Alcoholism as a health risk factor. Chronic alcoholism - a disease or a bad habit? Psychological risk factors for alcoholism

Alcoholics come in all kinds and forms. Most of the time people think of alcoholics they mean homeless, but in reality the percentage of homeless alcoholics is quite small. Any member of society can be an alcoholic. However, those people who are concerned about their predisposition may simply stop drinking alcohol to completely eliminate the risk, or turn to professionals who specialize in the treatment of alcoholism.

Here is a list of nine factors that increase your risk of alcoholism:

1. Heavy drinking.

People who abstain from alcohol are not at risk of becoming alcoholics. The Institute of Public Health recommends not to exceed the amount of alcohol consumed per day: for women - 1 glass, for men - 2.

2. Weak reaction to alcohol.

Research has shown that people who have a weak reaction to alcohol drink more alcohol than those who get drunk right away.

3. Drinking alcohol at an early age.

The sooner you start drinking, the more likely you are to become an alcoholic. Teens who start drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are about 50% more likely to become alcoholics than those who wait 18.

4. The presence of psychological problems.

Mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, depression or other disorder, significantly increases the risk of developing alcoholism and other addictions.

5. Bullying or childhood trauma.

Numerous studies show that a high percentage of alcoholic and drug addicts are among those who experienced negative experiences in early childhood. Injuries can be physical, emotional, or sexual.

6. Free access to alcohol.

People living in an environment that discourages alcohol consumption or prohibits the sale of alcohol will minimize the risk of developing alcoholism.

7. The presence of an alcoholic in the family.

A person who has an alcoholic in the family is susceptible to the development of alcoholism. Women are less susceptible to this family tendency, but if at least one of the parents suffered from alcoholism, the risk of developing the disease increases.

8. Be a man.

Men suffer from alcoholism 2 times more often than women.

9. Personal characteristics:

low tolerance for frustration;
a tendency towards aggression or difficulty with impulsive control;
the need for an excessive amount of praise;
feeling of self-doubt;
excessive perfectionism.

First of all, one should, apparently, pay attention to the fact that the adverse effects associated with alcohol intake occur even with a single use of the smallest doses of alcoholic beverages - these are the pharmacological properties of alcohol that cause intoxication.

Typical picture drunkenness varies significantly depending on the size of the dose and a number of related factors (purity, the presence of impurities, fusel oils, etc.). So, with a mild degree of alcoholic intoxication, in some cases, a person's condition is accompanied by a decrease in mood, a desire for solitude, irritability, in others, there is a desire to communicate with others - the latter, by the way, depends not only on the physiology and state of the individual, but also on the composition of the alcohol contained in the drink. It is important that the state of light intoxication causes a significant change in the emotional background that is familiar to a particular person.

Behavior also changes - speech, as a rule, becomes too loud, accentuated, and movements - sharp, impulsive, with a significant violation of coordination. Thinking speeds up, but it becomes more superficial and less logical. The well-known liveliness of thinking in an intoxicated person is associated precisely with the acceleration of associative processes - but this phenomenon is by no means normal, since the quality of thinking decreases, most often superficial associations and primitivization of feelings are noted.

Actually, a change in behavior occurs as a result of shifts in the emotional background, in the processes of thinking - of course, it becomes less thoughtful, more reflective. An intoxicated person perceives his surroundings with less criticism, the possibility of his real assessment is reduced - already in a state of light alcoholic intoxication, there is a risk of unpredictable emotional and behavioral reactions of a drunk person, fraught with conflicts with others, or actions that pose a threat to himself - his health.

As a rule, in a state of light alcoholic intoxication, a person has a slight reddening, and less often - blanching of the skin, an increase in his pulse, often increased appetite, libido. All this indicates disinhibition under the influence of alcohol of the subcortical cerebral centers due to the suppression of inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex.

More significant doses of alcoholic beverages cause the onset of an average degree of intoxication - the depressing effect of alcohol begins to prevail and spread to the subcortical centers of the brain. At the same time, human behavior also changes significantly - an elevated mood, often characteristic of a mild degree of intoxication, is often replaced by long-term, transient, or short-term states of irritability, picky, discontent with others, resentment. Due to the lack of control over their own emotions, the experiences of the drunkard can easily be realized in actions directed against others. This usually happens without much thought on his part. With a sufficiently pronounced state of intoxication, a person not only loses the ability to realistically assess the surrounding reality, but also his place in it, relationships with the environment - his actions become dangerous for the intoxicated person and for the people around him.

Such manifestations of an average degree of alcoholic intoxication indicate a deeper suppression of the cerebral cortex and a parallel growing process of suppression of the subcortical centers of the brain. The intoxicated person's speech becomes indistinct, blurred - articulation is disturbed - like “porridge in the mouth”. fuzziness of actions becomes noticeable. The coordinated work of antagonist muscles is disturbed, and uncertainty, unsteadiness of gait in a state of intoxication is aggravated by a disorder in the function of the vestibular apparatus, which regulates the state of balance.

Perception of the environment is significantly hampered. So, for example, the threshold of auditory and visual perception increases: only strong sounds “reach” the intoxicated person, he sees mostly more illuminated objects, although some inadequacy of the reaction may take place in this case as well. Disorders of the ability to correctly assess time, distance, speed are noted.

A moderate degree of intoxication is usually followed by deep sleep. Upon waking up, a person usually experiences a number of unpleasant bodily and mental sensations - weakness, weakness, lethargy, apathy, lack of appetite, dry mouth, increased thirst and, as a rule, a decrease in mood, collectively called hangover. Performance after a pronounced state of alcoholic intoxication is significantly reduced.

Let's consider what effect the so-called small doses of alcohol have on the human body, and most importantly, what are the consequences of their use.
Remarkable are the results of special experiments to study the effect of small doses of alcohol on non-drinkers, on changes in mental and physiological functions. For example, in the relevant experiments it was found that the intake of 30 g of alcohol reduced the effectiveness of mental work in the subjects by 12-26%, moreover, such a deterioration was noted in the next 1-2 days. Even the smallest doses of alcohol lead to a significant deterioration in the quality of attention, and with the adoption of 30 g the number of gaps in reading the text increased 15 times, other errors - 2 times.

Comparison of the objective indicators of mental performance and subjective sensations made it possible to establish that the intake of small doses (15-30 g) of alcohol by healthy subjects subjectively leads to a feeling of an increase in performance, while objective indicators indicate a decrease in concentration of attention, a deterioration in mental abilities, and the quality of inferences. We are talking about the natural deterioration of the process of thinking, primarily creative.

The influence of alcohol on creative processes can be illustrated as follows: One of the chess masters experienced the effect of alcohol on himself specially, as an experiment, in two sessions of simultaneous play on 15 boards. In the control session, he was absolutely sober, he won 10 games and drew 5 games. In the experimental one, after taking 75 g of brandy, he won only 5 games, 8 drew, and 2 lost with the same composition of playing opponents.

This conclusion is confirmed by a variety of experiments, in which a number of specific regularities were revealed. For example, in one of the experiments, the subjects were given small doses of alcohol (from 7 to 60 g) in order to study changes in the speed of associative processes and other indicators of thinking - reading, adding single-digit numbers - against the background of their influence. It turned out that although the reactions in many cases were timely and even somewhat faster, they were much more frequent than normal - without the influence of alcohol, but the probability of error increased significantly. Even a slight decrease in the reaction time after taking small doses of alcohol is achieved precisely by reducing the quality and correctness of the actions performed.

The results of these studies made it possible to reveal the following pattern: there is no zone of positive influence of alcohol on any aspect of mental activity - on the contrary, the negative effect of even the smallest doses of alcohol increases as the nature of the work becomes more complicated, and the negative effect of their intake is the higher, the more creative work is in nature. Small doses of alcohol have a greater negative effect on the results of creatively active work than on the performance of simple mechanical actions.

The negative effect of small doses of alcohol, the harm of alcohol, on the processes of attention and creative activity in general is manifested not only during the period of intoxication: they have a pronounced aftereffect.
And yet, many are convinced that small doses of alcohol "stimulate" mental functions, increase mental performance. Why is this happening? Because, as a rule, people subjectively note an increase in their working capacity - although this is not confirmed by any experimental data.

Small doses of alcohol have a negative effect not only on memory, attention, thinking, creative process in general, but also to fulfill simple actions, on the process of coordination of movements, perception and orientation. Just one glass of beer drunk (and depending on the type of beer it contains from 1 to 30 g of ethanol) noticeably slows down the speed of thinking. and the speed of motor reactions. Records of brain biocurrents at this time show significant deviations from the norm.

After ingestion of 7.5-10 g of alcohol, there is a short acceleration of movement - along with this shortening of the time of the motor reaction, the quality, accuracy and proportionality of movements decrease.

Alcohol also has a negative effect on various types of perception - it has been established that it normally takes 0.19 seconds to perceive auditory and visual sensations. After taking 60-100 g of alcohol by healthy, non-drinking people, the perception time increases to 0.297 seconds, that is, 1.5 times, taking even small doses of alcohol slows down the perception of pain stimuli. On average, after taking 60 g of alcohol, the time of perception of pain sensations increases almost 2 times.

