What harm does alcohol do to health. Can alcohol cause allergies?

The most common form of drug addiction is alcoholism.

Man began to produce and consume alcoholic beverages many centuries before our era. Probably, already in primitive society, in order to achieve intoxication, they used fermented fruits, honey. With the development of agriculture and viticulture, the production of wines has spread widely. Numerous historical studies show that wine was widespread among the most diverse peoples of antiquity. In ancient China, for example, alcoholic beverages were made from rice, in India - from millet, rice or barley, in Iran - from hemp. The Scythians received an intoxicating drink from mare's milk. The Egyptians were the first to learn how to brew beer. IN Ancient Greece And Ancient Rome in honor of the grape harvest, festivities were organized - bacchanalia (Bacchus - the god of winemaking), accompanied by revelry and drunken orgies, the name of which became a household word.

Alcoholic drinks quickly won numerous adherents because of their ability to change the mental state of a person, especially mood, causing a variety of pleasant sensations, usually erroneous, i.e. illusions. After taking alcohol, health improves, longing and sadness are weakened, carelessness and fun appear. Timid - becomes bold, silent - talkative, etc. The environment is perceived in a distorted light, the voice of reason is muffled, a person ceases to be himself, very often his behavior becomes asocial. But all this does not last long, soon there is weakness in the whole body, weakness, drowsiness, depressed mood.

The concept of alcoholism

To date, there is no generally accepted definition of alcoholism. In everyday life, the term "alcoholism" means excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and is synonymous with the concept of drunkenness. According to the WHO, “alcoholism is any form of alcohol consumption that exceeds the traditional, socially accepted “food” norm or goes beyond the social habits of a given society.”

According to the definition adopted in medicine, “alcoholism is a disease determined by a pathological craving for alcoholic beverages (i.e., there is a mental and physical addiction), the development of an abstinence syndrome upon cessation of alcohol consumption, and in advanced cases, a violation of the internal organs, the nervous system and mental degradation.

The term "chronic alcoholism" is more commonly used. alcoholic disease"). It can be said that alcoholism - This is a set of pathological changes that occur in the body under the influence of prolonged immoderate alcohol consumption.

Alcoholism and drunkenness different stages alcohol abuse. Most often when we are talking about the abuse of alcohol, they mean drunkenness. Drunkenness, in turn, is the cause of alcoholism.

Classification of consumption of alcoholic beverages

Depending on consumption alcoholic beverages the following groups of lindens are distinguished (according to Yu. P. Lisitsyn):

• non-alcoholic drinkers (convinced teetotalers);
• consuming alcoholic beverages rarely (on holidays and family celebrations), on average no more than once a month, in small quantities(several glasses of wine or strong alcoholic drinks);
• moderately drinking alcoholic beverages (1-3 times a month, but not more than 1 time per week), in small quantities in cases socially justified (holidays, family traditions, meeting with friends), do not allow antisocial actions;
• alcohol abusers, which include: a) drunkards - drinking alcohol often, several times a week, in large quantities, the reason for drinking has no social explanations ("for the company", "for no reason", "wanted and drank", etc.); etc.), alcoholic beverages are drunk in random places, in a state of alcohol intoxication behavior is disturbed (conflicts in the family, absence from work, violation of the rules of public order), sometimes there may be an uncontrollable craving for alcohol; persons with initial signs of alcoholism (mental dependence on alcohol intake, loss of control over the amount of alcohol consumed, increased tolerance to alcohol); b) persons with pronounced signs of alcoholism, when physical dependence on alcohol, hangover syndrome (withdrawal syndrome) and other symptoms up to serious mental disorders (alcoholic psychosis) join mental dependence.

Alcohol myths

The spread of alcoholism is facilitated by the so-called alcohol myths, i.e. illusory representations that justify the use of alcohol.

Myth one: alcoholics are those who drink cheap drinks every day (but this is not so, because the forms of alcoholism are different).

Myth two: drunkenness is unpleasant for others, but in general it is not very dangerous for health (this is also not true, since alcohol is a risk factor for diseases of the liver and organs of the cardiovascular system, pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer stomach, psychological and biochemical dependence is formed, intellectual and mental degradation sets in).

Myth three: only those who have an innate tendency to become alcoholics become alcoholics (but this is not at all necessary, since cases of the development of alcoholism in children of non-drinking parents are known).

Myth four: without alcohol it is impossible to celebrate any events of human life, etc.

Causes of alcoholism

Along with alcohol myths, the following reasons are important, usually acting simultaneously:

biological: in 30-40% of cases, alcoholism develops due to hereditary predisposition. If one of the parents is an alcoholic, then the probability of developing chronic alcoholism in children is 50%, if both parents are alcoholics, then the probability is 75%;

psychological: personality type largely determines addiction to alcohol. People who are weak-willed and lack initiative are more often subject to alcoholism. Psychogenic trauma often leads to alcoholism, when a person cannot cope with trouble and finds solace in escaping from reality by drinking alcohol; social: following the traditions that have developed in the family and the surrounding society, low cultural level (including the lack of a culture of drinking alcohol), lack of leisure, awareness of the hopelessness of one's social position, the inability to change anything in one's life;

socio-economic: the sale of alcoholic beverages generates multi-billion dollar revenues in all countries (in our country, income from the sale of alcoholic beverages constitutes a significant part of the state budget).

Consequences of alcoholism

The consequences of alcoholism can be:

medical: alcohol leads to damage to such organs as the liver (5th place among other causes of death), the central nervous system (CNS) (alcoholic encephalopathy, alcoholic psychosis, polyneuritis, etc.); the risk of acute myocardial infarction, acute cerebrovascular accident increases, against the background of alcohol abuse progresses pulmonary tuberculosis, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis; parental alcoholism leads to the birth of unhealthy offspring with birth defects and diseases, an increase in infant mortality, etc.;

social: alcoholism leads to an increase in crime, an increase in morbidity, disability, mortality, i.e., to a decrease in health indicators of the population, an increase in injuries;

socio-economic: a decrease in working capacity as a result of the effect of alcohol abuse on health leads to material and economic damage to society, a decrease in labor productivity, etc.

