Liver Disease

Alcoholism is the most common cause of liver disease. To see why this is a problem, we must first look at the liver and why this organ is important. Being the second largest organ in your body, the liver preforms many tasks that effect an individual's entire being. Mainly, it processes what a person eats and drinks and turns this into energy and nutrients to fuel the rest of the body. It also filters harmful substances from the blood. When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol travels through their bloodstream and is filtered by the liver. If a person drinks more alcohol than the liver can process, it can become seriously injured or damage. It is common knowledge that the liver can repair itself, but alcohol can severely damage or destroy these liver cells – sometimes beyond repair. When this happens, it is called liver disease. There are three main types of alcohol-induced liver disease. They include fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcohol cirrhosis.

Fatty liver disease is the earliest stage of any alcohol-related liver disease. It is caused by the build up of extra fat in the liver cells. It is hard to tell when this happens because the symptoms are usually very mild and not recognized in a lot of patients. They may include weakness, fatigue, and weightloss. It can safely be assumed that almost all heavy drinkers have fatty liver disease. Luckily, because the liver is such a powerful organ, if these drinkers stop drinking, this stage of the disease will stop progressing, and the liver will repair itself to its normal state.

Alcohol hepatitis is caused in up to thirty-five percent of heavy drinkers. This disease causes damage to the liver, and it begins to swell. Alcohol hepatitis can be mild or severe. If it is mild, the damage done to the liver can still be reversed. If it is severe, it can happen suddenly and lead to immediate complications like liver failure. It can even lead to sudden, unexpected death. Symptoms of alcohol hepatitis may include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice.

Ten to twenty percent of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic cirrhosis. This is the scarring of the liver which is caused by hard scar tissue replacing the soft, healthy tissue. Alcoholic cirrhosis is the most damaging type of alcohol-induced liver disease, and it exhibits symptoms similar to those of alcohol hepatitis. The damage done from alcoholic cirrhosis cannot be reversed and can end in liver failure. However, not drinking alcohol can prevent further damage to the liver.

People who already have a chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis C, are at a higher risk for developing and quickly progressing through alcoholic cirrhosis. Complications from alcohol-related liver diseases can be serious. They may include a build up of fluid in the abdomen, bleeding from the veins in the esophagus or stomach, an enlarged spleen, high blood pressure, brain disorders, coma, kidney failure, and liver cancer. Much of these complications from liver disease can be avoided or treated. Because alcoholism is a dangerous disease as well, alcohol rehab provides treatment for liver damage. The specific ways that liver damage is treated is through a healthy diet, abstinence from alcohol, and possible medications to help manage any complications that may have arisen. If you have a liver disease or are worried that you may be developing one, get help and get treatment. Chances are, you can save your liver and become completely healthy in the process!

What Is Binge Drinking?

There are many people who are able to drink in moderate and healthy amounts. However, there are also many people who are not. Though in some cases it constitutes an alcohol addiction, this is not always true. There are many people who do not have alcoholism that will participate in negative and dangerous drinking behaviour. One extremely common form of dangerous drinking is binge drinking.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming enough alcoholic beverages in a short period of time to accumulate a BAC of at least .08. This amount, when driving in the United States, becomes illegal, as the drinker is quite impaired in this state. The BAC stands for "blood alcohol content." This means how much alcohol is in the bloodstream? An individual with a BAC measured at .10 has a tenth of one percent of their blood's volume consisting of alcohol. This may not seem like a lot, but it is. To give you an idea, a BAC of less than .50, less than one half of one percent of volume, is considered the lethal dose of alcohol.

Many factors play into the BAC level. Averages that instruct how many drinks would reach a certain BAC are often vague, as there are so many variables. A person's weight can influence the number quite a bit. More weight and more muscle mass are able to better absorb the alcohol consumed. While the average person may be heavier, some people will be affected by less drinks, reaching a high BAC level after only a couple of drinks. Certain individuals simply have a higher or lower tolerance for alcohol than others. Also, the BAC gradually reduces over time. One of the best ways to ensure safety while drinking is to give each drink time before starting another. The time varies per drink, but it is suggested that each drink be equivalent to about an hour of drinking time.

Unfortunately, this guideline is rarely adhered to, as many drinkers are binge drinkers. Whether the individual is an alcoholic, with a disease causing them to be dependent on drinking, or simply has a habit of drinking in a dangerous manner, the situation can cause great harm. Often, people will advocate or encourage others to drink as quickly as possible, insisting that it is cool. In other circumstances, people will try to quickly consume as much alcohol as they can before heading to another establishment or event, possibly one where they can't drink. Often, individuals brag to one another about how many drinks they have consumed in one night, eliciting responses of laughter or admiration, rather than fear or concern. Our culture has a backward view of what is important and what is the healthy way to live. 