Reception by non-drinkers of even small doses of alcoholic beverages significantly reduces their quality, accuracy, coordination of movements, increases the time of motor reactions and the time of perception of various stimuli. The severity of such manifestations is associated with the amount of alcohol consumed, its concentration in the blood.

There are some relationships between the concentration of alcohol in the blood and the nature of changes in various physiological reactions and behavior of a person under the influence of alcohol.

for example, when the concentration of ethanol in the blood is 0.21-0.4 g / l, a person has a lack of coordination of movements. The simplest finger-nose test (with your eyes closed, you need to touch the tip of your nose with your finger) is performed by him with an error, the threshold of pain sensitivity rises.

With a blood alcohol concentration of 0. 41-0. 6 g / l. there is a significant deterioration in visual perception. For example, individual flickers cease to be distinguished and are perceived by a person as a constant source of light.

Blood alcohol concentration equal to 0.61-0. 8 g / l. changes the binocularity of vision and, accordingly, the spatial orientation. At the same blood alcohol concentration, postural instability occurs in a fixed position, for example, if the heels are moved together, the arms are extended forward, the head is slightly tilted back and the eyes are closed. If the concentration of alcohol in the blood rises to 1.01-1.5 g / h. violations of coordination of all movements become very pronounced - the subject, for example, cannot bend down without losing stability, cannot immediately pick up a coin from the floor without making erroneous movements. All types of perception - auditory, visual, pain - are significantly slowed down.

With a concentration of alcohol in the blood. reaching 2.01-3.0 g / l, a person completely forgets the entire period of intoxication, does not control his behavior. At a concentration of 3.01-5.0 g / l of alcohol in the blood, acute alcohol poisoning develops, accompanied by unconsciousness and threatening with paralysis of the respiratory center, leading to death.

When studying the time of choice and decision-making by special psychophysiological methods, it is shown. that under normal conditions a healthy non-drinking person needs 100-150 milliseconds for an adequate response, organization of an executive command and its transmission to the motor centers of the brain - after taking 60 g of vodka, this period is approximately doubled. Disorders in the central link, combining perception and motor reactions into a single mechanism nervous systemlead to an increase in the decision-making time. Any creative process consists of a series of successively changing labor actions, operations, each time requiring the adoption of one or another decision - the loss of hundreds of milliseconds on each of them negatively affects the overall volume and quality of the work performed.

The considered features of the effect of small doses of alcohol indicate that their use is incompatible with work in conditions modern production - especially in cases where it is necessary to make immediate thoughtful decisions, high concentration and stability of attention, quick orientation in changing working conditions. In addition to the intoxicating effect, there is almost always a toxic effect determined by the presence of so-called fusel oils in alcohol-containing products.

Existing industrial technologies for the production of alcoholic beverages prepared from ethyl alcohol provide for such a degree of purification at which the content of fusel oils in the drink is minimal. however, it is impossible to completely get rid of fusel oils in industrial mastab. With home-made products obtained by distillation, the situation is even more depressing - the content of fusel oils reaches 1.5% due to the impossibility of a more complete purification in the vast majority of cases. Therefore, moonshine gives a more pronounced toxic effect than the same factory-made spirits.

How does alcohol affect a person?
The most important property of ethyl alcohol is, first of all, that it has the ability to be rapidly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, absorption actually begins in the oral cavity. This period after drinking alcohol lasts for 1.5 - 2 hours, including the time it spreads in the organs and tissues of the human body. Then comes the period of elimination of alcohol and its metabolic products from the body - the elimination phase - when taken on an empty stomach, the highest concentration of alcohol in the blood appears after 15-20 minutes, and gradually 90-92% of the dose is completely oxidized in the body, turning into the final product - water, carbon dioxide gas, and acidic products of ethanol oxidation.

Alcohol oxidation begins immediately after drinking it and reaches its highest intensity in the first 5-6 hours, then decreases in the next 6-16 hours, the final oxidation process can last up to 2 weeks at a dose of 50-100 g. Approximately 90% of alcohol taken is oxidized in liver under the influence of an enzyme - alcohol dehydrogenase, the remaining 10% of the dose is oxidized with the participation of other enzyme systems and is excreted from the body with exhaled air, sweat and urine. In the first hours after ingestion, the concentration of alcohol in the blood exceeds its concentration in the urine, after 2.5 - 3 hours the opposite relationship is observed, in the later stages of oxidation alcohol may already be absent in the blood, but still in the urine.

The ability of alcohol to be quickly absorbed into the blood determines its effect on almost all organs, because they are permeated and surrounded by a whole network of blood vessels - the penetration of alcohol into certain organs or tissues is the greater, the more abundant the blood flow to them. The blood supply to the brain is 16 times higher than that of the muscles of the extremities - the saturation of the brain with alcohol is much faster than the muscles, however, the rate of ethanol elimination from the brain and cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord lags behind that of other organs and tissues - the concentration in the brain tissue is higher and lasts longer than in blood.

Thus, first of all, the nervous system reacts to the intake of alcoholic beverages - this selectivity of the effect on the cells of the nervous system is due to the fact that the so-called lipids contained in them in large volumes are easily combined with alcohol. Alcohol getting into nerve cells, reduces their reactivity, while the activity of the cells of the cerebral cortex is disrupted, and then its action spreads to the cells of the subcortical centers and the spinal cord. With a single and rare use of alcoholic beverages, these violations are still reversible, while systematic ones lead to persistent and sometimes irreversible dysfunctions of nerve cells, to their structural degeneration and death. Due to the suppression of the inhibition processes in the nerve cells of the cortex, the disinhibition of the subcortical centers of the brain occurs - this is precisely what explains the state of excitement so typical for the picture of alcohol intoxication.

Alcohol intake, acting on the nervous system and disrupting its functions, causes a chain reaction of changes in the activity of other body systems, which, according to the principle of feedback, in turn, indirectly aggravate the initially arisen adverse consequences.

Let us explain this with a number of examples. Alcohol intake, acting through the central nervous system, indirectly stimulates increased secretion of gastric juice - however, despite the increased amount of juice secreted by the stomach wall, it contains significantly less digestive enzymes than normal, its digestive ability is somewhat lower in total than before impact.

Acting on the subcortical centers of the deep structures of the brain, alcohol affects the functioning of the vasomotor center of the medulla oblongata, which regulates, in particular, the superficial vessels of the skin - after taking alcohol, the expansion of these vessels is subjectively perceived by a drunk person as a feeling of warmth. This is the origin of the common misconception that alcohol has a warming effect - in fact, the effect is the opposite - the expansion of the skin vessels leads only to increased heat transfer from the body.

The stronger the intoxication and, therefore, the stronger the toxic effect of alcohol, the higher the heat transfer and, therefore, the faster the body temperature begins to drop. Such a discrepancy between the subjective perception of the feeling of warmth in a drunk person and the objectively occurring increased heat transfer from the body can lead to tragic consequences: in cold and frosty conditions, you can imperceptibly fall asleep and freeze - which, in other things, very often occurs.

Alcohol very quickly enters the mammary glands. So, for example, after a nursing mother has taken 50 g of strong alcoholic beverages, the alcohol content in milk reaches 2.5 ° / o, and in an infant after feeding, the blood alcohol content is 0.1. For the fragile nervous system of a newborn, this concentration of alcohol is more than enough to cause irreparable damage to it.

Entering the body, unchanged alcohol is excreted by breathing, with saliva and mainly through the kidneys. Filtered from the blood through the renal tubules, alcohol not only irritates them, but also enhances the secretion of many substances valuable and necessary for the normal functioning of the body - primarily the electrolytes of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, which in itself has serious consequences for the body. So, with a lack of magnesium in the body, irritability, trembling of hands, body, convulsions are noted, blood pressure rises, excess sodium leads to a delay and accumulation of fluid in the body, and a lack of potassium adversely affects cardiac activity. Alcohol intake also shifts the acid-base balance of the blood towards acidity, which leads to an increase in the consumption of ascorbic acid, a decrease in the supply of vitamin B1 both in the blood and in the brain.

Alcohol inhibits the activity of enzymes that provide muscle contraction, changes the energy balance, reduces the oxidation of fatty acids, inhibits protein synthesis and disrupts calcium metabolism in muscle fibers. All this changes the strength of muscle contraction and energy costs and contributes to the onset of muscle fatigue, disrupts the metabolism of lactic acid and inhibits its release. With one degree or another of renal failure, the content of toxins in the blood increases sharply, and the risk of uremia increases.

The use, and even more the abuse of alcoholic beverages, affecting the functions of the central nervous system, indirectly lead to disorders of all basic types of metabolism - protein, carbohydrate, fat. It is characteristic that in this case specific disorders take place in the functioning of the body systems, such as the cardiovascular, nervous, excretory, immune, endocrine and individual organs.

With regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, an intermediate product of alcohol oxidation (acetaldehyde) can lead to the formation of specific substances such as morphine, thus contributing to the formation of an addiction similar to drug addiction - a painful craving for alcohol that underlies chronic alcoholism.