Measures to combat drunkenness and alcoholism

As experience has shown, prohibitive measures in the fight against alcoholism are ineffective. The organization of the fight against drunkenness and alcoholism should be based on the principles of persuasion, the formation of a healthy lifestyle, overcoming alcohol myths, the activities of the media and sobriety societies, etc.

Measures to prevent drunkenness and alcoholism should be divided into specific and non-specific (indirect). Specific prevention implies measures directly aimed at reducing alcohol consumption: public opinion formation, health education, limiting the time for the sale of alcoholic beverages, the age limit for the sale of alcoholic beverages, administrative measures (fines, deprivation of additional holidays, bonuses, etc.).

Measures of indirect prevention indirectly affect the reduction of alcohol consumption. These include attitudes towards the formation of a healthy lifestyle, raising the level of well-being and culture, education, etc.

Stages of development of alcoholism

Most people who begin to try and then consume alcohol and drugs go through a series of stages that coincide with each other and reflect the complexity of the development of alcoholism (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. The development of alcoholism

Stage of acquaintance with alcohol

At this stage of their introduction to alcohol, teenagers often begin to try alcohol (in the company of peers, at home, etc.) in order to cheer themselves up. Negative reaction of the body: feeling unwell, headaches, nausea, vomiting, i.e. negative experience, can wean from alcohol. However, for those who have experienced pleasure after drinking, the desire to continue drinking increases, and they move on to the next stage of drinking - the stage regular use alcohol.

Stages of regular use

Teenagers who drink alcohol regularly are people who drink in the company. A certain degree of self-control is present in an adult, but most adolescents get drunk drunk (various physiological disorders and changes in behavior no longer cause them concern). Prolonged use accompanies the transition to the third stage.

Obsession stage (persistent thoughts about drinking)

The third stage is the presence of obsessive thoughts about alcohol. During the dating and regular drinking stages, adolescents drink to experience the pleasurable sensations they associate with drinking. But at the third stage, a teenager begins to drink in order to eliminate or muffle unpleasant sensations, negative emotions. At this stage, adolescents begin to lose control of themselves, they develop physical endurance to alcohol (and at the same time physical dependence). This
the main warning sign that an addiction to alcohol and, possibly, alcoholism is developing.

Physical Demand Stage (Chemically Dependent)

The fourth stage is the chemically determined need or alcohol addiction. characteristic feature this stage are the loss of self-control, prolonged binges. The main driving motive at this stage is self-treatment. The behavior of an alcoholic has a number characteristic features:tolerance - more and more alcohol is required to achieve the same effect; withdrawal syndrome - the appearance of painful symptoms that develop when a person does not drink; drug addiction behavior, - behavior changes dramatically when an alcoholic is deprived of the object of his passion; drinking becomes more important than everything else in life; there is a degradation of personality.

Alcohol use and effects

Alcohol - ethyl alcohol (ethanol, chemical formula C 2 H 5 OH) is a colorless volatile liquid, highly flammable and with a characteristic odor and burning taste.

Short-term effects of alcohol:

• slow reaction to external stimuli;
• slow reflexes;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• decreased sharpness of thinking;
• memory impairment;
• vomit; blurred look;
• increased risk of accidents;
• staggering when walking or standing still;
• loss of consciousness.

Consequences of long-term alcohol exposure:

• alcoholism disease;
• memory lapses;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• dysfunction of the brain;
• violation of the nervous system;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• disruption of work digestive system and other systems;
• reduction in life expectancy;
• coma;
• death (as a result of accidents, from excess alcohol).

The alcohol molecule is small and easily absorbed into the blood. Absorption begins already in the oral mucosa, about 20% is absorbed by the gastric mucosa, and the bulk of alcohol is absorbed in the small intestine. Ethanol easily penetrates the cell membranes of all tissues, but its concentration is directly dependent on the water content in them. Therefore, for example, the concentration of alcohol in brain tissue is 1.5-2 times higher than in other tissues. Its concentration is also quite high in the liver, since it actively absorbs and neutralizes any substances in the blood in concentrations exceeding the norm.

After a single injection, ethanol is oxidized at a constant rate of 85-100 mg/kg per hour. With its frequent use, the rate of oxidation increases as a result of an increase in the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase, which is the reason for the increase in tolerance in the first stage of alcoholism.

Alcohol refers to substances that have a harmful effect on almost all systems of the human body. It is clear that its action is especially dangerous for a growing, not yet formed organism: it inhibits growth, delays the development of mental and sexual functions and muscles, affects the appearance of a person, etc. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the sensitivity of a growing organism to alcohol is much higher than that of an adult, so sometimes even 100 g of wine is enough to make him very intoxicated. A persistent addiction to alcohol - alcoholism - develops in a teenager 5-10 times faster than in an adult. If we take into account the irreversibility of the changes that occur in the human body during alcoholism, this means that a teenager who has become an alcoholic remains an inferior person in terms of health for almost the rest of his life. He can still return to normal work, family or social activities, but he will no longer be able to fully realize the opportunities allotted to him by nature.

The effect of alcohol on the central nervous system is determined primarily by the fact that when it is used it is in her cells that it enters in the first place. This is due to the property of alcohol to dissolve fats well, the content of which in the shell of the nerve cell is higher than in any other, and exceeds 60%. Having penetrated inside the neuron, alcohol lingers here, because its cytoplasm contains a lot of water. Actually, in the described features of the effect of alcohol on the central nervous system, its attractiveness for a person lies: after drinking, it quickly causes excitation of the nervous system, and a person has a feeling of lightness and fun. However, as the concentration of alcohol in nerve cell and, accordingly, excitation, it gradually turns into the so-called transcendental inhibition. It is very important that, first of all, those parts of the brain that control behavior, a person’s relationship with other people, and criticality in relation to their own behavior fall into it. As a result of turning off these centers in a state of intoxication, a person becomes talkative, aggressive, and to himself he seems extremely intelligent and witty, strong and courageous. It is no accident, therefore, that many crimes and dangerous acts that threaten the life and health of both this person and the people around him are committed while intoxicated.