Whatever the case, it may be necessary to seek out alcohol treatment. It can be done in a residential treatment setting, or as an outpatient, while living in their own home. Either way, this process can greatly assist the drinker to see the consequences of their actions and avoid great possible dangers in the future. Binge drinking is a very serious occurrence and, if not approached in the correct way, could result in legal trouble, injury, or death. If you or someone you know is having difficulty with binge drinking, please find out more information about alcohol rehab, as it could save a life.

What is Alcoholism?

As defined by the American Medical Association, alcoholism is a "primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations." Before sufficient medical research was performed, alcoholism was not considered to be a disease, but rather a lack of will power on behalf of the alcoholic. There came to be a social stigma associated with alcohol abuse and people with alcohol addictions were deemed to lack good moral fiber. However, medical researchers have now determined that alcoholism is indeed a disease just like cancer or diabetes, and it should be treated as such. There are many different alcohol treatment options available today, and recovery is possible when people commit to and work through the programs.

There are many different factors that influence one's likelihood to become an alcoholic at some point in their life. There are both physical and mental characteristics that should be taken into account, and certain people have a higher chance of having alcoholism abuse problems in their life than others. According to the World Health Organization, there are roughly 140 million alcoholics worldwide, and about 10 percent of the American population suffers from the disease of alcoholism.

Circumstances such as social environment, stress, mental health, family history, age, ethnicity and gender all play a part in how likely someone is to become an alcoholic. Those who are constantly surrounded by alcohol or people that are always drinking will have a higher chance of having alcohol problems themselves. Studies have also shown that people with high-stress jobs also drink more alcohol. Genetics has a lot to do with alcoholism. If your family has a history of heavy drinking, unfortunately you are predisposed to have these problems as well. Not to say that everyone who has alcoholic parents or grandparents will turn into an alcoholic themselves, but the chances are higher. Certain ethnicities also have higher rates of alcoholism, and research has shown that more men are alcoholics than women.

But what makes an alcoholic? And what is the difference between someone who simply drinks a lot and a full-blown alcoholic? This is somewhat of a blurred line, kind of like the one that someone who has had too much to drink might see. Even if someone only drinks on the weekends but still consumes massive amounts of alcohol, they might still be an alcoholic. Some of the telltale signs of alcoholism include an extended period of frequent and heavy alcohol consumption, the inability to stop drinking once you have started, withdrawal symptoms when coming down from alcohol, the need to drink more and more (building up a tolerance) to achieved the desired effect of alcohol, and social, legal and family or relationship problems resulting from alcohol abuse. If you or someone you know exhibits one or more of these symptoms, visiting a drug and alcohol therapist or counselor may be a good idea in order to regain control.

Having alcohol withdrawal syndrome when you do not have alcohol in your system is one of the major indicators of alcoholism. Symptoms of withdrawal are much more than the normal hangover sensations such as headache, nausea and fatigue. Withdrawal includes symptoms such as shaking, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, and sweating. Severe withdrawal can be deadly due to cardiac arrest or stroke. Anyone experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms such as confusion, hallucinations, or convulsion should immediately seek medical attention. Alcoholism is a deadly disease, and it kills millions of people every year. Knowledge is the best way to prevent people from falling into the trap of alcoholism, and educating the youth about the dangers of alcohol abuse will hopefully keep them from getting involved into this vicious cycle. 

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS is caused by drinking during pregnancy. The child is then born with a range of disorders, referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, or FASD. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe effect of prenatal alcohol exposure. FAS is the number one most preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects. It is a condition that causes many mental and physical disabilities which will be present throughout one's lifetime. The most telling physical disabilities include abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous system problems. There are also many other secondary conditions that develop, which include mental health problems, learning problems, legal issues, and drug and alcohol problems later in life.

This disorder is caused by the alcohol in the mother's blood crossing through the placenta and entering the fetus through the umbilical chord. It has not yet been determined what happens after this point and what the critical times of exposure are. It is known that consuming alcohol during the first trimester results in the facial defects, but the central nervous system and behavioral disabilities could be caused by alcohol use at any time during pregnancy. Many people believe that it is okay to drink in moderation throughout pregnancy or at after a certain point, but to be safe, a women who is expecting a child should not drink until after the baby is born.

