Alcoholism: the proven effects of alcohol on our bodies

Alcoholism negatively affects a person's physical and mental health. However, getting rid of alcohol can be very difficult for someone. Perhaps even these lines will help in deciding what to do next.

In recent years, society's attention has focused on abuses such as addictions to marijuana, hard drugs, or even computers and slot machines. These addictions deserve their own attention, of course, but alcoholism has taken a back seat alongside.

Occasional drinking, which is the trigger mechanism for alcohol dependence, has become downplayed.

Our culture and traditions, which unwittingly encourage drinking, also contribute to this. Yet the numbers do not lie and there are countless alcoholics.

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Alcohol and teenagers

Despite all measures, it is impossible to prevent underage drinking. On average, it is estimated that the first contact with alcohol is around the age of 10.

Want to know more about alcoholism?
How does chronic alcoholism manifest itself?
What diseases does it cause?
Read on with us.

How to recognize a chronic alcoholic?

Despite the relentless hammering of excessive alcohol consumption, there are signs by which a doctor knows that a patient is drinking. Some of these are not missed even by the layman's eye.

For most alcoholics, there is a positive family history. This means that alcoholism has already occurred in the family. If both parents and grandparents drink, there is a high probability that the offspring will develop an alcohol addiction. It can also be assumed that the first contact occurs at a young age.

Table with manifestations of alcoholism:

Signs of chronic alcoholism:

• patients tend to be cachectic - emaciated
• ascites predominates - fluid-filled abdomen
  • they are also badly called spiders, because they really resemble spiders
  • large abdomen, lean arms and legs
• a distinctive venous pattern is present on the abdomen
  • caput medusae = head of the jellyfish
• in the upper part of the abdomen, the enlarged liver and spleen are palpable
• often have yellow colouration of skin, mucous membranes and sclerae = icterus, subicterus
• palmar erythema and spider veins appear on the face
• ataxic gait, stumbling, frequent falls are exacerbated and accentuated
• intellectual abilities are at a very low level
• they are often aggressive and vulgar

Somatic diseases caused by alcohol use

Alcohol destroys not only the mind of its consumer. It also contributes to the development of a wide range of somatic diseases.

People often associate it with the development of liver cirrhosis, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. The diseases it can cause are a whole spectrum. It can be said to affect every system, every organ and every cell of the human body.

Somatic diseases that are caused by alcohol:

• neurological diseases
• cardiovascular diseases
• diseases of the blood and haematopoietic organs
• respiratory diseases
• endocrine diseases
• diseases of the kidney and urinary system
• diseases of the digestive tract
• skin diseases
• infectious diseases
• oncological diseases

Neurological diseases

The most common neurological symptoms and diseases caused by alcohol are headache, migraine, sleep disorders, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, myopathy, organic damage to the central nervous system (alcoholic brain atrophy), cerebellar atrophy and damage, alcoholic encephalopathy, stroke and cerebral haemorrhage.

Sleep disorders typical of alcoholism are insomnia - insomnia.
These are caused by damage at the level of the REM sleep phase, the time when the sleeping person's brain activity is highest. This results in problems with maintaining sleep.

Epilepsy is one of the most well-known complications of alcohol. Of course, it arises from other pathological causes, but alcohol dominates.
It is the disruption of the brain's electrical activity that causes epileptic seizures.
The patient suddenly falls unconscious, with full-body convulsions. After the convulsions subside, he wakes up spontaneously within a few minutes.

Alcoholic myopathy refers to neuromuscular damage to the muscles with excessive doses of alcohol.
These cause muscle weakness, paresthesias, muscle pain and muscle spasms in the beginning.
However, with persistent drinking, the condition can progress to muscle contractures (shortening) and severe paralysis of the limbs with swelling of the muscles.

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Cardiovascular disease

Alcohol also affects the cardiovascular system. For example, it causes high blood pressure and its complications. It is also involved in the development of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart rhythm disorders and alcoholic cardiomyopathy (enlargement of the heart).