Unfortunately, it is the ability of alcohol to cause extreme inhibition that makes people often resort to its use when any life problems arise (conflicts, unrealized opportunities, unrequited love, etc.), when instead of trying to resolve them in practice, a person tries to get away from these problems. problems. It seems to him that he achieves this goal through the use of alcohol. Ethanol causes a rapid inhibition of the dominant centers of the central nervous system - and "no problem", the person becomes well and easily. But problems remain, and then he wants to return again and again to this blissful state, where there is an illusion of their absence. However, this does not take into account several important and dangerous consequences this behavior:

• problems still do not disappear, but accumulate and grow more and more;
• any alcohol intake is accompanied by the destruction of brain cells, which, as you know, are not restored;
• a person loses time that could be used to solve the issues facing him;
• more and more alcohol is required to achieve intoxication;
• the more and longer he consumes alcohol, the more his body suffers.

But this is only the first phase of intoxication. As it develops, inhibition captures ever deeper formations of the brain. Therefore, at first speech becomes less and less controlled, memory is disturbed, coordination of movements is upset. Gradually, inhibition can also cover those nerve centers that are responsible for the most important functions of the body, which can disrupt the regulation of body temperature (for this reason, drunk people often freeze in cold weather), breathing (up to its stop) and heart activity.

Table. Diseases and physiological disorders in drinkers

Diseases
Hypertonic disease
Cholelithiasis
genitourinary system
Nasopharyngeal bacteria (pneumonia)
Childless alcoholics
Oligophrenics (children)
Epilepsy
Violation of the mammary glands (no milk)
Decreased sperm count in drinkers 2-4 or more times a month
Decreased sperm motility in drinkers 2-4 or more times a month
Decline in women's life expectancy
Decreased life expectancy for men

IN reproductive system human alcohol destroys both proteins, which form the basis of the structure of the gonads, and fats, which are the most important part of sex hormones. Moreover, penetrating into the male germ cells, alcohol causes damage to their genetic apparatus, and if such a spermatozoon fertilizes the egg, then the child may be born handicapped, with various physical and mental defects, mental underdevelopment. Now it is known for sure that mentally retarded, with physical deformities, children can be born from healthy parents, whose only fault was the conception that occurred while one or both parents were intoxicated.

French scientists, using a large statistical material, proved that a large number of stillborns were conceived during the carnival period, and even the term “carnival children”, “Sunday children” appeared. In Bulgaria, it was found that 15 stillborns and 8 freaks were born from 23 chronic alcoholics.

Of particular note is that alcohol often leads to a weakening of sexual function in men, especially young men. As a result, a person is deprived of the opportunity to have a strong family, offspring.

Liver a person performs many important functions. One of them is the destruction and removal from the body of harmful substances that have entered or formed in it. One of these substances is alcohol. Its destruction and excretion from the body (with urine, sweat, feces, through the respiratory system) takes at least a day to a week, although the breakdown products of alcohol can remain in the body (especially in the brain) up to a month. Throughout this period, the liver is "fighting" with alcohol. If it is used regularly, then gradually this vital organ begins to break down, and cirrhosis of the liver develops, in which the production of this bile is disrupted, and the role of the liver as a “security guard” of the body is first reduced, and then perverted in such a way that even useful for substances can become hazardous to the body. It has been proven that cirrhosis of the liver develops not only from strong alcoholic beverages, but also from the regular use of weak ones, including beer.

Lungs, providing gas exchange between the body and the environment, after taking alcohol, they begin to play a protective role and remove it from the body, which manifests itself in bad smell coming from the mouth of a drunk person. They continue to play such a role during the entire period while alcohol or its decay products remain in the body, i.e. for at least a few days. As a result, there is a breakdown of the delicate lung tissue, and the possibility respiratory system gradually decrease more and more.

Digestive system A person under the influence of alcohol also experiences significant adverse changes. Alcohol itself causes the destruction of the gastric mucosa and disrupts the production of digestive juices by it. Under its action, it is difficult for the body to assimilate many important substances such as vitamins and proteins. Gradually, gastritis develops, and then a stomach ulcer, metabolism is disturbed, aging processes go faster and the body's capabilities decrease.

Significant changes under the influence of alcohol occur in musculoskeletal system due to a violation of the body's absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for building its actively growing bones; as a result, growth slows down.

It is clear that alcohol consumption is incompatible with physical education and sports. This is due not only to the changes that occur in all body systems and are described above, but also to disorders directly in the muscular system, so that the performance of the muscles and the degree of their tension (tone) fall. In addition, the rate of recovery of the body after physical exertion decreases, so the athlete has to disrupt his training process and reduce the load, which does not allow him to achieve high sports results.

Many people have made alcohol a part of their lives, sincerely believing that this is the only way to relax, cheer up and have a good time. But only a few conscious people know that alcohol is a kind of drug that, penetrating the body, adversely affects the work of all vital organs and systems, which is why it is necessary to realize the seriousness of the situation and exclude the systematic consumption of alcohol in time.

Each person must fully understand what the use of alcohol is fraught with, then, perhaps, the desire to drink will immediately disappear. If we consider the moral and ethical side, then in a state of intoxication a person loses the ability to control his own actions, movements and speech, thereby, committing insane acts, becomes a victim of accidents. In addition, alcohol consumption disrupts the process of personal growth, but at the same time, the process of complete degradation spontaneously proceeds.

Significant harm to health

Use ethyl alcohol in unlimited quantities also harms human health, often causing a threat to life. Such a chemical compound is especially dangerous for the heart, lungs, liver, digestive and nervous systems. In addition, it aggravates the course of diseases already existing in the body and contributes to the spread of mental and mental disorders.

