A short article about the dangers of alcohol. Alcohol is poison for the body. How other organs suffer from alcoholic drinks

Today, any medical specialist knows perfectly well how terrible it is harm from alcohol. Yes, the Ministry of Health regularly warns. True, not too loud - purely for form. Meanwhile, the harm done is truly terrible. After all, today not only adult men, but also women and even teenagers abuse alcohol. Already a rule good manners began to appear in company with a bottle of beer, a can of Jaguar, or just a slight smell of fumes. The people are really deteriorating with the full connivance of the government and the Ministry of Health. But many of these people would decisively give up alcohol if they knew more details about the harm of alcohol. This is exactly what you can learn from this article.

The harm of alcohol on the human body

Alcohol deals a terrible blow to the entire human body. The liver, heart, brain, reproductive system - all of this receives a severe blow when drinking alcohol. But we should start in order.
How exactly does alcohol affect a person? What causes pleasant relaxation? Why do all problems go away just by drinking a couple of glasses of vodka or cognac? Does it exist at all? harm from alcohol or is this just a hoax?
As you know, alcohol is an excellent solvent. To check, take a glass of alcohol and put a piece of lard in it overnight and see for yourself in the morning. So, when vodka, cognac, wine or another drink containing alcohol enters a person’s stomach, some of it enters the blood. As a result of this, red blood cells, which transport oxygen in the human body, lose their fatty lubricant - it simply dissolves. Usually it allows them to slip past each other, successfully performing their function. But when the fatty lubricant is lost, the cells no longer slip past upon contact, but stick together. When 6-10 red blood cells come together, the result is something vaguely reminiscent of a bunch of grapes. Of course, this “cluster” will easily pass through an artery or vein. But when it gets into the capillaries through which red blood cells reach the neurons of the brain, difficulties begin. The capillary is sized to allow only one red blood cell to pass through. What happens when a bunch gets there? That's right, the capillary is clogged. The neuron does not receive oxygen and dies. When tens and hundreds of thousands of neurons die and a person feels a sense of relaxation, all problems fade into the background. But is this relaxation worth it? Already from this example it becomes clear what alcohol harms the brain.

This is what stuck together red blood cells look like (such gluing clogs a capillary, the size of which is slightly larger than the red blood cell itself) - Harm of alcohol to the brain

Alcohol contributes to blockage of blood vessels and this leads to the formation of aneurysms (a defect in the wall of a vessel, a bulge that ruptures under blood pressure and blood enters the brain substance, thus forming a hemorrhagic stroke. The mortality rate from hemorrhagic stroke is 70-80%, those who survive can hardly be called human - these are plants that are not capable of cognitive functions and self-care) - the harm of alcohol to the brain

An equally terrible blow is dealt to the rest of the body. The same widely known cirrhosis of the liver occurs precisely because of increased alcohol consumption. And besides, about six hundred thousand people a year in Russia die from diseases associated with drinking alcohol. And simply, drinking alcohol shortens a person’s life by an average of 5-15 years, depending on the characteristics of the human body and the intensity of consumption. So it’s worth seriously thinking about what’s better: drinking vodka with a snack with friends with or without reason, or living an extra 10 years without suffering from numerous diseases in last years life.

The harm of alcohol (video)

The harm of alcohol on a teenager's body

Even more scary harm of alcohol for teenagers. As mentioned above, alcohol effectively kills the body of an adult, strong person. What can we say about teenagers whose bodies have not had time to get stronger. Exactly at adolescence The body is most vulnerable - the restructuring of the child’s body into the body of an adult is in full swing. And at this moment a terrible blow is dealt to him. Of course in this case harm from alcohol becomes even more noticeable and scary. For example, the liver at this age has a higher throughput, and besides, its structure did not have time to strengthen. As a result, liver disease can be caused by just a few grams of alcohol. In general, alcohol, be it vodka, wine or beer, hits everything children's body– liver, nervous system, brain, Airways, decreased immunity and a quick transformation into a binge alcoholic - this is the lot of children to whom their parents in childhood were unable to clearly explain why any alcohol is scary. So seriously think about whether it’s so small harm of alcohol for teenagers, as is commonly believed, or is it worth taking certain steps today to give your child a healthy and happy life?