Arterial hypertension translates as high blood pressure. It is a very common disease of civilisation.
Genetics, unhealthy lifestyle and, of course, alcohol play a major role in its development. It is the main cause of coronary heart disease and heart attacks.
High blood pressure is manifested in various ways. Typical symptoms include headaches, dizziness, squinting, redness in the face, hot flushes, nausea, vomiting and chest pressure.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy literally means the enlargement of the heart muscle due to alcohol.
It arises from an underlying cardiac insufficiency, where the organ has to strain and starts to become bulky (enlarged) - hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. By comparison, it is the same as the biceps enlarging during exercise. The hypertrophied heart cannot take the strain indefinitely and resigns. This results in dilated cardiomyopathy, where the walls of the heart become thinner.
Ultimately, it is a progressive heart failure.

Diseases of the blood and hematopoietic organs

The toxic effect of alcohol does not leave out even the smallest cells in our body. It damages not only blood cells but also the place where they are formed - the bone marrow. It causes anaemia, blood clotting disorders, damages bone marrow, erythrocytes, platelets and leukocytes.

anemia has a thousand causes and ethanol is one of them. It is already toxic in the bone marrow.
Anemia is a blood disorder in which the red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the red blood pigment hemoglobin in the blood are reduced.
As the red blood cells bind oxygen, the oxygen supply to the body is impaired. Tissue hypoxia occurs.

Disorders of haemocoagulation (blood clotting disorders) are a serious aspect of alcohol toxicity.
Haemocoagulation (blood clotting) is a natural process in the human body that prevents bleeding. In alcoholics, this function is impaired, which is why bleeding conditions often occur.

Diseases of the respiratory system

Respiratory diseases are not at the forefront when it comes to alcohol-related illnesses. Yet they are there. The most common are laryngitis, bronchitis or complicated pneumonia.

pneumonia is an infectious but also non-infectious disease of the lower respiratory tract. The infection attacks and damages the lung tissue.
The link between alcoholism and pneumonia lies in the weakening of the immune system (infectious pneumonia) or as a consequence of food aspiration (non-infectious pneumonia).
It is manifested by breathing disorders, low saturation and high temperatures, together with accompanying symptoms (weakness, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating).

Endocrine disease

Disorders of the endocrine system are quite common in alcoholism, such as diabetes, pituitary disorders or adrenocortical insufficiency.

Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is a serious metabolic disease caused by a malfunction of the pancreas.
The pancreas is a gland in which the hormone insulin is produced. Its job is to take up glucose. If there is a deficiency, the blood sugar level rises. Sugar in large quantities damages blood vessels and thus all organs in the body.

Kidney and urinary system diseases

A common complication of alcoholism is kidney damage to the extent of requiring dialysis. The rest of the urinary system is also affected.

Alcoholic proteinuria means the presence of protein in the urine and in most cases indicates a benign finding, but it can also signal us of severe renal (kidney) damage.
This can be at the glomerular level, tubular level or both.
The presence of protein in the urine can be detected at home with indicator paper.

Nephropathy is a complex term for any kidney disorder that is caused by various mechanisms, just not infection. Ethanol toxicity and its chronic effect on the kidneys also leads to such damage.

Diseases of the digestive tract

Among the most well-known diseases caused by ethyl toxicity are diseases of the digestive tract. Even a young child knows that alcohol causes liver cirrhosis. However, pylorospasm and subsequent vomiting, oesophagitis, gastritis, gastric ulcer, hepatopathy (enlargement of the liver), alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, hiatal hernias, Mallory-Weiss syndrome also occur.

Liver cirrhosis is a disease in which the hepatocytes die and the original liver structure undergoes a cirrhotic remodeling, which impairs liver function.
The liver thus ceases to perform its functions, causing serious complications and death of the individual.

Stomach ulcers are one of the most common complications of alcohol abuse.
They form on the ethylene-damaged stomach lining. They cause severe abdominal pain, heartburn, nausea and vomiting.
The most dangerous is the rupture of a stomach ulcer that bleeds. In this case, the patient vomits fresh blood. This complication is life-threatening and threatens to kill the patient.

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Skin disease

People who drink alcohol often also suffer from skin diseases. These include, for example, purulent and swollen skin diseases or ragades. The reason for their occurrence is a combination of weakened immunity and neglected hygiene.
Seborrhoea and other dermatitis, palmar erythema or an increased risk of developing psoriasis are also more common.

Frostbite of the acral parts is frequent, mostly in people exposed to cold. That the patient finds himself on the street, almost always it is related to alcohol. Whether it is overnight stay because the drunk did not reach home, or homelessness.