Indeed, the activity of ethanol can lead to a complete imbalance, but first of all, the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Weakened muscles, diabetes, blood clots in the vessels, a shrunken brain, an enlarged liver, diseased kidneys, depression, impotence, stomach ulcers - all these are constant diagnoses of eternal alcoholics, and most of These pathological phenomena can no longer be completely cured.

The liver suffers greatly from drinking alcohol, since tissue damage leads to serious pathologies in its work. Liver cirrhosis develops, alcoholic hepatitis is present, and diagnoses such as bacterial peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal cavity with possible bleeding) and ascites (accumulation of excess fluid in the abdominal cavity) are also possible. It is also possible that violations hormonal background, as a result of which the sad consequences for the body become irreversible.

The behavior of alcohol in the human body

The initial portions of ethyl alcohol, after penetrating the gastrointestinal tract, rapidly expand the vessels, provoking an accelerated release of gastric juice. However, an increase in the doses drunk leads to more global anomalies: there is a delay in the release of juice, as a result of which the food stays in the stomach not for 2, but for 10 or more hours, while starting to decompose intensively. This is the reason for the attacks of nausea and vomiting, unpleasant belching and pulling pain in the pit of the stomach.

Constant use excessive amount alcohol:

• harmful to the heart, lungs, liver, digestive and nervous systems;
• complicates the course of existing diseases;
• exacerbates mental and mental disorders;
• leads to accidents. (In the emergency department of any hospital, you can see that many people get there as a result of accidents caused by intoxication.)

Harm to the heart and lungs

Alcohol abuse causes heart disease and increases the risk of lung disease. Alcoholics are particularly susceptible to:

• arrhythmias;
• chronic lung diseases;
• hypertension;
• tuberculosis;
• inflammation of the lungs.

Harm to the liver

Alcohol abuse can cause:

• alcoholic hepatitis - a type of inflammation of the liver;
• cirrhosis, or destruction of liver cells;
• fatty liver, in which its cells are filled with fat.

Harm to digestion

Alcohol abuse is the cause of many diseases of the digestive system, including:

• gastritis;
• esophageal carcinoma;
• inflammation of the pancreas;
• varicose veins of the esophagus, i.e. dilation of veins in the esophagus, which can cause bleeding and lead to death;
• stomach ulcer and bleeding in the digestive tract; I'm bad digestibility nutrients.

Harm to the nervous system

Long-term alcohol abuse can lead to:

• alcohol hallucinations;
• alcoholic delirium (delirium tremens, delirium tremens), which causes hallucinations, trembling, sweating, fever, increased heart rate;
• Korsakov's syndrome - an irreversible deterioration in memory associated with a lack of thiamine (vitamin B,) due to alcohol abuse;
• convulsions (convulsions);
• bleeding in the meninges;
• Wernicke's encephalopathy, a type of brain degeneration caused by a lack of thiamine;
• beriberi - a disease caused by a lack of thiamine, leading to paralysis, exhaustion, indigestion, edema and heart failure.

Mental and mental disorders

Long-term alcohol use is associated with:

• depression
• lack of motivation;
• failures in work and social life;
• drug abuse;
• suicides.

Other complications

Alcohol abuse can cause:

• low blood sugar;
• leg ulcers;
• inflammation of the prostate;
• congenital alcohol syndrome (in children of alcoholics), which causes growth retardation, mental retardation and facial deformities;
• life-threatening drug interactions, even those sold without a prescription.

Unhealthy drinks

Human health is harmed not only by vodka, but also by wine, beer, even in relatively small doses. The content of ethanol in such drinks causes memory impairment, lethargy, decreased physical strength, slowness of movement, as well as shortness of breath, emotions disappear, mental and volitional abilities decrease. This effect in the body persists for several hours, in addition, alcohol addiction occurs from these drinks.

Harm of alcohol for expectant mothers

Drinking alcohol, even in small quantities, during pregnancy significantly increases the chance of a pathological birth, and babies are born premature, underweight, with defects in internal organs and external deformities. Such pathologies, caused by the presence of alcohol syndrome, can hardly be cured, which is why expectant mothers should every time think about the health of their baby if they want to drink alcohol.

In short: Even in small amounts, alcohol harms the liver, brain, and other organs. It can cause allergies and provoke an attack of an existing disease. Alcohol is incompatible with certain medications. Need to know possible risks when drinking alcohol and try to minimize them by observing your norm.

How alcohol damages the liver

The main blow is taken by the liver, because it processes 90% of the alcohol that enters the body. At the same time, the liver also needs to perform about a dozen other vital functions, any of which can be disrupted due to excessive drinking.

Alcohol and its decay products have a toxic effect on liver cells, destroying their membrane. In addition, bile flow is disturbed, and most bile acids are capable of destroying liver cells. Also, the human immune system begins to accept dilapidated cells as foreign and destroy them with special zeal - thus, drinking starts the mechanism of self-destruction of the liver. You can read more about the work of the liver and how to protect it in the article "Hepatoprotectors", dedicated to the benefits of drugs for the liver and their diversity.

Does drinking harm the pancreas?

Stagnation of bile in the liver leads to complications from the pancreas. From this, harmful microorganisms multiply in the intestines, and a large amount of toxic bile acids enters the blood from the intestines.

Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to pancreatic disease - pancreatitis. In combination with a heavy snack, pancreatic necrosis can also be earned - an extremely painful and dangerous condition. To learn how to restore the pancreas after drinking, and how you can protect it in advance, read the special article “Pancreas and alcohol. Alcohol in pancreatitis. Also read the article “Alcohol and the gut” to find out how to maintain bowel function before and after drinking, what to do with intestinal upset during a hangover and after binge, as well as many other interesting and useful information about this theme.

What damage can alcohol do to the brain and psyche

When an erection gets better after drinking, and when it gets worse

How alcohol harms the heart and blood vessels

There is such a disease as cardiomyopathy - a disease of the heart muscle leading to heart failure. It is not treated, the disease can only be slowed down, but not cured. From frequent drinking, a variation of this disease occurs, which is called “alcoholic cardiomyopathy”.

