect in case of poisoning with alcohol, drugs and sleeping pills. Activated carbon It is not effective for poisoning with ethyl alcohol; it does not absorb alcohol.
Planned treatment of alcoholism is carried out by psychiatrists - narcologists in drug treatment rooms and hospitals.
Treatment of alcoholism includes two main stages:
1. Relief of acute alcohol disorders.
2. Anti-relapse therapy.
Relief of acute alcohol disorders, prevents and eliminates withdrawal syndrome and its complications - hangover seizures and alcoholic delirium.
For this, ethanol analogs are used - benzodiazepines: diazepam, chlordiazepoxide (Elenium), lorazepam. Barbiturates and anticonvulsants are also used. These drugs are prescribed by psychiatrists and narcologists to eliminate withdrawal symptoms, prevent seizures and delirium tremens.
Vitamins are also prescribed: thiamine (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) and nicotinic acid (vitamin PP). To restore the electrolyte balance of potassium and magnesium ions and eliminate dehydration, intravenous drip infusions (glucose, hemodez, panangin) are performed.
Anti-relapse (maintenance) therapy is aimed at reducing the severity of alcoholic excesses, preventing binge drinking and mitigating the adverse consequences of alcohol abuse.
It is carried out with the following medications: disulfiram, naltrexone, acamprosate. These drugs inhibit acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, an enzyme that converts toxic acetaldehyde into acetic acid. In this case, acetaldehyde syndrome or disulfiramalcohol reaction (DAR) develops:
- increased blood pressure;
- tachycardia;
- heartbeat;
- throbbing pain in the head;
- blurred vision;
- nausea and vomiting;
Shortness of breath and feeling of lack of air;
- redness of the skin;
- fear of death, prompting a patient with alcoholism to stop drinking alcohol.
Successful and innovative dosage form Disulfiram is a water-soluble (effervescent) tablet called Antabuse. The tablets are tasteless and odorless and can be added to food and drink by the patient's relatives. Each dose of a soluble tablet will ensure that the drug enters the patient’s body and assumes the timely development of the therapeutic effect.
Treatment of alcoholism will be effective when the patient has good motivation for treatment, that is:
-
he must admit that he is a sick person suffering from alcoholism;
- he must wish to be treated for alcohol addiction;
- he must have the intention not to drink alcohol in any form in the future.
One of the old methods of treating alcoholism is "Hemming". The patient is sewn under the skin or injected intravenously with a drug (Torpedo, Esperal, NIT, SIT, MST, etc.). When alcohol enters the body, these drugs begin to produce toxic substances, which cause nausea, vomiting, fear of death and form a negative attitude towards alcohol in a person. At the same time, if a person takes a large dose of alcohol, heart rhythm disturbances, angina attacks occur, and myocardial infarction and cerebral edema may develop.
The drugs used for filing are harmless if the person is in a state of sobriety. But they do not relieve the primary craving for alcohol. It turns out that you want to drink, but you are scared - there is a fear of death. This method is painful for many, but for some patients it can be quite effective.
"Coding"- This is emotional stress therapy. A “code” is laid in the subconscious that prohibits the consumption of alcohol. This method was developed by the Ukrainian doctor and narcologist A. Dovzhenko, with whom the term “coding for alcoholism” is associated.
Through emotional stress, a program is introduced into the patient’s consciousness possible occurrence, life-threatening severe health problems when consuming even small doses of alcohol. This method is effective for people susceptible to hypnosis.
In a state of hypnosis, a person is instilled with indifference and aversion to alcohol, and the appearance of bad consequences if it is consumed. The doctor conducting such treatment must test the patient for sensitivity to hypnosis. For patients who are less susceptible to hypnosis, additional techniques, for example, when pronouncing the hypnosis formula, the phrase “if you drink even a little, you will die” is said and at the same time the doctor presses on the eyeballs. “Coding” is also carried out.
Hardware treatment is carried out using special medical equipment that affects the human brain. As a result of this effect, healthy brain functions are restored and the activity of the centers of attraction to alcohol is neutralized. This removes the primary craving for alcohol, and a person without
“withdrawal” enters a sober life. The most famous technique of electrical brain stimulation, TES, is a therapy developed by scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the leadership of Professor V.P. Lebedev, used in 17 countries around the world.
Psychotherapy– this is soft psychotherapeutic work to maintain the patient’s emotional and volitional sphere. Psychotherapy can be used as an independent method or in combination with other methods. To effectively recover from alcoholism, the patient’s family must be involved in the treatment process. The participation of family members in the treatment process increases the effectiveness of treatment, up to lifelong abstinence from alcohol consumption.
Group psychotherapy, in particular participation in Alcoholics Anonymous groups, is effective in maintaining resistance to alcohol.
