What is Alcoholism (Alcoholic Use Syndrome) What Are Alcoholism Symptoms, Causes, Complications, Treatment And Prevention

Alcoholic Use Disorder

Alcoholism is also known as alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol dependence syndrome, is a broad term for any drinking of alcohol that results in harms and complications. It is a pattern of alcohol use that involves a person drinking large amounts of alcohol, face problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol, alcohol is strongly desired or continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems, usage results in social and health problems, having to drink more to get the same effect, or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or stop drinking. It also includes binge drinking — a pattern of drinking where a male consumes five or more drinks within two hours or a female downs at least four drinks within two hours. Binge drinking causes significant health and safety risks.

You likely to have alcohol use syndrome if your pattern of drinking results in repeated significant distress and problems functioning in your daily life. It can range from mild to severe. However, even a mild disorder can escalate and lead to serious problems, so early treatment is important.

Alcoholism Symptoms

Alcohol use disorder can be mild, moderate or severe. The risk of alcohol dependence begins at low levels of drinking and increases directly with both the volume of alcohol consumed and a pattern of drinking larger amounts on an occasion.  A depressed mood is a common symptom. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink
• Wanting to cut down on how much you drink or making unsuccessful attempts to do so
• Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol or recovering from alcohol use
• Feeling a strong craving or urge to drink alcohol
• Failing to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home due to repeated alcohol use
• Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it's causing physical, social or interpersonal problems
• Giving up or reducing social and work activities and hobbies
• Using alcohol in situations where it's not safe, such as when driving or swimming
• Developing a tolerance to alcohol so you need more to feel its effect or you have a reduced effect from the same amount
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms — such as nausea, sweating and shaking — when you don't drink, or drinking to avoid these symptoms

Long-term alcohol abuse can cause a number of physical symptoms, including cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, polyneuropathy (a general degeneration of peripheral nerves that spreads towards the centre of the body), alcoholic dementia, heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, peptic ulcers and sexual dysfunction, and can eventually be fatal.

Women develop long-term complications of alcohol dependence more rapidly than men and have a higher mortality rate from alcoholism than men. Long-term complications include brain, heart, liver damage and an increased risk of breast cancer. Heavy drinking over time has been found to have a negative effect on reproductive functioning in women. This results in reproductive dysfunction such as anovulation (decreased ovarian mass), irregularity of the menstrual cycle, and early menopause.

Alcoholism Causes

A mixture of genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors causes the risk of the development of alcoholism. Genes that influence the metabolism of alcohol also influence the risk of alcoholism, and may be indicated by a family history of alcoholism. Drinking too much alcohol may change the normal function of the areas of your brain associated with the experience of pleasure, judgment and the ability to exercise control over your behavior.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for alcohol use disorder include:

Drinking and Family: A person with a parent or sibling with alcoholism are three to four times more likely to be alcoholic themselves. This may be influenced by genetic factors.

Mental Health Problems: People having high stress levels, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (a mental condition marked by alternating periods of elation and depression) are more likely to be at alcoholic syndrome risk.

Social and Cultural Factors: These include social, cultural, and behavioral influences. Having friends or a close partner who drinks regularly could increase your risk of alcohol use disorder.

Alcoholism Complications

Alcohol use can affect all parts of the body but particularly affects the brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and immune system. It depresses your brain and initial reaction may be stimulation or sedated.

Too much alcohol consumption affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain and can cause mental illness, Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome, an irregular heartbeat, liver failure, increased risk of cancer and even causes a life-threatening coma or death. It also causes social problem which include:

Relationship Problems

• Poor performance at work
• Increased chances of being the victim of a crime
• Legal problems or problems with employment
• Problems with other substance use
• Engaging in risky, unprotected sex, or becoming the victim of sexual abuse or date rape
• Increased risk of attempted or completed suicide

Health Complications Include

Liver Problems: Alcohol can cause inflammation and increased fat in the liver (alcoholic hepatitis), and over time, irreversible destruction and scarring of liver tissue (cirrhosis).

Digestive System Complications: Alcohol drinking can cause esophageal ulcers and inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis). It also can hinder with absorption of vitamins and other nutrients. It is also marked with inflammation and pancreas damage (pancreatitis).

Heart Problems: Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to hypertension and increases your risk of an enlarged heart, heart failure or stroke. Even a single binge can cause a serious heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation.

Sexual Complications: Excessive drinking can interrupt menstruation in women and can cause erectile dysfunction in men.

Worsen Your Diabetes: Alcohol drinking can aggravate your diabetic complication as components in alcohol interfere with the release of glucose from your liver and can increase the risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). This is dangerous if you have diabetes and are already taking insulin to lower your blood sugar level.

Bone Problems: Alcohol consumption can cause thinning of bones (osteoporosis) thus creating an increased risk of fractures. Your blood cells production can also be hindered as alcohol can also damage bone marrow. This can cause a low platelet count, which may result in bruising and bleeding.

Nervous System Complications: Excessive alcohol drinking can affect your nervous system, causing numbness and pain in your hands and feet, disordered thinking, dementia, and short-term memory loss.

Cancer Problems: Mouth, liver, colon and breast cancer has been linked with long-term excessive alcohol use. Even moderate drinking can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Other problems include birth defects like miscarriages, eye problems like involuntary rapid eye movement (nystagmus) as well as weakness and paralysis of your eye muscles and weakened immune system.

Alcoholism Treatment

Stopping alcohol consumption can treat alcoholic syndrome but this is very difficult for alcoholism patient. So, treatment for alcoholism includes:

Detoxification: Alcohol detoxification is an abrupt stop of alcohol drinking coupled with the substitution of drugs, such as benzodiazepines, that have similar effects to prevent alcohol withdrawal. You may need to take sedating medications to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Psychological Counseling: Various forms of group therapy or psychotherapy can be used to deal with underlying psychological issues that are related to alcohol addiction, as well as provide relapse prevention skills. You may benefit from couples or family therapy — family support is an important part of the recovery process.

Medications: A drug called disulfiram (Antabuse) may help to prevent you from drinking, although it won't cure alcohol use disorder or remove the compulsion to drink. Acamprosate (Campral) may help you combat alcohol cravings once you stop drinking by stabilize the brain chemistry that is altered due to alcohol dependence via antagonizing the actions of glutamate (a neurotransmitter which is hyperactive in the post-withdrawal phase). Naltrexone is used to decrease cravings for alcohol and encourage abstinence. It blocks the good feelings that alcohol causes. When naltrexone is in the body there is a reduction in the pleasurable effects from consuming alcohol because alcohol causes the body to release endorphins, which in turn release dopamine and activate the reward pathways hence, naltrexone reduces good feeling, alcohol causes. Vivitrol, a version of the drug naltrexone, is injected once a month.

Health Conditions: Alcohol causes many other health problems. If you have depression, anxiety or any other mental health condition, you should take psychotherapy, medications or other treatment.

Change Your Lifestyle: Make it clear to your friends and family that you're not drinking alcohol. Develop healthy habits like take good sleep, regular physical activity, managing stress more effectively and eating well all can make it easier for you to recover from alcohol use disorder.

Prevention

The world health organization, the European Union and other regional bodies, national governments and parliaments have formed alcohol policies in order to reduce the harm of alcoholism. Parents should watch their teens and be alert to signs and symptoms as early intervention can prevent alcoholism. Signs and symptoms are:

• Loss of interest in activities and hobbies
• Bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, problems with coordination and memory lapses
• Difficulties or changes in relationship with friends, such as joining new groups
• Declining grades and problems in school or work
• Frequent mood swings and defensive behavior