Also, the ability of alcohol, being in the aquatic environment, to dissolve fats, ultimately causes an increased deposition of fat at the organ level in the periods between intensive intakes of alcoholic beverages, which leads to the formation of such pathological conditions as fatty degeneration of the liver and fatty degeneration of the heart (myocardium).

The cardio school for doctors also points to hypertension (arterial hypertension). Studies led by scientists Pearce and Furdberg (Pearce K.A., Furberg C.D., 1994) showed that alcohol consumption itself is a risk factor for developing hypertension. Starting at a dose of 60 ml of pure alcohol per day, arterial pressure increases in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol. And, again, the more you drink, the worse the consequences.

About what to do if the pressure jumped after drinking, and also look at this diagram:

How other organs suffer from alcohol

Also, because of drunkenness, the kidneys, stomach, lungs, and retina of the eye suffer (in the retina, ethanol reduces the sensitivity of light pigments, as well as trophism from the optic nerve; moreover, the retina begins to suffer first, with the smallest doses alcohol). However, the effect of alcohol on these organs is reversible, and in order to damage these organs precisely with alcohol, you need to drink a lot and very often - more than 170 grams of pure ethanol weekly.

If you are especially concerned about the condition of your heart, or kidneys, or pancreas, or anything else, read the advice of a toxicologist in the article “How to restore the body after alcohol”, and you will learn how to improve your health with a hangover and how to prevent damage. problem organs next time.

How harmful is alcohol to children?

It is extremely undesirable for children and adolescents to drink alcohol. The use of alcoholic beverages before the growth of the organs and tissues of a young person stops can adversely affect his physical development.

At the same time, the age here is a fuzzy indicator, since the growth and development rates are individual for each: someone can grow up to 25 years old, and someone stops at 16 (this can be determined from x-rays of articular cartilage). About how to bring up the right attitude towards alcohol in a child and how heredity plays a role here,. Also read the article “ Why Children and Teenagers Shouldn’t Drink Alcohol” to find out if children can drink kvass and non-alcoholic beer, if it’s possible to rub a child with vodka for a cold, as well as answers to other questions of concern to parents.

Can alcohol cause allergies?

IN Lately more and more people are allergic to alcohol. An allergic reaction to a drink can range from mild and local (eg rash) to deadly (bronchospasm syndrome, Quincke's edema).

To be precise, it is not alcohol itself that causes an allergic reaction, because an allergy can only be to protein, but it happens that everything starts with alcoholic beverages.

Undesirable reactions can be caused by impurities and additives that are present in the composition of wine, beer, cognac, liquor. “Pure” alcoholic drinks (vodka or diluted alcohol) can also cause allergies, but for a different reason: alcohol increases the percentage of toxins and underdigested proteins from the intestines entering the bloodstream, and these are classic allergens.

For more information about the causes and symptoms of alcohol allergy, as well as what to do when it appears, read the article "". About alcoholic beverages that most often cause allergies, and about the most harmless drinks for allergy sufferers, as well as anti-hangover drugs and hepatoprotectors with which allergy sufferers should be more careful, read the article "Alcohol for Allergies". For information on how to recognize an allergic reaction and what to do about it, see this illustration:

Does alcohol interfere with the action of drugs?

If you have taken any medication and are about to drink alcohol, first check the package leaflet for your medication to rule out the following:

• the medicine is incompatible with alcohol and gives very serious side effects, even deadly;
• the medicine is poorly compatible with alcohol. For example, the damage to the body that alcohol usually causes can be significantly increased due to the drug. Or vice versa, alcohol will increase the risk of unwanted side effects medicines;
• even if the combination of medicine and alcohol does not bring special harm, then in the presence of alcohol, the drug may not show its useful properties, that is, you can remain without treatment.

Other options are also possible. For more details, read the articles:

How drinking and chronic disease are related

Drinking can contribute to the development of chronic diseases, and here's why:

1. alcohol can provoke an acute attack of an already existing chronic disease;
2. it also happens that a state that has not manifested itself for the first time worries a person precisely during a feast.

After drinking alcohol, complications from:

• liver;
• kidneys;
• pancreas;
• gastrointestinal tract;
• respiratory organs;
• hearts;
• and other vital organs.

For information on how to distinguish a real threat to life from standard hangover symptoms, and in which cases urgent medical attention is needed, read the article “When to call an ambulance for a hangover.”

Why should alcoholics have their mercury levels checked?

Those who regularly and for many years drink beer or strong alcohol from grain alcohol, doctors recommend monitoring the level of mercury in the body. These drinks are made from cereals, and to grow them, mercury-containing pesticides are often used to control pests and plant diseases. Pesticides are also used in the cultivation of other cereals, so pesticide residues enter our body also with bread and porridge. Non-drinking people will not be harmed by them, but mercury is easily restored from these low-active compounds with the help of biogenic amines, aldehydes and ketones, the content of which in the blood of alcoholics is always increased.

For the same reason, it is better for drinkers not to lean on sea fish and seafood, as well as river fish, which hunts near the coast (for example, pike). In marine coastal areas and in shallow rivers, more mercury accumulates in fish. And if mercury accumulates in the human body because of this, such a development of events threatens with mercury poisoning.

Can alcohol cause cancer

The World Health Organization notes that the main risk factors for cancer worldwide are alcohol and tobacco use, not healthy eating and lack of physical activity. People who drink regularly have a markedly increased risk of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract. For example, 22% all cancer oral cavity in men (and 9% - in women) are caused by alcohol, that is, in these cases, a sober lifestyle would help to avoid the disease.

The results of several Japanese studies have shown that people who consumed alcohol in a dose equivalent to 100 g pure alcohol (in terms of vodka, this is 316 ml) per day, the risk of developing esophageal cancer increases with 11.71 times compared to people who have never consumed alcohol.

The risk of developing cancer is directly related to the amount of alcohol consumed. The risk of developing certain types of cancer (eg, mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus) in people who drink heavily is significantly increased if they are also heavy smokers.