Reflexology– can be effectively used in the treatment of alcoholism. Doctors-reflexologists, using needles, magnets and other reflexotherapeutic techniques, harmonize the energy system of the human body, which is unbalanced in various diseases, including alcoholism. And eliminating excess desire in alcoholism, as with any other addiction (tobacco, drugs, food, gaming), allows you to effectively get rid of alcohol addiction and be completely indifferent to alcohol.
Endorphins are “internal hormones of happiness”, the production of which in a patient with alcoholism is sharply reduced. It is precisely because of the deficiency of one’s own endorphins that numerous manifestations of alcohol dependence arise: pathological craving for alcohol, depression, feelings of guilt, and withdrawal syndrome develops.
Reflexologists successfully treat these conditions by “forcing” the patient’s body to produce endorphins in required quantities. These methods are based on the body’s reaction in response to a corrective, therapeutic effect received from the external and internal environment with needles or magnets, carried out with the participation of the nervous system.
Reflexology can be used as an independent method in the treatment of alcoholism, and can also be combined with other therapeutic methods, for example, when withdrawing from a binge, you can use points that calm the nervous system and thereby reduce the drug load on the body of a patient with alcoholism, significantly increasing their effectiveness.
Treatment of alcoholism using reflexology is effective and ensures a sober life for a person in the future. According to numerous reviews of patients who have undergone treatment for alcoholism using reflexology, the vast majority have good long-term results in the treatment of alcoholism. Patients who have undergone reflexology treatment enjoy their sober life, they always, even after many years, note the powerful healing effect which they felt after treatment. The craving for alcohol disappears, and indifference to it appears.
“There is alcohol, but it is not needed, not interesting and even disgusting” - this is how those who had an alcohol addiction after the treatment that I provide treat alcohol. I carry out the treatment with magnets, which I place on certain points on the hands and feet, and secure them with adhesive tape for several hours. Already after 1 – 2 sessions, alcohol becomes unnecessary, indifference to alcohol appears, alcohol disappears from life. The full course of treatment is 8 – 10 sessions. The effectiveness of the method is up to 90%. These people subsequently lead a sober, healthy lifestyle without alcohol.
To recover and get rid of alcohol addiction, you must want to recover from alcoholism, and have the intention to not drink alcohol at all in the future. There will definitely be a positive result.
Conclusions about alcohol and the consequences of its use:
1. Alcohol is a poison in any form, including small doses. Separate beneficial properties alcohol products cannot exceed their harm and recommend their use for medicinal or nutritional purposes.
2. Alcohol causes mental and physical dependence, leading to disability and premature death.
3. Alcohol causes moral and mental degradation, destroys families, and leads to crimes.
4. Alcohol leads to the birth of inferior offspring and the degeneration of individuals, social groups and entire nations.
5. Promoting regular use of “small doses” of alcohol is harmful to people and is incorrect in its essence, since alcohol is harmful even in small doses.
6. Promoting early introduction to the “culture” of drinking in the family is harmful and dangerous for the younger generation, as it contributes to the education of future alcohol consumers; alcohol producers and sellers need this to increase the production and sale of alcohol.
Bibliography:
Mendelson A.L. Sobriety textbook– St. Petersburg, Russian Society for the Fight against Alcoholism, 1913;
Permyakov A.V., Viter V.I. Pathomorphology and thanatogenesis of alcohol intoxication– Izhevsk, Expertise, 2002;
Egorov A.Yu., Shaidukova L.K. Modern Features alcoholism in women: age aspect. Narcology. 2005;
Nemtsov A.V. Alcoholism in Russia: history of the issue, current trends. Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry named after S. Korsakov. 2007; Alcoholism (appendix), episode 1:37:
www.lecheniealcogoliizma.ru Article: Clinic for the treatment of alcoholism of Professor V.L. Malygina;
www.president-med.ru Article: A few words about the principles of treating alcoholism;
www.tes.by Article: Possibilities of medicine in the treatment of alcoholism;
www.medportal.ru Article: Controlled drinking: myth or reality;
www.grinchenko.tveresa.info Article: Alcohol and its properties;
www.likar.info Article: What you know and don't know about alcoholism;
www.alcogolism.ru Article: Stages of alcoholism;
www.mycharm.ru Article: Ten facts about alcohol you need to know;
Toxicology of ethanol;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Alcoholic drinks;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Beer;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Wine;
https://ru.wikipedia.org/ Article: Vodka;
http://medi.ru/ Yu.P. Sivolap Article: Alcoholism and modern methods his treatment.
The effect of alcohol on the human body
How does alcohol affect the human body?
