At the end of a hard day at work, you want to relax with a glass of wine or a can of beer. It would seem, what will happen if you drink alcohol every day "for pleasure"?
The so-called "evening alcoholism" does not cause open disapproval of the society. At first glance, nothing bad happens: there is no instant withdrawal syndrome from a glass of vodka. But the frequent use of alcohol affects the human body, regardless of the "elite" drinks. Young, successful people 25-40 years old, buying expensive cognac, do not even notice the last link in the alcohol chain standing in the same queue with them - an unshaven haggard man in crumpled clothes. If you hint that this is your possible future, they will surely be offended. However, if a person drinks alcohol every day, then soon they will have to pay not only with money, but with health, family ties, and position in society.
The insidiousness of ethyl alcohol
The amount of alcohol consumed in terms of pure alcohol should not be more than 5 ml / day (women) and 10 ml / day (men). It is best to divide it up into several tricks. That is, 25 ml of strong drink, 100 ml of wine, 250 ml of 3-4% beer drunk at the festive table will not bring destructive harm to a woman's body (for men, the amount doubles). However, the frequency of use of even such "harmless" doses makes them dangerous.
The destruction of the body begins gradually. It directly depends on age, health, weight, hereditary predisposition. With an unfavorable coincidence of these factors, the first stage of alcoholism can occur in six months or a year. And a person who abuses alcoholic beverages will live the rest of his life in alcoholic dope.
Psychic changes
Since the daily use of alcohol is aimed at the rapid achievement of a psychotropic effect ("relaxation"), psychological dependence occurs first. After a week, a person gets used to relieve stress in this way, without a break for sobering up, and after a year he forgets that it could be different.
The main symptoms of what is happening in the body:
- Insomnia. Despite the strong hypnotic effect of ethanol, the phases of healthy sleep are disrupted under its influence. Sleep becomes either narcotic-deep, or vice versa - short, restless. Subsequently, a person has to drink alcohol only to fall asleep.
- Nervousness and irritability. The constant presence of alcohol in the blood causes oxygen starvation of the brain. Together with sleep disturbances, this leads to fatigue, which provokes earlier drinking. This is how a "vicious circle" is formed.
- Lowering the criticality threshold. A person begins to react sharply to comments ("Yes, I drink constantly, but what's so terrible about that? "), Constantly finds new reasons to drink.
- Search for a reason. Gradually, festive feasts and small doses are replaced by plentiful drinks at the TV every evening. The patient is ready to blame the whole world in order to have a formal reason to take another dose.
- Growing aggressiveness. It is in the first and second stages of alcoholism that the majority of domestic crimes occur. Imaginary courage makes you look for adventure, the case often ends in fights.
Physiological changes
The consequences of long-term alcohol intake are irreversible disorders in the body.
- Change in blood composition. Literally a few hours later, glucose levels decrease, thrombus formation increases, and blood circulation worsens.
- Avitaminosis. Against the background of general intoxication, the lack of vitamins seems to be a small problem. However, gradually it leads to hair loss, destruction of dental tissue, indigestion, and decreased immunity. Perhaps the development of anemia, early dementia, acute clinical depression.
- Aging effect. The classic signs of an alcoholic are swelling of the face, vascular "stars" on the cheeks, pale or purple-cyanotic skin. The person looks 10-15 years older than the passport age. Women's appearance changes especially quickly.
- Destruction of nerve cells and tissues of internal organs. Absorbed through the esophagus, ethanol with bloodspreads to every cell of the body, gradually affecting the liver, kidneys, stomach, brain.
Big belly and thin legs - all the "delights" of beer alcoholism
Beer is one of the most insidious drinks. Stores offer a wide selection of a wide variety of varieties, commercials urge to "cool off". Initially low psychological alertness, which is triggered by strong alcohol, leads to an increase in domestic beer alcoholism.
Unlike vodka, beer has a lower calorie content, is easier to tolerate, and has a mild hangover syndrome. However, if you drink it daily, the effects will be the same.
The elements that beer contains affect the production of hormones. In men with beer addiction, breasts grow, fat is deposited on the stomach and sides, the timbre of the voice becomes higher, impotence develops. If a woman drinks a lot of beer, she acquires masculine features: the voice becomes coarse, antennae begin to grow above the upper lip, the figure becomes stocky, masculine.
Beer alcoholism gradually destroys the hormonal system. Infertility, tumors of the thyroid gland, a sick pancreas - this is just a small list of problems from the abuse of foamy drinks.
But beer has the most damaging effect on the heart. In people who periodically drink up to 3-5 liters of beer a day, the volume of the heart muscle increases several times. The so-called "bovine heart" effect occurs, which doctors call cardiomegaly. Muscle tissue gradually degenerates, shortness of breath appears, heart rhythm is disturbed. In the future, the "bull heart" threatens with serious complications.
It is important to remember that small doses of ethanol in beer lead to the formation of alcohol dependence. Only it is much more difficult to track it down.
Is the truth in wine?
Speaking about the relative usefulness of wine, doctors mean drinks that are products of grape fermentation, with a strength not higher than 13%. A glass of dry wine a week will not do any tangible harm.
However, excessive infatuation with it has the same sad consequences that occur when drinking alcohol. Wine causes the destruction of the brain's limbic system, which is responsible for memories and emotions. Wine abuse leads to memory loss, dementia, premature dementia and impaired consciousness.
Red wine is contraindicated for migraines, high blood pressure, diabetes, gastritis. White wine has a negative effect on the pancreas and nerve cells in the brain.
Dessert wines are high in calories, the combination of sugar and preservatives exacerbates the negative properties of ethanol.
Champagne wines, due to the saturation with carbon dioxide, accelerate the absorption of alcohol into the blood. How much can a person drink at a festive table so as not to get drunk from champagne? Literally one glass. Further, the individual reaction can be unpredictable.
Alcohol and chemistry
Can I drink low-alcohol drinks in parallel with taking medication? The medical answer will be categorical: no!
Even "harmless" antipyretics like aspirin and paracetamol, when combined with ethanol exposure, can cause sudden stomach bleeding or anaphylactic shock.
When treating, it is worth giving up even small doses of alcohol in the evenings. Ethanol increases the resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics, increases the side effects of many drugs. Moreover, the disease itself is a contraindication.
You should not experimentally find out what will happen if you drink alcohol along with taking medication. There is a high probability of complications, up to deadly ones.
Memo for the environment
It is worth worrying if:
- your loved one drinks more alcohol than the recommended amount every day (including low-alcohol drinks);
- became irritable, nervous;
- he has symptoms of intoxication (hangover syndrome);
- complains of depression, insomnia, nightmares;
- no holiday in the house goes by without alcohol.
When the first symptoms appear, it is important to convey to the person the need for treatment. However, you cannot talk to an alcoholic when he is under the influence of intoxicating drinks or suffers from a hangover. Choose a convenient moment, do not insist, speak calmly, softly. If necessary, seek the help of specialists.
Remember: if one of the spouses drinks alcohol, there is a danger of the other spouse becoming addicted.