Drinking can contribute to the development of cancer not only directly, but also indirectly. For example, alcohol can cause hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), and hepatitis in some cases leads to liver cancer. In women who abuse alcohol, the level of estrogen in the blood rises, as a result of which the risk of breast cancer increases.

Is it bad to not drink at all?

Read about the chemistry that goes into alcohol and how beer makers can cheat to make the drink cheaper in an interview with food chemist Sergey Belkov

Paradoxically, being a total teetotaler may not be as undeniably beneficial as it might seem. Texas researchers observed more than 1,500 people over 20 years and concluded that non-drinkers, on average, die earlier than drinkers. Perhaps this is due to the fact that most people who do not drink are obviously unhealthy people who are afraid to drink.

Perhaps lifestyle plays a role, as drinkers often have more friends and lower stress levels. In any case, remember: at the table you need to know and observe your measure, because the harm from excessive drinking very quickly and irrevocably outweighs all its possible benefits.

The article has been updated in last time: 2018-10-31

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Nowadays, any doctor can tell you what the harm of alcohol to the human body is. The Ministry of Health regularly warns everyone, but it does it so quietly that almost no one hears it. The problem is really serious, because today not only men, but also women, and even schoolchildren are addicted to alcohol. In a gathering of young people, it is difficult to find a person without a bottle of beer or a can of some other low-alcohol drink in their hands. Perhaps if people thought more about what they were doing, they would be able to maintain their health. What is the harm of alcohol? The photos in our article will help you figure it out.

What harm does alcohol do to the human body?

Everyone knows that alcohol is the most powerful blow to the brain. In connection with the emerging intoxication, oxygen access to neurons is impaired. The death of brain cells that occurs as a result of prolonged use of alcoholic beverages leads to alcoholic dementia.

The abuse of strong drinks has irreversible consequences, such as depression of brain function. Autopsies of deceased alcoholics showed significant depletion of this organ and obvious degenerative changes in its cells.

But the harm of alcohol affects not only the brain, but also many others. internal organs person.

Heart

Alcohol affects the heart muscle, which can lead not only to serious illness, but also to death. In patients who have even a short history of alcoholism, the volume of the heart may increase, which is noticeable during an x-ray examination. Heart rhythm disturbance can be observed even in healthy person who drank large dose alcohol. Alcohol abuse often causes heart attacks, and also contributes to the development and progression of ischemia and hypertension.

Respiratory system

In people who suffer from the first stage of alcoholism, there is an increase in breathing, as well as an increase in its minute volume. During the development of alcoholism, the breathing process may be difficult. In addition, various diseases may appear: tracheobronchitis, chronic bronchitis, tuberculosis, emphysema, and others.

Stomach

Liver

The liver is another organ that is regularly remembered by all people who drink alcohol. She is the "chemical laboratory" of the body, performing an antitoxic function. Alcohol renders Negative influence on the liver, under its action there is a violation of the functioning of this organ. In hospitals and clinics, you can often find pictures on the posters about the dangers of alcohol. And they often depict the liver of a person who abuses alcohol - ugly, pathologically altered, terrible.

Therefore, even with occasional alcohol consumption, it is necessary to protect liver cells by taking hepatoprotectors. For example, Legalon, an original drug based on milk thistle extract with the highest bioavailability among analogues and high content the active component of silymarin, which strengthens the membranes, stimulates the work of liver cells, and prevents the penetration of toxic substances into it. In addition to the protective effect, the remedy relieves inflammation and stimulates the regeneration of liver cells.

kidneys

Most people with alcoholism also have impaired kidney function. Harmful alcoholic drinks act on the epithelial tissue of these organs, which leads to disruption of the genitourinary system.

Nervous system

Alcoholism has a detrimental effect on the nervous system. With this disease, mental abnormalities and various disorders occur. For example, an alcoholic is often accompanied by numbness of some parts of the body, weakness of the limbs, disorientation, hallucinations. Paralysis of certain muscle groups is also considered a common occurrence. These symptoms may disappear if you stop drinking alcohol.

Immunity

Also one of the main, but little-known factors is the effect of alcohol on immune system. With regular abuse of strong drinks, immunity is significantly weakened, which contributes to the development of various infectious diseases, as well as allergic reactions. In such subtle moments, the harm of alcohol is very often hidden. The photo in this article clearly demonstrates what alcohol abuse can lead to.

sexual dysfunction

Every third man who abuses alcohol has a reduced sexual function. And against the background of “alcoholic impotence”, representatives of the strong half of humanity can experience various kinds of depression and neuroses. As for women, due to alcohol abuse, their reproductive function decreases, severe toxicosis is observed during pregnancy, and menopause occurs much earlier than in a healthy woman.

Muscles, bones, skin

Consistent drinking can lead to wasted, damaged, and weakened muscles. The pictures about the dangers of alcohol, which were already mentioned above, also demonstrate the danger of the disease for the musculoskeletal system. They do not bypass their attention and the consequences that overtake the skin. Damage to the skin occurs both due to the direct effects of alcohol, and due to impaired liver function.

Alcohol abuse leads to disability and premature aging. According to statistics, people suffering from alcoholism live 15-20 years less than healthy people.

About the dangers of alcohol for teenagers

Teenagers should generally avoid drinking alcohol. Hot drinks are able to slowly kill the already strengthened body of an adult. The body of a teenager is not fully formed, so he is more vulnerable. During this period, a restructuring of all organ systems occurs. And if you suddenly strike with alcohol at this unstable moment, the harm of alcohol will become even more terrible and noticeable. For example, in addition to the fact that the liver has not yet had time to get stronger, at this age it also has a high throughput. Therefore, liver disease can develop literally after drinking a few grams of alcohol.

It is not so important what type of alcohol a teenager consumes, because beer, wine, and vodka equally harm the body, resulting in damage to the brain, liver, nervous system And Airways. You should explain to children in advance about the dangers of alcohol, so even the first 100 g of alcohol can lead to the development of addiction.

