Chronic Alcoholism and Its Health Implications: A Case Report

These differences may be related to the pharmacokinetics of alcohol in men and women. Women generally have a lower body water content than men with the same body weight, causing women to reach higher blood alcohol concentrations than men after drinking an equivalent amount of alcohol (Frezza et al. 1990; Taylor et al. 1996). Moreover, women appear to eliminate alcohol from the blood faster than do men, possibly because they have a higher liver volume per unit body mass (Kwo et al. 1998; Lieber 2000). In addition to these pharmacokinetic factors, hormonal differences also may play a role because at least in the case of liver disease, alcohol-attributable harm is modified by estrogen. However, hormonal influences on alcohol-related risks are not yet fully understood (Eagon 2010). Large cohort studies and meta-analyses have shown that alcohol consumption leads to an increase in the risk for conduction disorders and dysrhythmias (Samokhvalov et al. 2010b).

Heart

Consumption of alcohol at uncontrollable excessive levels is considered alcoholism. Individuals who suffer from alcohol addiction find it hard to manage their drinking. Alcoholism can be in mild to severe stages and the difficulties of treating it relate to the severity. Alcoholism alters the brain’s chemistry and structure, leading to physical and psychological dependence, as well as severe withdrawal symptoms. The causes of alcoholism are multifactorial, involving genetic, environmental, and personal factors.

Moderate

These conflicting results may stem from the studies in the more recent meta-analyses adjusting for smoking status when assessing the risk relationship between alcohol and these cancers within individual observational studies (Bagnardi et al. 2001; Pelucchi et al. 2012). Substance abuse The psychological effects of drinking are another aspect that supports the diagnosis of chronic disease. Mental health illnesses like anxiety, sadness, and personality disorders frequently coexist with alcohol use disorders. These comorbid conditions can make the disease more difficult to treat and add to its chronic nature.

• However, with proper medication and lifestyle, it can be managed and even treated.
• Additionally, alcoholism has a protracted course that frequently includes phases of remission and relapse.
• Moreover, the observational studies investigating the link between alcohol consumption and ischemic events had several methodological flaws, and the RR functions for ischemic events, especially ischemic heart disease, therefore are not well defined.
• First, the RRs can be limited by poor measurement of alcohol exposure, outcomes, and confounders.
• It is characterized by a compulsive need to consume alcohol, despite its negative consequences.

The Neurobiology of Alcoholism

Remember that they deserve a happy life and that achieving long-term recovery is within reach. It involves understanding how long it takes to become addicted to alcohol and making lifestyle changes. The ultimate goal is to provide people with the necessary tools, skills, and strategies to promote a good life in recovery. If you score two or more points, you are likely to have some form of alcohol addiction.

Medications

When the drinking « song » starts playing in the mind of an alcoholic, they are powerless. The alcoholic didn’t put or want the thought there, the only way to get it to stop is to have another drink. Ischemic cardiovascular diseases are those caused by a blockage of blood vessels, resulting in a loss of blood supply to the tissue serviced by the affected blood vessels. We should continuously strive to learn about the intricacies of alcoholism and display empathy toward those affected by it.

• Thus, meta-analyses of alcohol consumption and the risk of ischemic heart disease (Roerecke and Rehm 2012) and ischemic stroke (Taylor et al. 2009) found a larger protective effect for morbidity than for mortality related to these conditions.
• One of the difficulties in recognizing alcoholism as a disease is it doesn’t quite seem like one.
• These heavy-drinking occasions may lead to an increased risk of hypertension for men compared with women at similar alcohol consumption levels (Rehm et al. 2003b).
• These medications, such as naltrexone and acamprosate, can help reduce cravings and prevent relapse.
• This is how one builds a tolerance to alcohol, which causes people to consume larger amounts to feel the same euphoria they once did.
• When this happens, research shows, alcoholics and addicts have a reduced ability to control their powerful impulse to use the substance, even when they are aware it is not in their best interest.

In addition, previous observational studies have been limited by the inclusion of “sick quitters” in the reference groups, who have an increased risk of ischemic events compared with lifetime abstainers. The relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer already was suggested in the early 20th century, when Lamy (1910) observed that patients with cancer either of the esophagus or of the cardiac region were more likely to be alcoholics. Specifically, the GBD study found that alcohol increased the risk of cancers of the upper digestive track (i.e., mouth and oropharynx, esophagus, and larynx), the lower digestive track (i.e., colon, rectum, and liver), and the female breast (see figure 2). Alcohol, the most commonly used substance in the United States, has far-reaching health consequences that impact not only individual patients but the entire healthcare system. Alcohol use in and of itself is not problematic but exists along a spectrum from low-risk use to alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Neuropsychiatric Conditions

AAFs, or the proportion of a condition or outcome that is attributed to excessive alcohol consumption, were used to estimate both health-related costs, including deaths and health care expenditures related to excessive drinking, and the costs of specific criminal offenses. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of developing bacterial infection, ICU admission and dying due to bacterial infection by alcohol consumption. Additionally, alcoholism has a protracted course that frequently includes phases of remission and relapse. Due to alcohol’s lingering effects on the brain and addiction’s stronghold, those who become sober nevertheless face a high risk of relapsing. This chronicity emphasizes the need for continuing care, monitoring, and assistance to help people effectively manage their condition. Since alcoholism is such a complicated chronic disease, treating it can be hard.

Diagnosing alcoholism involves a physical exam, blood tests, and a psychological evaluation. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria are commonly used to diagnose alcohol use disorder (AUD). Environmental factors, such as stress, trauma, and peer pressure, why is alcoholism considered a chronic disease can also contribute to the development of alcoholism.