Infectious diseases

As already mentioned above, some respiratory diseases of alcoholics are also based on suppression of cellular and humoral immunity. They often develop various infections, reinfections (relapses, re-infections). One of these diseases is the already mentioned pneumonia or pulmonary tuberculosis. There is also an increased risk of contracting hepatitis C or HIV infection.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a bacterial disease of the lung parenchyma with a high mortality rate. It is caused by the bacterium mycobacterium tuberculosis hominis.
It is quite common in the chronic immunocompromised alcoholic.
The danger lies not only in its pulmonary form, but also in the spread of the disease and the invasion of other tissues.

Oncological diseases

The most common cancers caused by alcohol are liver cancer, stomach and pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. However, cancers of the lip, tongue, larynx and pharynx can also be observed.

Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) accounts for up to 90% of all liver cancers, and the incidence of this cancer is increasing.
It is preceded by cirrhotic transformation and is therefore very common in alcoholics. However, it also occurs in patients with hepatitis B and C and in patients with hepatic steatosis.
It is manifested by pain under the right rib arch, portal hypertension, a feeling of fullness, inappetence, weight loss, indigestion, ascites, swelling of the lower limbs, increased body temperature, night sweats and icterus.

Pancreatic cancer (ductal adenocarcinoma) is the most insidious type of cancer ever.
It has an inconspicuous course and in most cases is caught at an advanced stage.

The prognosis is also very unfavourable because of the extremely rapid formation of metastases.

The disease is initially asymptomatic, with only mild pain under the left rib arch in the later stages. Gradually, nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, weight loss, pallor and later yellow discoloration of the skin, and finally excruciating pain are present.

Other health impairments and events caused by alcohol use

As is well known, drunken people very often have various incidents, accidents and bizarre accidents. These are caused as a result of their current state and state of the body in ebriet (drunkenness).

Disturbances in thinking, muscle relaxation, a wobbly gait or blurred vision have affected many a human life.

These episodes are varied, often original and sometimes "ridiculous". Ultimately, they pose a high risk of damage to the health of the drunken person, permanent consequences and disability or death.

Which situations occur most often?

Inhalation and suffocation with vomit

Inhalation of stomach contents, called vomit aspiration, is a common cause of death by asphyxiation in drunken individuals.

The paradox is that in a very drunk person we do not always see the movements typical of vomiting. More often, there is so-called regurgitation of gastric contents (free flow of vomit).
This escapes from the stomach, through the oesophagus, into the oral cavity. From there it is usually inhaled into the lungs, where it then forms an obstruction (barrier).

The reason for this is alcohol intoxication, which causes central nervous system depression and impaired consciousness of varying degrees (drowsiness, stupor or coma). For this reason, the intoxicated patient must be regarded as comatose. All the complications of unconsciousness may occur.

There is also a decrease in muscle tone, hence a failure of coordination of the muscles of the larynx and pharynx, and a failure of the sphincters of the stomach. This means only one thing, namely a high risk of regurgitation, aspiration and death by asphyxiation.

Drowning - respiratory failure

Drowning or complete drowning are high risks of death due to respiratory failure. These two events occur more frequently in drunken persons because the patient loses consciousness of what is happening to him. He does not defend himself and loses his instinct for self-preservation. He is usually dependent on others for help.

Drowning refers to respiratory damage when the face and airways are immersed or submerged under water.

Once water enters the lungs, surfactant (a substance that reduces surface tension in the lungs) is washed out. Subsequently, the alveoli (bladders) of the lungs collapse, causing pulmonary atelectasis, a lack of aeration of the lung tissue. This cascade of events causes inadequate oxygenation (hypoxia).

Interesting fact: After drowning, the patient should be monitored in a medical facility for at least 3 days, due to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which usually develops within 72 hours.

Traffic accidents and serious injuries

A large percentage of ambulance calls are for alcohol-related injuries. Passers-by often find people lying on the ground in various public places who are heavily intoxicated and covered in blood. Calls to the emergency services for such cases increase during the holidays.

A drunkard does not always walk on the pavement, but also wanders to the side of the road. He may step right into the middle of heavy traffic, where he may be hit by a motor vehicle. As far as traffic accidents are concerned, the pedestrian is the most risky link, as he is not protected in any way.

Alcohol in the blood is also a complication in the administration of medication after a car accident in a drunk person. It also increases the bleeding rate, therefore the overall condition of the injury is more severe than in a sober person.

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