With regular drinking of alcoholic beverages, adolescents may experience various malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract. Alcohol renders negative impact on the stomach, while there are changes in the properties and quantity of gastric juice, as well as a violation of the pancreas, and this can lead to both pancreatitis and diabetes. Teenagers may argue that beer is a fairly light alcoholic drink. Yes, it is, but at the same time it is a strong diuretic. Therefore, with its regular use, minerals and nutrients are washed out of the child's body. The loss of such irreplaceable compounds and trace elements in the future may be irreplaceable.

Various low-alcohol drinks, in addition to alcohol itself, contain a lot of other harmful substances, such as caffeine, dyes, sugar. Therefore, teenagers should be told in advance about the dangers of alcohol. Instructive lectures are often held for schoolchildren. This is a mandatory and correct tactic for teachers, as it can stop at least some teenagers.

Harm of alcohol for women

Everyone knows that it is easier for a woman to move from the stage of “moderate drinking” to the stage of “neglected alcoholism”. Therefore, alcoholic beverages are no less terrible for the beautiful half of humanity. If we talk about the dangers of alcohol for adolescents in more detail, you need to make a significant bias towards girls and women. It should be remembered that any young girl is future mother. It is not known when this happy period in her life will come, but at the same time, you should not ruin your health before the desire to have a baby comes. How does alcohol affect a woman's health? To answer this question, you do not need to think long, just to the consequences male alcoholism It is worth adding the likelihood of the birth of a disabled baby. The fact is that the male seed tends to be updated every few months, and the female eggs are not capable of this. A woman has a certain number of ready-made germ cells, some of which are destroyed by alcohol, hence unhealthy children are taken, as well as infertility and various other diseases.

How do other drugs harm the human body?

If a person is a regular intravenous drug user, the average life expectancy will be approximately 6 to 8 years. Harm of drugs and alcohol human body approximately the same. They bring with them heart disease, pathology of the brain and the liver itself, because it is the first one that cannot withstand the load. Very often people die from accidents while under the influence of drugs.

One of the most common causes of both alcohol and drug use is thirst. thrill. Thus, people relieve stress, forget about problems, in a word, run away from a boring life. But it should be borne in mind that at the end of the drug effect, a state of apathy, depression and hopelessness sets in.

The benefits of alcohol

People who advocate a healthy lifestyle often state that the harm of alcohol to the human body is devastating. Scientists who have conducted research on this topic refute the opinion of "teetotalers". The researchers were able to prove that in small doses alcohol is still useful, but only if alcoholic drink is of good quality. According to them, alcohol positive action on the mental state and acts as a prophylactic for many diseases.

The harm and benefits of alcohol are the concepts of measure. Therefore, it is very important to draw the right conclusions.

So acceptable daily allowance no more than 20 grams of pure alcohol can be considered. If we translate this rate into a traditional alcoholic drink, we get approximately 0.5 liters of beer or 50 ml of wine. The amount of vodka turns out to be so small that it makes no sense to even count, because this alcoholic drink is not consumed in such doses.

In our country, it is not customary to drink alcohol every day, albeit in small doses. Therefore, it would be logical to count the alcohol that can be consumed per week. That is, multiplying 7 days by 20 grams, you get 140 grams. This is the weekly rate of alcohol for the body. In terms of an alcoholic drink, it turns out 350 grams of strong alcohol, such as vodka or cognac, 3 liters of beer or one liter of wine. This is the amount of alcohol that is considered acceptable for a healthy adult.

It is believed that wine causes minimal harm health. Alcohol of this type is often consumed in preventive purposes. Wine is indeed the most harmless alcoholic drink, but only if it is of high quality, made from natural grapes, and of course, if consumed in reasonable doses.

Many wine drinks can actually be harmful. But often this is not associated with alcohol, it all lies in various chemical additives. It can be said that in many shop wines both the harm and the benefits of alcohol are embodied. Therefore, you need to use only high-quality drinks and in small quantities. It should be borne in mind that this applies not only to wine, but also to any other types of alcohol.

With the help of alcoholic beverages, diseases such as hypertension, angina pectoris, various diseases can be prevented. colds, lymphoma, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, kidney tumor, stroke, heart attack, stress.

Today, any medical specialist knows perfectly well how scary it is. the harm of alcohol. Yes, the Ministry of Health regularly warns. The truth is not too loud - purely for the sake of form. Meanwhile, the damage is really inflicted simply terrible. After all, today alcohol is abused not only by adult men, but also by women, and even teenagers. Already the rule good manners began to appear in company with a bottle of beer, a can of Jaguar, or just a slight smell of fumes. The people are really degrading with the full connivance of the government and the Ministry of Health. But many of these people would decisively give up alcohol if they knew more more about the dangers of alcohol. This is exactly what you can learn from this article.

The harm of alcohol on the human body

Alcohol deals a terrible blow to the entire human body. The liver, heart, brain, reproductive system - all this receives a severe blow when drinking alcohol. But you have to start in order.
How exactly does alcohol affect a person? What causes pleasant relaxation? Why do all problems recede, is it enough to drink just a couple of glasses of vodka or cognac? Is there any the harm of alcohol or is it just a scam?
As you know, alcohol is an excellent solvent. To check, take a glass of alcohol and put a piece of fat in it for the night and see for yourself in the morning. So, when vodka, cognac, wine or another drink containing alcohol enters the human stomach, part of it enters the bloodstream. As a result, red blood cells involved in the transport of oxygen in the human body lose their fatty lubrication - it simply dissolves. Usually, she allows them to slip past each other, successfully fulfilling their function. But when the fatty lubrication is lost, the cells no longer slip past on contact, but stick together. When 6-10 red blood cells join together, something vaguely resembling a bunch of grapes is obtained. Of course, in an artery or vein, this "bunch" will easily pass. But when it enters the capillaries, through which red blood cells enter the neurons of the brain, difficulties begin. The capillary is sized to allow only one red blood cell to pass through. What happens when a bunch gets there? That's right, the capillary is clogged. The neuron does not receive oxygen and dies. When neurons die in tens and hundreds of thousands of people and you feel a sense of relaxation, all problems fade into the background. But is this relaxation worth it? With this example, it becomes clear what alcohol damage to the brain.