Patients suffering from chronic alcoholism often complain of recurrent pain in the heart region - this is associated with specific changes in the heart muscle in most patients. Under the influence of alcohol, the heart muscle is reborn, the altered walls of the heart lose their elasticity, become flabby and cannot withstand the pressure of the blood: the heart increases in size, its cavities expand. thus, the efficiency of the heart muscle gradually decreases, blood circulation is disturbed. palpitations appear, shortness of breath, cough, general weakness, edema, circulatory disorders contribute to the onset of chronic ischemic heart disease. Small vessels expand, the skin becomes bluish-purple on the face. with chronic alcohol intoxication, the walls of blood vessels change, which leads to sclerosis of the vessels of the heart and brain. Violations of cardiac activity and blood circulation are also caused by an increase in blood pressure, which is so frequent in patients with alcoholism, hypertensive crises that threaten cerebral hemorrhage and subsequent paralysis of varying severity.

Alcohol abuse also leads to inflammatory changes in the kidneys, impaired mineral metabolism, and the formation of stones. The liver is especially often affected, which increases in volume, fat is deposited in its cells, liver tissue is gradually reborn.

Pain, heaviness in the right hypochondrium, nausea testifies to liver damage in a patient with alcoholism - developing hepatitis can later turn into even more serious disease, most often ending in the death of the patient from cirrhosis of the liver - chronic alcoholism is often its cause.

The irritating effect of alcoholic beverages on the mucous membranes and the consequences of intensive smoking cause frequent inflammatory processes in the pharynx, often with damage to the vocal cords. In patients with alcoholism, as a rule, a hoarse and rough voice, cancer of the larynx is often observed, congestion develops in the lungs due to circulatory disorders, and the elasticity of the lung tissue is significantly reduced. Such people more often than non-drinkers suffer from chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema.

Systematic alcohol abuse not only greatly facilitates the infection with tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, but also significantly aggravates their course - primarily due to a sharp weakening of the body's defenses due to drunkenness. These are diseases of people who do not follow the rules of personal hygiene, abuse alcohol. Infection with sexually transmitted diseases in 9 cases out of 10 occurs in a state of intoxication.

With systematic drunkenness and alcoholism, pronounced changes occur not only in the central, but also in the peripheral nervous system. Many patients experience discomfort in the tips of the fingers and toes, a feeling of numbness and tingling in them. With prolonged alcohol abuse, paralysis of the limbs can develop. Inflammatory changes in the intercostal, sciatic and other nerves lead to serious consequences - neuralgia, neuritis, accompanied by constant pain, restriction of movement. The drinker becomes practically disabled.

All this leads to an increased sensitivity to colds and infectious diseases, which occur in patients, moreover, is much more severe than in non-drinkers, with severe and lingering complications. The severity and severity of the disease internal organs and the nervous system show a direct dependence on the duration of alcoholism, the stage and rate of the course of alcoholism. The development of violations begins already at the earliest stages of alcohol abuse, and their frequency and severity increase with the intensity, duration of alcohol abuse and the severity of chronic alcoholism.

It is known that in patients with stage III alcoholism 1.9 times more often than in stage II, there are diseases of internal organs, and certain symptoms of damage to the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves are noted in almost all patients with alcoholism. The frequency of diseases caused by alcohol increases by 4 times already with a twofold increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. According to foreign researchers, people who abuse alcohol in 60% of cases have inflammation of the pancreas, 26-83 - cardiomyopathy, 15-20 - tuberculosis, 10-20% - gastritis and peptic ulcers of the stomach.

Alcoholism is a common cause of death of patients. The mortality rate of patients with alcoholism is almost 2 times higher than that of people who do not drink alcohol. Among the causes of mortality among the population, alcoholism and related diseases occupy third place, second only to diseases of the cardiovascular system and malignant tumors. Thus, alcoholism in itself serves as the direct cause of death or accelerates its onset: drunkards and alcoholics, as a rule, do not live to old age, dying at a working age, reduce their life expectancy by 10-12 years. Thus, domestic experts in forensic medicine believe that the fact of alcohol intoxication occurs in 2/3 of cases of violent and sudden death. At the same time, the connection between the frequency of such types of death and the severity of intoxication is quite clearly traced. The mildest manifestations of alcohol intoxication were noted in 6.4% of accidents, moderate and severe intoxication - in 20.2, and severe alcohol intoxication - in 45.9% of cases.

One of the direct causes of death of alcoholic patients is suicide committed while intoxicated or hungover. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 12-21% of alcoholics attempt suicide, and 2.8-8% commit suicide. But is not systematic drunkenness suicidal, leading to death as a result of illness and injury, because the sad contribution of alcohol to different kinds injury rate is very indicative.

Finally, drunkenness and alcoholism not only undermine the health of the drinker, but also disfigure the soul, his morality. Moral and ethical, intellectual degradation leads to the fact that a drunkard and a patient with alcoholism neglect the most elementary rules of sanitary and hygienic behavior known from childhood. And this is fraught with consequences not only for them, but also for those around them.

Thus, the severity of the consequences of the use, and even more so the abuse of alcoholic beverages for the drinker is always great. Their range is extensive: from a reduction in the life expectancy of a drinker, an increase in the risk of an accident or an attempt to commit suicide, as well as the formation of pronounced diseases of internal organs, leading to frequent temporary or complete disability, to pronounced personality changes, loss of professional skills, a decrease in the social status of patients ... The severity of such consequences is directly proportional to the age of the alcoholism disease, the degree of its severity in the sequence of stages of development.

At the same time, a number of people suffering from chronic alcoholism may have no signs of alcoholic damage to internal organs until a certain time.
95% of patients with alcoholism suffer from alcoholic gastritis. Gastritis is a lesion of the stomach lining. It is characterized by dysfunction of the stomach with manifestations such as pain, heaviness in the epigastric region, poor appetite, and bad breath. nausea, vomiting, stool disorder, weight loss. The secretion of the stomach can change in a variety of ways: from a significant increase to a sharp deterioration. Often, alcoholic gastritis precedes the development of an even more serious and dangerous disease, such as gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Alcoholic polyneuropathy, or, as it used to be called, polyneuritis is a kind of disease that develops in people who abuse alcohol for a long time. The name "poly" means plural, "neuritis" - inflammation of the nerves. Under the influence of chronic exposure to alcohol on peripheral nerves, their degeneration occurs. All organs, including muscles, act, as you know, by the "order" of the nervous system and under the influence of impulses that pass along the nerve fibers, and with polyneuritis these fibers undergo profound changes up to complete death. Accordingly, that part of the muscles and organs that was innervated by the affected nerves loses or sharply weakens its function. This disease is observed in about 1/3 of patients with alcoholism, mainly at its later stages.

Persons suffering from alcoholic polyneuritis have all sorts of unpleasant phenomena: "chills", numbness, tightening of muscles (especially of the lower extremities), all kinds of pain - pulling, burning, stabbing; there is a sharp weakness in the limbs - the legs become like cotton. Often there are seizures due to a spasm of a certain muscle group.

Everyone saw a special hammer in the hands of a neurologist. Everyone is familiar with the picture of how neuropathologists check tendon reflexes by tapping with a hammer at certain points where nerves come closer. Normally, under the influence of such blows, irritation of the nerve occurs, which leads to a contraction of the muscle group it innervates, and the leg shudders accordingly. In alcoholics, when tapping the same areas with a hammer, such muscle contractions do not occur, because the nerves feeding these muscle groups seem to be out of order, atrophied and do not conduct impulses.

A special place is occupied by sexual disorders in alcoholism, which are extremely complex. Basically, they are associated with the fact that under the influence of chronic alcohol intoxication, gross changes in the pituitary gland, adrenal glands and gonads occur. There is a sharp decrease in the activity of male hormones and their production drops sharply. On the other hand, general biological and microsocial conditions are of great importance in the emergence of sexual disorders: violation of marital relationships, changes in social and marital status, etc.

Life expectancy in the Russian Federation is extremely low in comparison with European countries. The difference in life expectancy between men and women is extremely high. A short life expectancy is ensured by high mortality from chronic non-communicable diseases.

Share your work on social media

If this work did not suit you at the bottom of the page there is a list of similar works. You can also use the search button

Theme: Alcohol as a risk factor for chronic noncommunicable diseases

Slide 2

Noncommunicable diseases, also known as chronic diseases, are not spread from person to person. They are long in duration and tend to progress slowly.

Slide 3

Slide 4

The overall mortality rate in 2010 was 14.2, which remains 1.3 times higher than in the “new” EU countries and 1.5 times higher than in the “old” EU countries. At the same time, attention is drawn to the fact that mortality in Russia in 1986 was lower than in the “new” countries of the European Union, and the same as in the “old” countries. The overall ratio was 10.5.

At the present time, the problem of high mortality in the Russian Federation from chronic diseases is urgent. Moreover, the mortality rate of the middle-aged working population is high, which causes significant economic damage.

So, persons under the age of 60 in the Russian Federation account for 39.7% of all deaths.

The total economic damage from diseases of the circulatory system alone is about 1 trillion. rub. in year.

