Bodipedia » alcoholism symptoms http://www.bodipedia.com Encyclopedia of Life Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:31:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 How Could Knowing The Signs of Alcoholism Save Your Life? http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/alcoholism/how-could-knowing-the-signs-of-alcoholism-save-your-life/ http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/alcoholism/how-could-knowing-the-signs-of-alcoholism-save-your-life/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:57:00 +0000 admin http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/alcoholism/how-could-knowing-the-signs-of-alcoholism-save-your-life/ The question is pretty simple, "how could knowing the signs of alcoholism save your life?" but for many there is a fine line between social drinking, and alcoholism especially if attending business luncheons, dinners and parties are not an option but part of the job. If your business life demands that alcohol be consumed in order to please the client or your boss, alcohol becomes a big part of your life. When does drinking for work turn into a disease called, alcoholism? What signs could tell a person when they are crossing the line between social drinking and alcoholism? Why would your life be at risk if you drink alcohol? These questions are all very important to have answered if you or someone you know drinks an excessive amount of alcohol.

How many people believe that getting drunk is a right that teens and young adults must indulge in as they travel into the world of adults? Why is binge drinking and alcohol at college parties an acceptable assumption by college students and parents? The availability of alcohol makes it a given that there will be those who abuse alcohol and those who will succumb to the disease, alcoholism, because of long-term drinking and what that does to certain brain chemicals and the effect alcohol has on organs of the body.

There are many health consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism including excessive caloric consumption leading to obesity, and obesity leads to many diseases including heart disease and diabetes. Drinking alcohol also can lead to vitamin deficiencies, loss of appetite, liver damage, increased risk of heart disease and complications to those with diabetes. If you have problems with alcohol and are pregnant you risk birth defects and fetal alcohol syndrome and developmental delays or mental retardation for the baby born to a mom who drank during her pregnancy.

Alcohol abuse and alcoholism is a huge problem according to a 2007 study done by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The study found that one in three Americans would either abuse alcohol or become dependent on alcohol (alcoholism) at some point in their lives. That is a scary statistic!

If you use alcohol repeatedly and it leads to negative consequences in relationships, at work, school or with the law or your finances you are probably abusing alcohol. Alcoholism on the other hand is a chronic and progressive disease that starts with cravings for alcohol that cannot be denied or controlled. The individual with alcoholism suffers withdrawal symptoms if alcohol is denied or unavailable.

There are many warning signs of alcoholism including if the person drinks alone or in secret, stashes alcohol in unusual places to hide the evidence of alcohol, suffers both cravings and withdrawal symptoms, becomes irritable when alcohol is unavailable or the normal drinking time is disturbed. They may have a problem if they prefer to drink over participating in activities and hobbies that they used to prefer to do before alcohol became important to them. Another sign of alcoholism is that they refuse to stop drinking even though alcohol has caused health problems, relationship problems, financial problems or problems with the law.

When signs of alcoholism are ignored and drinking continues the individual is likely to lose a job, lose one or more important relationship, get into serious trouble with the law, develop liver disease, complications of diabetes, alcohol poisoning, go into a alcohol-related coma or even die from alcohol poisoning or from a alcohol-related traffic accident. Knowing the signs of alcoholism can avoid these severe and often deadly consequences of drinking alcohol.

]]> http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/alcoholism/how-could-knowing-the-signs-of-alcoholism-save-your-life/feed/ 0 Distinguishing the Signs and Symptoms of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/alcoholism/distinguishing-the-signs-and-symptoms-of-alcoholism-and-alcohol-abuse/ http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/alcoholism/distinguishing-the-signs-and-symptoms-of-alcoholism-and-alcohol-abuse/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:32:00 +0000 admin http://www.bodipedia.com/conditions-disease/alcoholism/distinguishing-the-signs-and-symptoms-of-alcoholism-and-alcohol-abuse/ There is certain social acceptance when it comes to the signs and symptoms of alcoholism or alcohol abuse. There is a certain expectation of alcohol use especially around the holidays. Take those same symptoms and signs and apply them to the consequences such as fatalities from drunk driving or a infant suffering from the impact of mom’s alcoholism during pregnancy that may lead to brain damage and mental retardation and it becomes evident that what may be acceptable at a holiday party, even amusing can be deadly and devastating to families all over the world. It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of alcoholism and alcohol abuse for what they are and for the serious consequences attached to them.

Alcoholism carries with it a widespread and costly addiction that causes individuals of all age groups, sexes and races to abuse alcohol and to become dependent on alcohol. The act of regular social drinking can lead to alcohol abuse and to the seriously chronic disease, alcoholism.

Individuals who have a physical addiction or dependence to the drug alcohol may very well have the disease, alcoholism. If they crave alcohol to the point that they become irritable and distraught when alcohol is not available and if they are denied alcohol or alcohol becomes unavailable to them and they exhibit signs of withdrawal such as nausea, sweating or tremors they very well could have the disease alcoholism.

It is not always easy to detect the signs or symptoms of alcohol abuse (drinking alcohol to excess but being in control of how much has been consumed) or the signs that a person is suffering from alcoholism but a professional medical doctor can diagnose the alcohol problem (abuse or alcoholism) by examining the individual taking a medical and symptom history and by using an assessment tool called the "CAGE test". There are four short questions that are designed to help professionals detect alcohol abuse or alcoholism. If the individual answers yes to any of the four questions indicates the need for further investigation. The CAGE test and other assessment tools are available on the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) site.

Signs and symptoms that may offer a clue that the individual may have an alcohol abuse or alcoholism issue are:

Cravings for alcohol

The need to drink alcohol at particular times like after dinner

Loss of control over the amount consumed or the ability to stop drinking

The body and brain have developed a dependence on the drug, alcohol evidenced by the presence of withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, anxiety about alcohol discovery, tremors, irritability, sweating, even seizures

If you notice these signs and symptoms in yourself or someone else and you suspect that the individual is not able to control how much they drink it is important to encourage the individual to seek professional guidance so that a diagnosis and treatment can be initiated. Doing so just may save the life of that person or someone you love because alcohol abuse and alcoholism touches many lives many of them innocent.

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