This is how glued erythrocytes look like (such gluing clogs a capillary, the size of which is slightly larger than the erythrocyte itself) - The harm of alcohol to the brain

Alcohol contributes to blockage of blood vessels and this leads to the formation of aneurysms (a defect in the vessel wall, which bulges under blood pressure and blood enters the substance of the brain, this is how a hemorrhagic stroke is formed. Mortality from hemorrhagic stroke is 70-80%, those who survive can hardly be called people - these are plants that are not capable of cognitive functions and self-service) - the harm of alcohol to the brain

No less terrible blow is applied to the rest of the body. The same well-known cirrhosis of the liver occurs precisely because of the increased consumption of alcohol. And besides, about six hundred thousand people a year in Russia die from diseases associated with the use of alcohol. And simply, drinking alcohol shortens a person's life by an average of 5-15 years, depending on the characteristics of the human body and the intensity of use. So you should seriously think about what is better, drink vodka for a snack with friends with or without, or live an extra 10 years without suffering from numerous diseases in the last years of your life.

Harm of alcohol (video)

The harm of alcohol on the body of a teenager

Even more scary the dangers of alcohol for teenagers. As mentioned above, alcohol effectively kills the body of an adult, strong person. What can we say about teenagers, whose body did not have time to get stronger. It is in adolescence that the body is most vulnerable - the restructuring of the child's body into the body of an adult is in full swing. And at that moment, a terrible blow is dealt to him. Of course, in this case the harm of alcohol becomes even more noticeable and scary. For example, the liver at this age has a higher carrying capacity, and besides, its structure has not had time to get stronger. As a result, liver disease can be caused by a few grams of alcohol. In general, alcohol, whether it be vodka, wine or beer, strikes at the entire child's body - the liver, nervous system, brain, respiratory tract, reduced immunity and the rapid transformation into a drunken alcoholic - this is the lot of children to whom parents in childhood were unable to access explain what is scary any alcohol. So think seriously - is it so small the dangers of alcohol for teenagers, as is commonly believed, or is it worth taking certain steps today to give your child a healthy and happy life?

Harm of alcohol for the liver (video)

Video about the dangers of alcohol (Prof. Efimov V.A. gives a lecture for the Federal Security Service of St. Petersburg 2003.02.25)

Harm of alcohol for women

You can talk for hours about harm of alcohol for men. But alcohol has an even more terrible effect on a woman's body. It is widely known that women move from the stage of "moderate drinkers" to the clan of alcoholics much faster. But even that is not the worst harm of alcohol. In fact harm of alcohol for women lies in something else. Still, almost any healthy woman is a future mother. Sooner or later, maternal instincts wake up in her. But often they wake up too late and the young woman already manages to make so many mistakes that she will have to regret them for the rest of her life.
Here it is necessary to tell in more detail about the mechanism of the effect of alcohol on the human body. How does it affect women? To understand this one must take harm of alcohol for men and add to it a high probability of having children with disabilities.
Indeed, alcohol, entering the body of a woman, is carried by the blood to all organs. The blow is applied to the brain, liver and other vital organs, as mentioned above. But besides, alcohol gets into reproductive system. And this is where the fundamental differences begin. If a man's seed is renewed in a few months, then a woman receives a supply of eggs for life. And getting alcohol into this supply will certainly damage at least some of them. Indeed, a strange statement causes considerable surprise - a sick child was born due to the fact that a woman drank a decent dose of alcohol twenty years before his birth. Mystic? Nonsense? Stupidity? Alas, medical fact. Just alcohol mutilated the cell, which matured and was fertilized decades later. So if we're talking about harm of alcohol for women, this side of harm should be remembered first of all.

How to Avoid the Harm of Alcohol

Of course, every person reading this article has a question - how can you avoid or at least reduce the dangers of alcohol for humans? The answer here is surprisingly simple - give up alcohol. Whole, forever and right now. To some this will seem wild and incredible - how can you refuse beer, vodka and wine? However, thousands of people in our country and millions of people around the world live completely without touching alcohol. And they live, it should be noted, much longer and happier.
To understand this, one must evaluate the dangers of alcohol in numbers. How does alcohol reward its faithful adherents? Only 30 grams of alcohol per day (two glasses of vodka or one and a half bottles of beer) give a person a sure cirrhosis of the liver. A third of this portion is enough for women. The risk of a heart attack increases by 45 percent. Damage to the coronary vessels - by 48 percent. Fatal heart attack - by 37 percent. So is it worth drinking these two glasses, paying for it with years of life?
If that's not enough for you, it's worth digging a little history. The harm of alcohol statistics surprisingly clearly demonstrates. Surprisingly, two indicators coincide exactly - the number of suicides per 100 thousand people and the amount of alcohol consumed. In addition, the increase in alcohol consumption in the country is accompanied by a surge in criminal activity. Of course, the number of patients dying from dozens of diseases associated with the effects of alcohol on the human body is also increasing.
Many people are interested the dangers of alcohol and beer. Alas, in the minds of most people, beer is not associated with alcohol - it's just a cooling drink. But it's not. It also contains a lot of alcohol, and since beer is consumed not in glasses, but in bottles, the effect on the body is really terrible. And here it is not only alcohol itself that is terrible, but also fusel oils, but also the hormone estrogen contained in hops. It is because of him that many men lose their willpower, blur, acquire a beer belly.
Certainly, alcohol harm and potency are also inextricably linked. More precisely - the harm of alcohol to human health and impotence. Of course, oversaturation male body female hormone reduces sexual activity and attraction to the opposite sex. Therefore, it is not surprising that many experienced alcoholics also suffer from the problem of impotence. Or do they not suffer? Indeed, most of them don't care anymore. They don't think about such things. They are only interested in one thing - where to get a drink. Do you want such a life? Or do you think that the dangers of alcohol for humans not worth the dubious pleasure it brings?