Slide 5

The species life expectancy of a person is most likely calculated for 120-130 years

What determines the life span of a person? 60% is a person's lifestyle, 20% is ecology, 10% is genetics, and 10% is the level of medical care.

Slide 6

The concept of risk factors has become the scientific basis for the prevention of chronic diseases - the root causes of these diseases are unknown, but factors that contribute to their development and progression have been identified.

Disease risk factors are factors that increase the likelihood of a disease.

Slide 7

The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation provided data on the contribution of various risk factors to the mortality rate of the population of the Russian Federation. The contribution of alcohol is 11.9%, which is practically on par with low consumption of fruits and vegetables, obesity and low physical activity.

Slide 8

The peculiarities of the lifestyle of the inhabitants of the Russian Federation are characterized by the fact that such risk factors as alcohol, tobacco, unbalanced diet, excess nutrition are national problems. Thus, since 1990, the consumption of recorded alcohol has increased 1.8 times. In 2006, 2.3 million patients with alcoholism were registered, under the supervision of 0.5 million alcohol abusers.

Slide 9

The average per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Russian Federation in terms of absolute alcohol (liters of ethyl alcohol per year) in 2005-2007 was 16.2 liters per year per person.

WHO assesses the situation as dangerous with 8 liters of per capita alcohol consumption per year, with 12 liters the nation's gene pool changes, the nation begins to die out.

Slide 10

It has been established that the production of ethyl alcohol from food raw materials and the number of deaths in Russia are very closely interrelated.

Slide 11

Alcoholization of adolescents has taken on colossal proportions in Russia, it causes enormous damage both to themselves and to Russian society as a whole.

According to a nationwide survey of young people conducted by the Ministry of Education of Russia on a representative sample in 2002, 80.8% of adolescents and young people consume alcoholic beverages (including beer). The share of those who consume alcoholic beverages (mainly beer) sharply increases at the age of 13-14.

IN modern Russia the percentage of young people who take low-alcohol drinks is extremely high: 33% are boys and 20% are girls.

Slide 12

Alcoholic drinks have been known for a very long time. Humanity has been familiar with wine and beer for at least five to seven thousand years, and exactly the same time - with the consequences of its use. Archaeologists find evidence that beer was already brewed 12 thousand years ago.

For thousands of years, there have been attempts to find an acceptable measure of drinking, and to justify their own drinking, and to completely ban alcohol.

Slide 13

Types of alcoholic drinks

Natural fermentation

Wine, beer, mead
- Red wines - pulp fermentation
- White wines - juice fermentation

Distillation products

Single entry
- Moonshine
Double
- Cognac, brandy, whiskey, tequila
Triple or continuous
- Vodka

Mixed

Fortified wines (sherry, port, madeira)
- Cocktails
- Mixtures of different alcoholic beverages

Slide 14

There are several cultures of drinking alcohol.

Wine cultures - frequent consumption

South of Europe, Mediterranean

Beer crops - frequent consumption

Central Europe

Vodka cultures - shock consumption

Northern Europe

Slide 15

"Northern" style of alcohol consumption - alcohol consumption mainly in the form of strong drinks (vodka, moonshine) in one-time large doses ("in one gulp", "in one spirit").

For countries with a northern style of alcohol consumption - Russia, (and in the recent past - Sweden), a severe alcoholic situation is typical, characterized by the prevalence of alcoholism among the population, high morbidity and mortality due to alcohol.

Slide 16

In the body for converting alcohol to vinegar (acetic acid) are responsible for two enzymes: alcoholic alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehydrogenase. The first is produced by the liver in large quantities. In the process of converting alcohol into acetic acid, an intermediate substance arises, for the cleavage of which a second enzyme is needed. This intermediate substance -acetaldehyde and it is very toxic. But here, too, nature saves us. The enzyme for the breakdown of acetaldehyde is present not only in the liver, but in all tissues of the body, and it quickly converts poisonous acetaldehyde into harmless acetic acid. As a result of the normal metabolic process, acetic acid is converted to carbon dioxide and water, releasing seven calories per gram of alcohol, which are consumed or stored in the body.

Slide 17

Alcohol is often used to "relax", to feel light and free. This is the origin of the greatest human delusion that alcoholic beverages are a kind of stimulant. However, in reality the opposite is true. The work of the human nervous system is based on two balanced processes: excitation and inhibition. Alcohol is a natural poison that affects the braking process. Therefore, it seems to a person who is "under degree" that he has overcome embarrassment and boring rationality, that now nothing prevents him from resting and having fun. But even with the smallest concentration of alcohol in the blood, its effect on the cerebral cortex is colossal. This manifests itself in the oppression of the centers responsible for controlling behavior. As a result, a person can no longer adequately assess his actions and does even what he would never have dared to do in a sober mind. As the concentration of alcohol in the body increases, the inhibitory processes are more and more inhibited.

In addition, suppression of the activity of numerous centers of the central nervous system leads to a decrease in sensitivity to pain - an analgesic effect.

Slide 18

In chronic intoxication, alcohol slows down the blood circulation in the vessels of the brain, leading to constant oxygen starvation of its cells, resulting in a weakening of memory and slow mental degradation. Early sclerotic changes develop in the vessels, and the risk of cerebral hemorrhage increases. Since the brain feeds on a wide circulatory network, the neurons begin to experience oxygen starvation. This manifests itself in the form of headaches, general lethargy of the body and the inability to stop paying attention to anything. Alcohol destroys the connections between the nerve cells of the brain, producing in them the need for alcohol and alcohol dependence.

If alcohol intoxication is regular, this leads to irreversible processes in the brain. If you look at the brain of an alcoholic, you can see pronounced physical changes in it: the convolutions become very thin, and the hemispheres gradually decrease in size. Unfortunately, these processes are irreversible, and even after prolonged abstinence from alcohol, the brain will not return to its original state, and nerve cells will not recover. Moreover, the systematic use of alcohol can be the root cause mental illness in future.

Slide 19

Alcohol and the digestive system

Considering that 95% of all alcohol entering the body is rendered harmless in the liver, it is clear that this organ suffers the most from alcohol: fatty liver disease (steatosis) occurs, then an inflammatory process (hepatitis), and then cicatricial degeneration (cirrhosis).

Stage one: fatty liver disease - steatosis

This disease develops in almost all alcohol lovers. Ethyl alcohol provokes the conversion of fatty acids into fats and their accumulation in the liver. With steatosis, a person sometimes has a heaviness in the abdomen, pain in the liver, weakness, nausea, loss of appetite, fatty foods are digested worse.

But often steatosis is asymptomatic, and the drinker does not realize that his liver is beginning to deteriorate. If you stop drinking alcohol altogether at this stage, liver function can recover completely.

Stage two: alcoholic hepatitis

If the effect of alcohol continues, an inflammatory process begins in the liver - hepatitis. The liver increases in size, and some of its cells die. The main symptoms alcoholic hepatitis - abdominal pain, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, nausea, chronic fatigue, fever and loss of appetite. In severe cases of alcoholic hepatitis, up to a quarter of alcohol lovers die. But for those who stopped drinking on time and started treatment, liver recovery is observed in 10-20% of cases.

Stage three: cirrhosis

If inflammatory processes in the liver continue for a long time, they lead to the appearance of scar tissue in it and a gradual loss of working functions. In the early stages of cirrhosis, a person will feel weak and tired, itching and redness, weight loss, insomnia and abdominal pain will appear. The advanced stage of cirrhosis is characterized by hair loss and the appearance of hemorrhages under the skin, edema, bloody vomiting and diarrhea, jaundice, weight loss and even mental disorders. Liver damage in cirrhosis is irreversible, and if they continue to develop, the person dies.

Death from cirrhosis is the main cause of death from the effects of alcohol consumption. But refusal from alcohol, even with cirrhosis that has begun to develop, will preserve the remaining healthy areas of the liver and prolong a person's life.

Slide 20

WHO World Health Report (2004):

the share of liver cirrhosis in the structure of mortality from diseases of the digestive system is 40%
cirrhosis of the liver - the ninth most common cause of death of the world's population
in Russia 37 426 people died from cirrhosis of the liver in 2002

Slide 21

The constant influence of alcohol on the wall of the small intestine leads to a change in the structure of cells, they lose their ability to fully absorb nutrients and mineral components, which ends with the depletion of the alcoholic's body. The drinker neglects food for the sake of drunkenness. There is a persistent inflammation of the stomach and later of the intestine with an increased risk of ulceration. Alcohol suppresses the production of mucin, which has a protective function against the gastric mucosa, which also leads to the onset of peptic ulcer disease.

Alcoholic patients are 10 times more likely to develop diabetes than non-drinkers: alcohol destroys the pancreas, the insulin-producing organ, and deeply distorts metabolism.

Slide 22

Alcohol and the cardiovascular system

Despite the fact that alcohol in small doses has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, alcohol abuse causes an increase in blood cholesterol levels, a persistent increase in blood pressure and myocardial wasting.

Slide 23

Alcohol inhibits the production of platelets, as well as white and red blood cells. Bottom line: anemia, infections, bleeding.

