Alcohol damages the brain, heart, liver and pancreas and increases the risk of some cancers, such as oral and intestinal cancers. It also weakens the immune system, making people more susceptible to diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Into an excessive amount, it will be fatal.
Considering these serious health consequences, it is not surprising that many people who are addicted to alcohol try to abstain from alcohol. However, if the method is not correct, alcohol withdrawal may have serious health consequences, including death.
Our body adapts to some long-term changes in order to survive. One example is angina, which is the narrowing of blood vessels that transport blood to the heart. There is evidence that people with this condition can slowly improve and can add new blood vessels. To adapt to the reduced blood flow.
Similarly, people who drink alcohol for a long time also have some physiological changes. Alcohol inhibits the production of certain types of neurotransmitters (the substances that transmit information between nerve cells). After a while, the body will produce more such neurotransmissions. Qualities and their receptors (proteins that bind to neurotransmitters on the surface of nerve cells) to adapt to sustained high levels of alcohol intake.
When people who have already developed alcohol dependence suddenly stop drinking, the neurotransmitter will proliferate far beyond the level required by the body. This surge in neurotransmitters is enough to explain many of the symptoms of sudden alcohol withdrawal, including sweating, tachycardia. , restlessness and anxiety.
The nerve excitation and inhibition pathways in the brain control the central nervous system and the heart. When alcohol is abstained, high levels of neurotransmitters can over-stimulate organs, including the heart.
As the structure of the heart changes due to long-term alcohol intake, the condition tends to get worse. In people who consume more than 90 grams of alcohol per day for more than 5 years, muscle strength and thickness are significantly reduced.
Sudden withdrawal of alcohol can also lead to kidney failure. Alcohol must be broken down and removed from the body in the form of urine. This process requires water because the decomposition products must be in solution.
Alcohol inhibits the production of an antidiuretic hormone, so a large amount of alcohol can make you more urine and dehydrate. The electrolytes in the body, such as sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium, are usually in an aqueous state, and excess alcohol can cause these electrolytes. Imbalance and acid-base imbalance. These imbalances will eventually lead to severe kidney failure.
The risk of death from sudden alcohol withdrawal is very real and very high. Depending on the symptoms, the risk is estimated to be 6% to 25%. Sadly, this unpleasant experience of abstinence - both physical and psychological On the -- caused many people to fall into heavy alcoholism again.
If you drink alcohol, it is recommended that you adhere to the (UK) government guidelines and consume no more than 14 units per week, which is equivalent to about 6 pints of beer or 6 glasses of red wine (175ml).