Thus, we can say that the effect of alcohol on the human body is harmful and irreversible. A conscious person must understand that the imaginary state of relaxation from alcohol cannot be compared with the consequences for the body. Maintaining healthy image life involves a complete abstinence from drinking alcohol, including weak alcohol. It doesn’t matter what strength of alcoholic drink a person drinks, the harm to health from it is the same.
Beer alcoholism, which has become widespread recently, has become a real problem for young people. But the erroneous understanding that a bottle of beer is not alcoholism can sooner or later result in a disturbance in the state of the body.
A modern and conscious person should be fully aware of the high degree of harmful effects of alcohol on the human body.
The effect of alcohol on the human body.
The main principle of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the aversion to drinking alcohol. Alcoholism is one of the most common problems among the population. What is the danger of alcohol and what effect does it have on the human body?
Medical experts advise that if they drink alcohol, it should only be for adults in very moderate quantities. Alcohol is strictly prohibited for pregnant and lactating women, as well as children and adolescents.
The most important effect of alcohol is on the liver. All people suffering from alcoholism have liver damage to one degree or another. Liver cirrhosis has been found in ten percent of alcoholics.
In addition to the liver, the functions of the human endocrine organs and gonads are also affected. Alcohol even affects the functioning of the brain. Even a small dose of alcohol can cause metabolic disorders in nervous tissue and the transmission of nerve impulses. When drinking alcohol, cerebral vessels dilate, and due to increased permeability, hemorrhage into the brain tissue is possible.
Chronic pancreatitis is a common consequence alcohol abuse. Alcohol plays the role of a “chemical weapon” for the human stomach. Getting burned by a portion of alcohol, the stomach cannot work as usual. The so-called alcoholic gastritis develops. Due to impaired metabolism, the human body can no longer break down protein and the person develops so-called protein starvation. All this leads to improper absorption of food by a person and, as a result, a deterioration in the general condition of the body.
Chronic drinking can cause alcohol poisoning. This in turn is accompanied frequent vomiting, belching, unpleasant pain and burning in the abdominal area. Possible development of chronic alcoholic gastritis. Its symptoms are general weakness of the body, nausea, diarrhea, decreased performance of the body and aching pain in the abdominal area.
Alcohol consumption also has a negative effect on the human kidneys. Taking even a small dose of alcohol leads to increased urination. This is due to the irritant effect of alcohol on the surface of the kidneys. Constant drinking of alcohol destroys kidney cells. After they die, they are replaced by connective tissue, and the buds decrease in size. Constant consumption of alcohol leads to increased sweating and the development of edema. Obviously, this effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems does not leave its mark on the body. A chronic alcoholic's life is shortened and premature death is common.
Scientists have proven that alcohol negatively affects the human immune system, reducing the body's resistance to infectious diseases. Thus, chronic alcoholics have a much more difficult time enduring various diseases, especially those of an infectious-allergic nature. According to statistics, the mortality rate among people who abuse alcohol from these diseases is three to five times higher than among people who do not drink alcohol.
Speaking about the dangers of alcohol on the human body, it is necessary to talk about the harmful effects of alcohol on the human reproductive system. Alcohol can affect both the process of conceiving an unborn child, damaging sperm and eggs, and the process of embryo development. Experiments on animals show that after eight months of regular injection of alcohol into the body, a change occurs in the sperm. It decreases in size and can no longer carry the required amount of genetic information. That is why a child conceived while at least one of the biological parents was intoxicated often has developmental disabilities and defects. Moreover, under the influence of alcohol, the number of sperm in the seminal fluid decreases. Ninety percent of chronic alcoholics have been diagnosed with infertility.
The highest stage of manifestation of alcoholism is considered “ delirium tremens"or, scientifically, delirium. Accompanied this state alcoholic with delusions, hallucinations, and sometimes seizures.
Alcohol also has a negative impact on the human psyche. A person suffering from alcohol addiction does not think about the development of his personality and often conflicts with the people around him. In such a situation, there is a delay in the development of a person’s thinking, and the alcoholic may have an inadequate perception of the surrounding reality. For an alcoholic, a person’s developing abilities are lost; often the alcoholic does not understand the moral and ethical concepts of society.
Thus, we can say that the effect of alcohol on the human body is harmful and irreversible. A conscious person must understand that the imaginary state of relaxation from alcohol cannot be compared with the consequences for the body. Leading a healthy lifestyle involves completely abstaining from drinking alcohol, including weak alcohol. It doesn’t matter what strength of alcoholic drink a person drinks, the harm to health from it is the same. Beer alcoholism, which has become widespread recently, has become a real problem for young people. But the erroneous understanding that a bottle of beer is not alcoholism can sooner or later result in a disturbance in the state of the body. A modern and conscious person should be fully aware of the high degree of harmful effects of alcohol on the human body.