Slide 24

Alcohol and pregnancy

Alcohol consumption by a woman during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and, in the most severe cases, the development of fetal alcohol syndrome. This is the name of the fetal disease caused by intrauterine alcohol damage. This syndrome is characterized by specific facial abnormalities, lagging in physical and mental development, behavioral abnormalities, damage to the heart and other organs. For the development of fetal syndrome, it is necessary for a woman to drink 30 g of alcohol daily, but in some cases, this dose is reduced to 3-5 g / day

Slide 25

Alcoholism - what is it?

Slide 26

Alcoholism in the social sense - excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, leading to violations of norms of behavior in everyday life, society, in the field of work, and on a national scale - to significant damage to the health and well-being of the population, as well as economic losses

Alcoholism in the medical sense is a disease belonging to the group of substance abuse (addiction to ethyl alcohol).

Alcoholism is an irresistible (painful) craving for alcohol associated with mental and physical dependence on it and, as a consequence, with constant or periodic use of it, leading to mental and physical disorders, as well as personal changes, that is, signs inherent in progressive mental diseases.

Slide 27

The first stage of alcoholism

symptom of disappearance of vomiting in severe intoxication
loss of quantitative control, leading to the use of large doses of alcohol and severe and even severe intoxication
forgetting certain events that happened the day before, while drinking
the need for ever increasing doses of alcohol to achieve pronounced intoxication is a symptom of increased tolerance. The ability to frequent (up to several times a week and even over several days) consumption of alcohol in significant doses without aversion to it appears. This indicates a transition from episodic to systematic drunkenness.

The first stage of alcoholic substance abuse often lasts from 3 to 6 years

Slide 28

The second stage of alcoholism

Most patients begin to drink daily and drink for months.

Others have pseudo-binge binges lasting from 3 - 4 to 7 - 10 days or more with usually a short break. Interruptions are usually forced by family, work or financial circumstances, with the continued attraction to alcohol and the physical ability to continue drinking.

Besides:

the appearance of withdrawal symptoms with hangover
the patient drinks in a circle of random people or alone, secretly
acute alcohol intoxication is increasingly accompanied by irritability, picky, discontent, importunity, easily turning into anger with aggressive actions
increased mobility of the intoxicated and often a complete lack of drowsiness, sleep occurs only after additional alcohol intake
intoxication amnesia
the highest alcohol tolerance

The duration of the second stage of alcoholism ranges from 7-10 to 15-20 years.

Slide 29

The third stage of alcoholism

Decreased alcohol tolerance
Binges do not depend on situational factors, but arise against the background of a spontaneous change in physical or mental well-being
Weakness, weakness, vegetative-vascular disorders, reminiscent of a picture of withdrawal symptoms
depressive disorders

the patient is almost continuously in a state of severe intoxication.

the deterioration of the somatic state is increasing: severe weakness, sweating, drop in blood pressure, heart rhythm and breathing disorders, shortness of breath, anorexia, vomiting, weight loss;

neurological disorders: dizziness, impaired coordination of movements, speech impairment, tremors, decreased muscle tone, limb cramps.

Binge drinking lasts about a week; there may be seizures of the type of epilepsy.

Slide 30

Thus, alcohol has a negative effect on almost all the most important systems of the body, leading to the development of chronic non-infectious diseases.

Slide 31

Be healthy!

Other similar works that may interest you. Wshm\u003e
5845.		Poor nutrition as a risk factor for chronic non-communicable diseases	26.55 KB
	More than 36 million people die from NCDs worldwide every year, which is part of the population of Russia. Most worrisome is the fact that people of working age are dying.
20251.		The theoretical aspect of risk factors and occupational diseases	409.9 KB
	Causes factors are the symptoms of occupational diseases of medical workers. To assess the level of knowledge and skills of nurses in respect of personal safety in the workplace. To analyze the frequency and nature of diseases of nurses at the Stomax Dental Clinic. Causes factors symptoms of occupational diseases of medical workers Occupational safety of medical workers as a system for ensuring the safety of life and health in the production of medical services should include ...
5847.		Nutrition for chronic diseases	16.02 KB
	Healthy eating is designed not only to slow down the progression of chronic somatic pathology, but also to prevent the emergence of a number of alimentary-dependent chronic diseases: cardiovascular pathology, diabetes mellitus, obesity, etc.
19627.		Risk management	88.17 KB
	Risks as an integral part of business. The essence of entrepreneurial risk and the condition for its occurrence. Classification of business risks. Functions of entrepreneurial risk.
615.		Acceptable (acceptable) risk concept	206.23 KB
	The concept of an acceptable acceptable risk The traditional safety technique was based on the categorical requirement to ensure complete safety to prevent any accidents. In modern conditions, from the thesis of absolute safety, they have moved to the concept of acceptable acceptable risk, the essence of which is the pursuit of such low safety that society accepts at a given time. a simplified example of determining the acceptable risk. Determination of acceptable risk The total risk has a minimum at a certain ratio ...
14361.		RISK FACTORS FOR OCCUPATIONAL INFECTION OF A MIDWIFE	177.24 KB
	Analysis of measures for the prevention of occupational diseases in obstetric hospitals. Objectives: to conduct an analytical review of literature on the problem of occupational diseases of midwives; develop and test questionnaires that determine the most common causes of industrial injuries and nosocomial infection of midwives; analyze the statistics and dynamics of occupational morbidity in health care facilities; ...
19263.		The essence and causes of economic risk	28.66 KB
	The classics consider the economic risk either as a reimbursement of possible income as a result of a decision, or as a loss (occurrence of adverse consequences) due to the implementation of an unsuccessful decision. They understood economic risk only as possible damage due to economic action. Economists define risk as the mathematical expectation of a loss.
18167.		Assessment of environmental risk from a facility under construction	1.05 MB
	In addition to the above-mentioned reasons for the negative impact on the surrounding area, near the construction and operation of the projected topics, the typical noise effect for the biocomplex. The conclusion of these problems in conjunction with the national forecast for the warehouse of unified engineering and environmental studies, taking into account personal assessments of the impacts, allows in a complex to make a decision on the difficulties of the regulatory capital of the area around and to prove the acceptability of the intended conclusions from the natural point of view. Environmental confirmation of the projected ...
21730.		Credit risk rating systems	46.1 KB
	At the same time, the Russian experience of building rating systems for assessing the credit risk of a corporate borrower, unfortunately, does not have sufficient theoretical justification, which necessitates the study of a set of theoretical and methodological problems to create new models for assessing credit risk for their testing and verification in real conditions. Theoretical issues of the essence of credit risk of factors that determine its rating system for assessing credit risk are reflected in the studies of Russian scientists: ...
8240.		RISK ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY WHEN CONDUCTING EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESEARCH	79.56 KB
	Learning Goal Master theoretical foundations and a general scheme for assessing the risk from the influence of environmental factors on public health. Basic concepts that are used in the risk assessment methodology. The main stages of the risk assessment methodology.

Alcoholism is a risk factor

Here is a list of nine factors that increase your risk of alcoholism:

1. Heavy drinking.

2. Weak reaction to alcohol.

Studies have shown that people who have a weak reaction to alcohol drink more alcohol than those who get drunk right away.

3. Drinking alcohol at an early age.

4. The presence of psychological problems.

Mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, depression, or another disorder, greatly increases the risk of alcoholism and other addictions.

5. Bullying or childhood trauma.

Numerous studies show that a high percentage of alcoholic and drug addicts are among those who experienced negative experiences in early childhood. Injuries can be physical, emotional, or sexual.

6. Free access to alcohol.

People living in an environment that discourages alcohol consumption or prohibits the sale of alcohol will minimize the risk of developing alcoholism.

7. The presence of an alcoholic in the family.

8. Be a man.

Men suffer from alcoholism 2 times more often than women.

9. Personal characteristics:

low tolerance for frustration;
a tendency towards aggression or difficulty with impulsive control;
the need for an excessive amount of praise;
feeling of self-doubt;
excessive perfectionism.

Alcohol affects all processes in the body, and we do not yet know the limits of its impact. This process is extremely complex. There are twelve health risk factors associated with chronic alcoholism.

Anemia

Alcoholism can cause a critical drop in blood levels of red blood cells, which carry oxygen. This condition is called "anemia" and, in turn, can cause a variety of symptoms, including chronic fatigue, shortness of breath and dizziness.

Consuming alcohol increases your risk of cancer. According to scientists, the risk of developing this disease increases when the body converts alcohol into the aldehyde of acetic acid, a strong carcinogen. With alcohol abuse, cancer can affect areas such as the mouth, pharynx (larynx), windpipe (vocal apparatus), esophagus, liver, chest, and colon and rectum. The risk of developing cancer is even higher in those who not only drink a lot, but also smoke.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Drinking alcohol often, and especially in excessive amounts, causes platelets to gather in groups, forming blood clots, which can trigger a heart attack or heart attack. In an important 2005 study, Harvard researchers found that excessive alcohol consumption doubles the risk of death among people who have had a heart attack before.