Although there is no cure for fetal alcohol syndrome, it is a completely preventable disorder. FAS results from drinking during pregnancy, so as soon as a woman discovers she is pregnant or wants to become pregnant, she should stop drinking immediately. Of course, this may not be so easy if the woman has an alcohol addiction. If this is the case, there are plenty of addiction treatment and addiction recovery programs that will be able to help with that type of a situation. If the woman is a heavy drinker and does not want to have a child, she should take extra measures to make sure that she does not unknowingly become pregnant because she may not realize she's expecting for several weeks.

An alcoholic woman may need a lot of support when she becomes pregnant. Often, this pregnancy is the first realization that she has an alcohol disease and must seek treatment. There are many programs set up for just that. It is important for the woman to remember that it is not just her life anymore. Getting help will not only better the mother's life, but the child's also. The reason that fetal alcohol syndrome exists is because women are not educated about this problem or because they are unaware of their pregnancy. Be sure you and your loved ones are not one of these women.

If you have a problem with alcohol, do not hesitate to get help. Many women don't realize that they have a problem until they want children, get pregnant, and realize that not drinking is more of a problem than they though it would be. Instead of deciding that your addiction is your weakness, decide what you really want out of life and get help in achieving those goals.

Alcohol Now 3rd Leading Cause Of Death

Sixty-six percent of the total population in the United States consumes alcohol on a regular basis. It is not hard to believe, then, that alcohol is statistically shown as the 3^rd preventable cause of death in the U.S.. Alcoholism is a serious and understated matter that is affecting more and more people each day. Treatment centers like Ambrosia Treatment Center are located all over America to assist those with an alcohol addiction, or an addiction of any sort. By taking a closer look at alcoholism and what causes it, perhaps we can gain an understanding about how to prevent alcohol dependence and unnecessary deaths because of it.

There are many possible causes linked to alcoholism. Chemical dependence, or addiction, forms after an extended period of drinking over a long period of time. This over-consumption and abuse of the substance may be directly linked to a person's daily stressors in life. They may use alcohol in excess to hide from their depression or anxiety, social pressures, or family/friend troubles. Also, a person is more susceptible to addiction if they have a family history of alcoholism. A general guideline for the avoidance of drinking in excess limits no more than 15 drinks per week for men and no more than 8 drinks per week for women. Of course, this varies from person to person, but keep these guidelines in mind.

Drug use, namely alcohol, depression, and suicide tend to go together. It has been shown that ninety-six percent of alcoholics who commit suicide are drinking alcohol up to their time of death. About thirty percent of all suicides also feature alcoholism, and seven percent of all alcoholics will commit suicide. One way to prevent this and other causes of death so strongly related to alcohol is recognizing this developmental disease early on, and intervening on behalf of those who may be in danger of developing this potentially fatal disease.

So, there are all sorts of causes, but what do you do if you or a loved one is an alcoholic? Get treatment. As I mentioned above, there are treatment programs all over America that can help with alcohol addiction. Ask for information from an alcohol treatment center and decide how you want to handle your addiction. All we can hope for is to spread the awareness that alcoholism is a chronic illness and brain disease. It has been recently discovered that most cases of alcoholism are established before the addict is even twenty-five years old.

Alcohol treatment, such as the programs at Ambrosia, allow for the alcoholic to undergo detox and rid their bodies of the toxins and carcinogens found in alcohol. After detox, they will proceed to a longer term alcohol drug addiction treatment, which will allow for a deeper examination of the individual's underlying causes of addiction and what they want for their future. Rehab will allow the addict to get their lives back on track. They will be better able to set goals and live a healthy and productive lifestyle – something they may have lost hope for.

New Study Shows Dropouts More Likely to Drink & Use Drugs

Growing up, parents and teachers always say, "Stay in school. Don't do drugs." Some kids listen to this advice, and some choose to go down a different path. There is wisdom and knowledge in these words, and young students should pay attention to this age-old saying. A new report conducted by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration actually shows that high school students that drop out before graduating are more likely drink, smoke and do drugs than those who stay in school.

Dropouts & Drug Abuse

According to this report, 31 percent of high school dropouts use drugs, compared to 18 percent - just a little over half - of students who stay in school and graduate. Of those who leave school before graduating, 27 percent smoke marijuana, and 10 percent abuse prescription drugs. Only 15 percent of students who graduate smoke marijuana, and roughly 5 percent abuse prescription drugs.

