Most adults drink alcohol once in a while. Some people say it’s to relax and help take the edge off the day’s problems. Although some only drink occasionally or socially, others have serious drinking problems.
Whichever category a person falls into, everyone needs to be aware of the long term effects of alcohol on health as well as our environment.
Alcohol is a drug that is quickly absorbed into a person’s bloodstream after ingestion and is distributed into the mouth, throat, stomach and intestines. Effects of long term alcohol use can be long lasting and serious.
Personal issues that influence alcohol abuse can range from underlying emotional pain, family or spousal issues, peer pressure, employment related problems and general unhappiness. Health risks can begin as simple indigestion and advance to peptic-ulcers, chronic sore throats and persistent nausea. These medical problems can progress into more serious diseases if they remain untreated and if the alcohol consumption continues.
In the human body, the pancreas regulates blood sugar and long-term, heavy drinking can lead to pancreatitis. Women can experience trouble with their menstrual cycle, sterility or experience pre-menopausal occurrences. Cirrhosis is common among severe alcoholics, which is a disease of the liver that can be fatal.
Other serious diseases include cancer of the esophagus and other vital organs. For all these reasons, the long term effects of alcohol use should be strongly monitored and evaluated by any person who drinks on a regular basis.
There are also legal issues with alcohol use and abuse – a possible criminal record. Drinking and driving, for example, can land a person in jail.
Once an individual has been charged with drunk driving, the law record of the incident will follow for a long time. Alcohol abuse can have an extremely detrimental effect on employment also.
Long term alcohol abuse doesn’t have to be a way of life. There are many prevention and recovery programs available in the United States.
Resources
Breathalyzer.net – distributes several different hand-held models, including the highly regarded BACtrack consumer hand-held unit for consumers, and the BACtrack professional for professional use.