In addition, alcoholism can lead to cardiomyopathy, a life-threatening disease in which the heart muscle weakens and atrophies. It also leads to abnormal heart rhythms, such as atrial and ventricular fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation, in which the contraction of the upper chambers of the heart (atria) becomes chaotic and can cause diamond formation and, as a result, a heart attack. Ventricular fibrillation causes an erratic contraction of the heart's main pumping chambers (ventricles). The result is almost instant loss of consciousness, and then, in the absence of immediate medical intervention, instant death.

Cirrhosis

Alcohol is poisonous to liver cells, and many alcohol abusers develop cirrhosis, sometimes fatal. In cirrhosis, the liver becomes scarred to the point that it stops functioning. But to predict which of the drinking people may develop cirrhosis. Some people drink too much and do not develop cirrhosis. Others drink significantly less and suffer from the disease.

Dementia

With age, the human brain shrinks, on average at a rate of 1.9% in ten years. This is normal. But alcoholism speeds up the contraction of some key parts of the brain. This can lead to memory loss and other manifestations of dementia.

Alcoholism can also lead to minor but disruptive impairments to the brain's ability to plan, reason, problem-solve, and perform other tasks in the executive brain, a higher-order ability that allows us to maximize our functions as a human being.

In addition to this "non-specific" dementia, which is a consequence of brain atrophy, alcoholism can lead to such a severe deficiency nutrientsthat it will cause other forms of dementia as well.

Depression

It has long been known that alcoholism is often accompanied by depression. But there is still a debate about what arises in the first place, depression or alcoholism? One theory is that people suffering from depression use alcohol to "heal", that is, to ease their emotional distress. But a large-scale study in New Zealand proved that the opposite is true: alcoholism leads to depression.

The study also found that depression levels are reduced when the alcohol abuser stops drinking.

Epileptic seizures

Alcoholism can lead to the development of diseases such as epilepsy, as well as provoke epileptic seizures, even in people who do not suffer from epilepsy. In addition, alcohol abuse can reduce the effectiveness of drugs designed to stop seizures.

Gout

Gout is a painful condition caused by the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints. Although this disorder is often hereditary, alcohol and other dietary factors also have some effect on the development of gout. It is believed that alcohol exacerbates the manifestations of an existing disease.

High blood pressure

Alcohol can cause disorders of the sympathetic nervous system, which, among other things, controls the narrowing and dilation of blood vessels in response to stress, temperature changes, physical activity and so on. Alcoholism - especially chronic alcoholism - often causes high blood pressure. Over time, this effect becomes permanent. High blood pressure leads to many other health problems, including kidney disease, heart disease, and heart attack.

Infectious diseases

Alcohol abuse suppresses the immune system, opening a loophole for infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV / AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases (some of which lead to infertility). Heavy drinkers are also more likely to engage in unsafe sex. People who abuse alcohol are three times more likely to contract sexually transmitted diseases.

Nerve damage

Alcohol abuse can cause a form of nerve damage such as alcoholic neuropathy, which can manifest as painful tingling or numbness in the limbs, as well as muscle weakness, incontinence, constipation, erectile dysfunction, and other problems. Alcoholic neuropathy occurs due to the fact that alcohol acts on nerve cells as a poison, or due to a deficiency of nutrients in the body, which is characteristic of drinkers with impaired nervous system function.

Pancreatitis

In addition to stomach irritation (gastritis), alcoholism can cause pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis disrupts the digestive process, causing severe stomach pain and persistent diarrhea. And this disease is incurable. In some cases, gallstones lead to the development of chronic pancreatitis, but about 60% of cases are due to alcohol abuse.

Alcoholism

An alcoholic is not just a drinker. This is the name of a person who suffers from alcoholism - the dependence of the body on the intake of alcoholic beverages.

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a chronic condition that can last for years or even decades. People who suffer from it are actually obsessed with alcohol and cannot control the amount they drink, even if it causes serious problems at home or at work.

There is a myth that drinking in moderation does not cause serious physical and psychological problems and is even beneficial to health. But often even moderate drinking ends with the development of alcoholism.

Alcoholism statistics

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 140 million people with alcoholism in the world, and most of them are not treated in any way.
- In the US alone, about 30 percent of the population reports having episodes of alcohol abuse in their lives.
- The results of a study by Canadian scientists show that alcohol is the cause of every twenty-fifth death in the world.
- Men have a 15 percent risk of starting to abuse alcohol regularly. To become an alcoholic - 10. Women have an even higher risk of developing alcoholism.

Stages of alcoholism

1. Prodrom... It is called “stage zero” of alcoholism or domestic binge drinking. It is characterized by the situational use of alcoholic beverages, which rarely ends with serious consequences. At this stage, a person is able to safely do without drinking and stop drinking alcohol for any length of time. But if he drinks every day, after six months or a year, he may begin to develop alcoholism.

2. The first stage of alcoholism... The desire to drink becomes difficult to overcome, the person ceases to control the amount of alcohol consumed. Usually at this stage, criticality to your state disappears and there is a tendency to explain your drunkenness by external reasons.

3. On second stage a person regularly develops withdrawal symptoms and alcohol tolerance decreases. Craving for alcohol becomes uncontrollable, and human behavior becomes unpredictable and dangerous for others.

4. Third stage alcoholism is characterized by almost daily alcohol consumption. A person gradually degrades, changes in his psyche become irreversible, hallucinations and alcoholic psychoses... Disorders in the work of internal organs are also irreversible - cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholic hepatitis appear.

Symptoms of alcoholism

As a rule, alcoholics deny that they are addicted to alcohol. But according to some signs, it can be determined:
- Drinking alone.
- An attempt to hide the fact of alcohol consumption.
- Inability to control the amount of alcohol consumed.
- Memory losses.
- Creation of rituals of drinking alcohol: before or during meals, after work, on Fridays, etc. Extreme irritability if these rituals are violated.
- Loss of vital interests, hobbies.
- The appearance of a regular desire to drink.
- Feelings of irritability when alcohol is not available or may not be available.
- The presence of "stash" of alcohol in the most unexpected places.
- Taking large doses of alcohol to "feel good."
- The presence of problems in relationships with others, aggravated by intoxication.
- Problems with the law: detentions, drives to the sobering-up center.
- Problems at work: inability to do their job well due to a hangover, truancy, coming to work drunk.
- Waste of funds intended for other purposes on alcohol.
- An increase in the dose of alcohol required for the onset of the effect of intoxication.
- Nausea, sweating, shivering when it is impossible to drink.

What causes alcohol addiction?

Regular drinking disrupts the balance in the brain of the neurohormone gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which controls impulsivity. And also glutamate, which stimulates the nervous system. Also, alcohol stimulates the production of dopamine - pleasure hormone... And its increased level makes drinking alcohol a pleasant experience.

After a while, the production of these chemicals in the brain is disrupted, and a person needs alcohol not only to feel good, but also not to feel bad in the absence of neurohormones responsible for good mood.

The development of alcoholism is a gradual process that can last from several years to decades. But people with high risk factors become alcoholics in a few months.

Risk factors for the development of alcoholism:

Genes. People with a family history of drug addiction and alcoholism are six times more likely to become alcoholics.
- The age of the first sample of alcohol. Research shows that people who first try alcohol before age 15 are more likely to have problems with alcohol later in life.
- Smoking. Smokers are five times more likely to have alcohol problems than those who have never smoked.
- Stress. The stress hormone cortisol provokes alcohol consumption.
- Environment. People who have alcohol abuse or alcoholics in their environment are more likely to drink regularly.
- Depression. Alcohol is often used for self-medication as an antidepressant. But research shows that alcohol abuse leads to or worsens depression, not the other way around.
- Advertising of alcohol in the media. Alcohol is often portrayed as an attribute of high society and vibrant life. Many experts believe that these ads convey the message that excessive alcohol consumption is socially acceptable.

What does alcoholism lead to?

Increased fatigue. The person feels tired and exhausted most of the time.
- Memory loss: short-term memory is particularly affected.
- Visual impairment. The muscles in the eyes are weakened by toxins.
- Diseases of the liver. An alcoholic has a significantly increased risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis - irreversible and rapidly progressive diseases.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis and dysfunction of the pancreas. These problems make it impossible for the body to digest and absorb food and to produce certain hormones that regulate metabolism.
- Hypertension. Drinking regularly raises a person's blood pressure.
- Problems with the heart and blood vessels. Alcohol leads to cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle), heart failure, and strokes.
- Diabetes. Alcoholics are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Violation of the menstrual cycle in women and erectile dysfunction in men.
- Osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures. Alcohol inhibits the growth of new bone tissue.
- Disruption of the nervous system. Dementia and confusion are major consequences of alcoholism.
- Crayfish. Alcoholics have a much higher risk of developing cancer: cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, breast and prostate gland. Just two drinks a day increases your risk of pancreatic cancer by 22 percent.
- Accidents and serious injuries. People in a state of intoxication are more likely to find themselves in situations with increased injuries. For example, in the United States, half of all fatal road accidents are caused by alcohol consumption.
- Domestic violence. Alcohol is the main provocateur of family fights, beating of spouses and children, and conflicts with neighbors.
- Problems with law. The percentage of alcoholics who end up in prison is higher than that of non-drinkers.