By dropping out, students put themselves at a higher risk for substance abuse and drug addiction problems, as well as a host of other problems. Without a high school diploma, young adults will not be able to get as good of a job as they would if they had stayed in school. This puts them at a higher risk for being in poverty and not having health insurance. Combine that with a drug problem, and it's a pretty dark road to travel down.

Dropouts & Smoking, Alcohol Abuse

In addition to having a higher rate of becoming drug addicts, high school dropouts are also more likely to smoke tobacco and drink alcohol. Both of these habits can put them at risk for a large number of health problems, including heart disease, lung cancer, liver cirrhosis, and ultimately an early death. Studies have shown that high school dropouts are twice as likely to smoke tobacco than students that graduate. Smoking tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the nation.

In addition, 42 percent of high school dropouts drink alcohol, and 33 percent of them binge drink. Binge drinking is defined as having five or more drinks within a two-hour period, and most people who binge drink usually drink much more than that. Out of the students that graduate, 35 percent of them drink alcohol, and one quarter of them binge drink. These numbers are still quite high, although significantly lower than the dropout population.

The US government released these figures in hopes that communities across the nation will develop better programs and strategies to keep kids in school. Roughly one in seven Americans drop out of high school, putting them at a higher risk for drug addiction, alcoholism, and a large number of other problems. Ultimately, students who drop out affect the entire public health. By staying in school, they will have a much better chance of leading happier, healthier and more productive lives.

Many students develop alcohol and drug problems before dropping out of high school, which may contribute to their leaving. By incorporating drug and alcohol awareness programs into the schools at an early age, the entire US population can have a better chance of keeping kids in school and hopefully far away from becoming drug addicts and alcoholics. For troubled youths and for anyone out there with substance abuse issues, there is help. There are thousands of drug treatment centers and support programs around the country, and it's never too early to get involved. 

Alcohol Rehab Center

It is estimated that roughly 15 million Americans suffer from alcohol addiction, and alcohol is considered to be the number one drug problem in the United States. Alcoholics often start drinking at an early age, and their addiction can become increasingly worse as they get older. Their tolerance, and physical and mental dependence can easily increase, and they become more susceptible to the health and mental problems associated with alcoholism as they drink more excessively.

Problems with Alcoholism
Alcohol can have extremely negative effects on the liver, such as cirrhosis, cancer and failure. In addition, it also affects many other important organs in the body. People that drink routinely in excess are more susceptible to a wide range of medical complications, such as heart disease, decreased blood cell production, and gastrointestinal problems. In addition, alcoholism is known to cause many other life problems such as legal, financial and family matters. Even with the many negative associations that come with alcohol use, many alcoholics still continue to drink regardless of the consequences.
Alcoholism is a disease, and it can be extremely difficult for people with alcohol addictions to stop drinking on their own. As their condition worsens, their dependency increases, and they can find it hard to function without being under the influence. When people progress to this point in their alcohol addiction, sometimes the only answer for recovery is alcohol addiction treatment. Since more research has been done on the disease in recent years, treatment professionals have developed effective programs that can help people beat their addictions and learn to live without alcohol.

Alcohol Rehab
There are many different options for treatment. There are both inpatient and outpatient centers, and each alcohol rehab facility has their own programs designed for treatment. One of the most crucial steps in attending an alcohol rehab center is the detoxification process. During this stage, many people are learning to live without alcohol for the first time in a long time. Detox can be dangerous, and an alcoholic's body can go into shock when they are flushing the toxins from their body.

Rehab professionals are trained to treat individuals as they go through the process of detox and withdrawal, and their expertise can make the difference between life and death. In certain cases of extreme alcoholism, a person can go through delirium tremens, which can include symptoms so severe as seizure or even cardiac arrest. Without the proper treatment, detox can be fatal. By using the proper medications, these withdrawal symptoms can be treated and help alcoholics get through this process more easily.

During alcohol rehab, people learn helpful coping mechanisms to deal with the issues that led to their addiction. By attending classes, programs and therapy sessions, people in alcohol addiction treatment can learn about what may be attributing to their addiction and how to deal with these problems in a healthy manner. Even months or years after treatment, alcoholics can still have the urge to drink. Alcoholism is a disease that is incurable. But with the proper treatment, people can learn to live with their addictions and recover.

Relapse is also quite common with alcoholics, and it may take more than one period in an alcohol treatment center to recover. However, when there is a strong desire to get clean, there is hope for recovery. Millions of Americans have had successful treatment experiences and gone on to lead healthy lives free from alcohol.