How is alcoholism treated?

The first step to treatment for an alcoholic is confession that he has an alcohol addiction problem. The next step is to get help from a public or private institution that specializes in the treatment of alcoholism.

The most important

Alcoholism is a chronic disease that leads to the destruction of the human body and psyche. There are many risk factors for its development, including negative environmental influences.

Alcohol as a health risk factor

Before we start talking about alcohol as one of the health risk factors, one should, apparently, pay attention to the fact that the adverse effects associated with alcohol intake occur even with a single consumption of the smallest alcoholic beverages.

The typical picture of alcoholic intoxication varies significantly depending on the dose of alcohol consumed. So, for example, with a mild degree of alcohol intoxication, in some cases, a person's condition is accompanied by a decrease in mood, a desire for solitude, irritability, in others, there is a desire to communicate with others.

The behavior of the intoxicated person also changes: his speech becomes too loud, accentuated, and his movements are sharp, impulsive, their accuracy and coordination are disturbed. Thinking accelerates, but its depth, consistency and consistency decrease. The well-known liveliness of thinking in an intoxicated person is associated with the acceleration of associative processes. However, this phenomenon is by no means normal, since the quality of thinking decreases, most often superficial associations and primitivization of feelings are noted.

The intoxicated person perceives the environment with less criticism, the possibility of his real assessment decreases. Already in a state of light alcoholic intoxication, there is a risk of unpredictable emotional and behavioral reactions of the drunk person, fraught with conflicts with others, or actions that threaten him - his health. After all, the impulsiveness of actions and deeds is facilitated, they often directly follow any thought that arises.

As a rule, in a state of light alcoholic intoxication, there is a slight reddening, and less often - blanching of the skin of the drinker, an increase in heart rate, often increased appetite, sexual desire. All this testifies to the disinhibition of the integumentary cerebral centers under the influence of alcohol due to the inhibition of inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex. Waking up, a person usually experiences a number of unpleasant bodily and mental sensations - weakness, weakness, lethargy, apathy, lack of appetite, dry mouth, increased thirst and, as a rule, decreased mood. Mental and physical performance after a pronounced state of alcoholic intoxication is significantly reduced.

Alcohol abuse leads to inflammatory changes in the kidneys, due to a violation of mineral metabolism, stones are formed in them. Patients with alcoholism, as a rule, have a hoarse and rough voice, often there is cancer of the larynx. Due to impaired blood circulation in the lungs, they develop congestion, and the elasticity of the lung tissue is significantly reduced. Therefore, they are much more likely than non-drinkers to suffer from chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema. Weakening of the lungs is accompanied by a painful cough, profuse sputum production.

Systematic alcohol abuse not only greatly facilitates the infection of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases, but also significantly aggravates their course. Many patients experience discomfort in the tips of the fingers and toes, a feeling of numbness and tingling in them. With prolonged alcohol abuse, paralysis of the limbs can develop.

Alcoholism is a common cause of death of patients. The mortality rate of patients with alcoholism is almost 2 times higher than that of people who do not drink alcohol.

Prevention of alcohol consumption as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases

To bad habits that are widespread in modern worldalcohol consumption should also be counted.

Almost all people drink alcohol to one degree or another.

The number of people over 15 years of age (per 100,000 population) who consume on average more than 150 ml of absolute alcohol per day, which corresponds to 375 ml of drinks with 40% alcohol content, 937 ml - with 16%; 3000 ml - from 5%, in France - 9050, Italy - 5350, Germany - 4820, USA - 2690, Great Britain - 2130.

These figures correlate with data on alcohol consumption per capita, that is, with the total amount of produced and imported beverages, correlated to the total number of inhabitants. In 1970, per capita alcohol consumption (in terms of absolute alcohol) was: in France - 18.6 liters, Italy - 17.5 liters, Spain - 11.6 liters, Germany - 11.2 liters, the USA - 9 , 5 L, UK - 6.5 L.

Per capita alcohol consumption is increasing. So, from 1960 to 1968 it increased by 17%. During this period, the production of alcoholic beverages also increased sharply: wine by 15%, spirits by 40%. The increase in alcohol consumption by young people and women is especially noticeable.

The impact of alcohol on human life and health

According to epidemiological studies, in the United States alone, there are 10 million patients with chronic alcoholism, about 40% of the population consumes alcohol daily. In France, Canada, USA, Finland, among the total number of hospitalized patients, the proportion of patients whose diseases are associated with alcohol consumption is 10-15%.

Drunkenness leads to alcoholism. According to the definition of the World Health Organization, chronic alcoholism is characterized by the forced consumption of alcoholic beverages, due to the formation of mental and physical dependence and expressed in their relatively constant use.

At the same time, the tolerance of alcoholic beverages gradually increases. If you suddenly stop drinking alcohol, then mental and physical disorders occur. Further progression of the disease causes disturbances in the activity of the main organs and systems of the body.

Drunkenness is usually understood as excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, which negatively affects work, life and health of people. At this stage, there is still no painful craving for alcohol, but in a state of alcoholic intoxication, control over one's behavior is often lost. There are many problems associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages. We will mainly touch upon those associated with cardiovascular diseases.

Alcoholic beverages contain ethyl alcohol (ethanol), which can dissolve in fats. It is very toxic even in small concentrations; the brain and heart muscle are especially sensitive to it.

Alcohol causes disturbances in intracellular metabolism in the heart muscle, disrupting the normal generation of energy, which entails weakness of the heart muscle, the development of heart failure, electrolyte imbalance, which is very important for the normal functioning of the myocardium.

As a result, the death of muscle structures occurs, they are replaced connective tissue - a person has numerous complaints of the heart. Doctors even single out a separate disease, by the way, difficult to treat - alcoholic cardiopathy.

Cases of sudden death are much more common among alcohol abusers compared to non-drinkers. Studies have shown convincingly that the incidence of arterial hypertension increases with an increase in alcohol consumption. According to a number of scientists, about 30% of cases of arterial hypertension are associated with alcohol consumption.

Hypertensive disease in alcohol abusers is more severe and less responsive to treatment. During examinations, we repeatedly noticed that often an increase in blood pressure was observed the next day after drinking alcohol, even in those who had it within the normal range.

Frequent repetition of such situations naturally leads to violations of the regulatory systems of blood pressure. It was also found that alcohol consumption increases vascular permeability, negatively affects vascular tone. Young people who abuse alcohol often have a stroke, ischemic heart disease is severe.

Strong beer contributes to the development of cardiopathy, cirrhosis of the liver is more often formed with the use of grape wines, and pure alcohol has a large carcinogenic effect. The population of the whole world would not lose anything if alcoholic beverages were completely excluded from use.

Prevention of alcohol consumption

It is impossible to solve the problem of alcoholism with medical measures alone. This requires their combination with social means and programs, educational and legislative measures, actions carried out by state, public and voluntary organizations. The studies carried out indicate the decisive role of socio-hygienic factors in the emergence and development of alcoholism in different age periods.

Four groups of factors were identified, representing a single chain of development of alcohol abuse.

1. Factors contributing to the use of alcoholic beverages (unfavorable relationships between parents, family tragedies, early exposure to alcohol), which act in the age period up to 15 years. These factors constitute the first link in the development of abuse, and by their mechanism of action they are conventionally called triggering factors.

2. Factors supporting the consumption of alcoholic beverages (customs, traditions associated with the use of alcohol) operate in the age period from 16 to 19 years old, when alcohol consumption can become systematic and conscious; this link can be called the initial one in the formation of abuse.

3. Factors contributing to the development of alcoholism (transitional age, instability of nervous processes, frequent consumption of alcohol in large quantities) act at the age of 19-26.

4. Factors supporting the abuse of alcoholic beverages (psychological or physical dependence on alcohol, conflicts in the family, low cultural level, the customs of the immediate environment) are final for the formation of alcoholism as a disease.

I wonder what the laws ancient rome forbade young people under 30 years old to drink alcohol. A very wise rule was in ancient Russia, forbidding newlyweds to drink intoxicating drinks at a wedding feast.

It is known that prohibitions are not the best way correcting the vices of humanity. So, the dry law, adopted in some countries, did not lead to anything. However, the attitude of a significant part of the population to issues related to alcohol consumption is striking.

For example, an adult is more likely to stop and condemn a teenager who smokes a cigarette than one who reaches for a glass of wine, or even pours it himself so that he can drink "to the health" of someone present. And all together drink to health, although this kind of wish can be perceived as a mockery of common sense or collective insanity.

A definite relationship between smoking and alcohol consumption has been repeatedly noted. In companies, sometimes even non-smokers start smoking after drinking alcohol. In some cases, this is the first step towards the beginning of systematic smoking.

For the same reason, such a company is very undesirable for people who have just quit smoking. For a teenager, drinking alcohol, like smoking, sometimes serves as a way to "join" the adult world.

Risk factors for alcoholism

Numerous studies on alcoholism have failed to identify the specific temperaments or personality types most prone to alcoholism.

Many factors influence the development of alcohol addiction: social status, living conditions, family situation, personal problems, work, stress, etc.

There is no specific type of "alcoholic personality". Only in the last stages of the disease does a general picture of clinical and mental symptoms begin to appear. Individuality and personality traits are practically erased.

Psychological risk factors for alcoholism

Nevertheless, psychological prerequisites lie at the heart of the development of alcoholism. The use of alcohol and the effect it exerts on the body act as psychological mechanisms that protect a person from unbearable mental suffering. Alcohol is becoming one of the simplest and most obvious ways to relieve excessive emotional stress and get rid of stress.

Alcohol makes it possible to forget about anxiety for a while, removes fear, anger, guilt, shame, relieves complexes. It is with this false sense of liberation and support that he is dangerous. The non-alcoholic person is clearly aware that the feeling of relief and release of emotions has a temporary and illusory effect. Then you still have to go back to the real world and look for ways to deal with your feelings.

However, the more disturbing emotions and complexes overwhelm a person, the more difficult it is for him to find a way out of the accumulated feelings, the more the temptation to buy a bottle as a means of getting rid of all problems. And, accordingly, the greater the likelihood of developing chronic alcoholism.

There are several main risk factors for the development of alcoholism.

Traumatic events as a risk factor for alcoholism

In some cases, alcoholism develops against the background of unbearable suffering experienced by a person, which is very difficult to get rid of. There is a desire to at least temporarily drown out mental pain. People with post-traumatic stress disorder, survivors of violent situations (including childhood) are more likely to abuse alcohol.

Complexes and fears as a risk factor for alcoholism

The disinhibition effect of alcohol on the nervous system makes it possible to overcome a number of complexes.

In a state of alcoholic intoxication, shyness and shyness go away, people become more active and talkative, it is easier to join the company, many familiar fears disappear, for example, fear of the public, fear of meeting new people. Alcohol transforms and becomes a loyal support. As a result, some people, instead of making an effort on themselves and consciously cope with complexes, go along a simpler and faster path - the path of alcoholism.

Teenage alcoholism

It can develop in families where children are not taught to the culture of alcohol consumption, but they try to inculcate a persistent hostility to alcohol and impose cruel prohibitions on it. At the same time, the parents themselves sometimes drink. Adolescents may develop an addiction to alcohol as something forbidden, an "adult", and the twofold attitude of adults does not allow them to form their clear beliefs.

Family alcoholism

These are married couples who regularly drink together to fill the void and compensate for the lack of communication. People drink in order not to discover that nothing binds them anymore, they can give nothing to each other. Thus, oddly enough, they drink to preserve the marriage.

Professional alcoholism

There is an opinion that a joint feast facilitates business relationships and promotes business development. In some cases this is true, but if the need for such "relief" arises every working day, then chronic alcoholism becomes a logical development of events.

The attractiveness of alcohol is that it disinhibits and allows the release of suppressed emotions in a sober state. On the one hand, the release of emotions allows you to reduce the level of stress and avoid the consequences it causes. On the other hand, addiction to alcohol leads to much more serious consequences, detrimental to health and irreversible. Therefore, as a prevention of alcoholism, like other psychosomatic diseases, it is necessary to look for other, healthy ways of expressing emotions and overcoming complexes.

An alcoholic is not just a drinker. This is the name of a person who suffers from alcoholism - the dependence of the body on the intake of alcoholic beverages.

What is alcoholism?

If a loved one is addicted to alcohol

Have you discovered signs of alcoholism in a loved one? This is a reason for serious conversation. Remember that it is pointless to talk to an addict when he is drunk and hungover. It is possible to learn how to build a conversation with an addicted person and find convincing arguments that will force him to start treatment in special groups for addicted families.

Alcoholism statistics

- According to the World Health Organization, there are about 140 million people with alcoholism in the world, and most of them are not treated in any way.
- In the US alone, about 30 percent of the population reports having episodes of alcohol abuse in their lives.
- The results of a study by Canadian scientists show that alcohol is the cause of every twenty-fifth death in the world.
- Men have a 15 percent risk of starting to abuse alcohol regularly. To become an alcoholic - 10. Women have an even higher risk of developing alcoholism.

Stages of alcoholism

4. Third stage alcoholism is characterized by almost daily alcohol consumption. A person gradually degrades, changes in his psyche become irreversible, hallucinations and alcoholic psychoses appear more and more often. Disorders in the work of internal organs are also irreversible - cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholic hepatitis appear.

Symptoms of alcoholism

As a rule, alcoholics deny that they are addicted to alcohol. But according to some signs, it can be determined:
- Drinking alone.
- An attempt to hide the fact of alcohol consumption.
- Inability to control the amount of alcohol consumed.
- Memory losses .
- Creating rituals of drinking alcohol: before or during meals, after work, on Fridays, etc. Extreme irritability if these rituals are violated.
- Loss of vital interests, hobbies.
- The appearance of a regular desire to drink.
- Feeling irritable when alcohol is not available or may not be available.
- The presence of "stash" of alcohol in the most unexpected places.
- Taking large doses of alcohol to "feel good."
- The presence of problems in relationships with others, aggravated by intoxication.
- Problems with the law: detentions, drives to the sobering-up center.
- Problems at work: inability to do their job well due to a hangover, absenteeism, coming to work drunk.
- Waste of funds intended for other purposes on alcohol.
- An increase in the dose of alcohol required for the onset of the effect of intoxication.
- Nausea, sweating, shivering when it is impossible to drink.

What causes alcohol addiction?

The development of alcoholism is a gradual process that can last from several years to decades. But people with high risk factors become alcoholics in a few months.

Risk factors for the development of alcoholism:

- Genes. People with a family history of drug addiction and alcoholism are six times more likely to become alcoholics.
- The age of the first sample of alcohol. Research shows that people who first try alcohol before age 15 are more likely to have problems with alcohol later in life.
- Smoking. Smokers are five times more likely to have alcohol problems than those who have never smoked.
- Stress. The stress hormone cortisol provokes alcohol consumption.
- Environment. People who have alcohol abuse or alcoholics in their environment are more likely to drink regularly.
- Depression. Alcohol is often used for self-medication as an antidepressant. But research shows that alcohol abuse leads to or worsens depression, not the other way around.
- Advertising of alcohol in the media. Alcohol is often portrayed as an attribute of high society and vibrant life. Many experts believe that these ads convey the message that excessive alcohol consumption is socially acceptable.

What does alcoholism lead to?

- Increased fatigue. The person feels tired and exhausted most of the time.
- Memory loss: short-term memory is particularly affected.
- Visual impairment. The muscles in the eyes are weakened by toxins.
- Diseases of the liver. An alcoholic has a significantly increased risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis - irreversible and rapidly progressive diseases.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis and dysfunction of the pancreas. These problems make it impossible for the body to digest and absorb food and to produce certain hormones that regulate metabolism.
- Hypertension. Drinking regularly raises a person's blood pressure.
- Problems with the heart and blood vessels. Alcohol leads to cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscle), heart failure, and strokes.
- Diabetes. Alcoholics are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
- Violation of the menstrual cycle in women and erectile dysfunction in men.
- Osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures. Alcohol inhibits the growth of new bone tissue.
- Disruption of the nervous system. Dementia and confusion are major consequences of alcoholism.
- Crayfish. Alcoholics have a much higher risk of developing cancer: cancer of the oral cavity, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, breast and prostate gland. Just two drinks a day increases your risk of pancreatic cancer by 22 percent.
- Accidents and serious injuries. People in a state of intoxication are more likely to find themselves in situations with increased injuries. For example, in the United States, half of all fatal road accidents are caused by alcohol consumption.
- Domestic violence. Alcohol is the main provocateur of family fights, beating of spouses and children, and conflicts with neighbors.
- Problems with law. The percentage of alcoholics who end up in prison is higher than that of non-drinkers.

How is alcoholism treated?

The most important

Alcoholism is a chronic disease that leads to the destruction of the human body and psyche. There are many risk factors for its development, including negative environmental influences.

Alcoholism as a health risk factor. Chronic alcoholism - a disease or a bad habit? Psychological risk factors for alcoholism

Here is a list of nine factors that increase your risk of alcoholism:

Alcoholism is a risk factor

Alcoholism

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism statistics

Stages of alcoholism

Symptoms of alcoholism

What causes alcohol addiction?

Risk factors for the development of alcoholism:

What does alcoholism lead to?

How is alcoholism treated?

The most important

Alcohol as a health risk factor

Prevention of alcohol consumption as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases

The impact of alcohol on human life and health

Prevention of alcohol consumption

Risk factors for alcoholism

Psychological risk factors for alcoholism

Traumatic events as a risk factor for alcoholism

Complexes and fears as a risk factor for alcoholism

Teenage alcoholism

Family alcoholism

Professional alcoholism

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism statistics

Stages of alcoholism

Symptoms of alcoholism

What causes alcohol addiction?

Risk factors for the development of alcoholism:

What does alcoholism lead to?

How is alcoholism treated?

The most important

The last

You need to know