Harm of alcohol to the liver (video)

Video about the dangers of alcohol (Prof. Efimov V.A. gives a lecture for the FSB Directorate of St. Pererburg 2003.02.25)

Harm of alcohol for women

We can talk for hours about harm of alcohol for men. But alcohol has an even more terrible effect on a woman’s body. It is widely known that women move much faster from the stage of “moderate drinkers” to the clan of alcoholics. But that's not even what it is the worst harm of alcohol. In fact harm of alcohol for women lies in something else. After all, almost any healthy woman is a future mother. Sooner or later, maternal instincts awaken in her. But they often wake up too late and the young woman already manages to make so many mistakes that she will have to regret them for the rest of her life.
Here we should talk in more detail about the mechanism of the effect of alcohol on the human body. How does it affect women? To understand this you should take harm of alcohol for men and add to it high probability birth of disabled children.
Indeed, alcohol, entering a woman’s body, is carried by the blood to all organs. The blow is applied to the brain, liver and other vital organs, as mentioned above. But in addition, alcohol enters the reproductive system. And here the fundamental differences begin. If a man's seed is renewed over several months, then the woman receives one supply of eggs for life. And getting alcohol into this stock will probably damage at least some of them. Indeed, considerable surprise is caused by a strange statement - a sick child was born due to the fact that a woman drank a decent dose of alcohol twenty years before his birth. Mystic? Nonsense? Stupidity? Alas, a medical fact. The alcohol simply disfigured the cell, which matured and was fertilized decades later. So, if we talk about harm of alcohol for women, this aspect of harm should be remembered first.

How to avoid the harm of alcohol

Of course, every person reading this article has a question: how can one avoid or at least reduce harm of alcohol to humans? The answer here is surprisingly simple - give up alcohol. Entirely, forever and right now. To some this will seem wild and incredible - how can you give up beer, vodka and wine? However, thousands of people in our country and millions of people around the world live completely without touching alcohol. And they live, it should be noted, much longer and happier.
To realize this, one must evaluate the harm of alcohol in numbers. How does alcohol reward its faithful followers? Just 30 grams of alcohol per day (two glasses of vodka or one and a half bottles of beer) will give a person certain cirrhosis of the liver. For women, even a third of this portion is enough. The risk of a heart attack increases by 45 percent. Lesions of coronary vessels - by 48 percent. Fatal heart attack - by 37 percent. So is it worth drinking these two glasses, paying for it with years of life?
If that's not enough for you, it's worth doing a little history digging. Statistics show the dangers of alcohol surprisingly clearly.. Surprisingly, two indicators coincide exactly: the number of suicides per 100 thousand people and the amount of alcohol consumed. In addition, the increase in alcohol consumption in the country is accompanied by a surge in criminal activity. Of course, the number of patients dying from dozens of diseases associated with the effects of alcohol on the human body is also increasing.
Many people are interested harm from alcohol and beer. Alas, in the minds of most people, beer is not associated with alcohol - it is just a cooling drink. But that's not true. It also contains a lot of alcohol, and since beer is consumed not in glasses, but in bottles, the effect on the body is truly terrible. Moreover, not only the alcohol itself and fusel oils are scary here, but also the hormone estrogen contained in hops. It is because of this that many men lose willpower, become blurry, and acquire a beer belly.
Certainly, harm of alcohol and potency are also inextricably linked. Or more precisely - harm of alcohol to human health and impotence. Of course, oversaturation male body female hormone reduces sexual activity and desire for sex opposite sex. Therefore, it is not surprising that many experienced alcoholics also suffer from the problem of impotence. Or don't they suffer? Indeed, most of them don't care anymore. They don't think about such things. They are only interested in one thing - where to get a drink. Do you want this kind of life? Or do you think that harm of alcohol to humans not worth the dubious pleasure it brings?

Medical studies in different parts of the world have proven the harm of alcohol on the human body. The consequences of alcohol abuse are widely covered in the media, but deaths from alcoholism continue to rise every year.

A frivolous attitude towards every glass drunk, lack of a culture of drinking alcohol and low level life values over time leads to physical dependence, which puts alcohol-containing drinks on a level with hard drugs.

Today everyone knows perfectly well how harmful alcohol is, but for some reason they still continue to drink it in one quantity or another.
Why this happens is a separate conversation, but here I will tell you how alcohol affects our mental and physical health. I believe that the more such articles, the more people They’ll think about it and stop drinking, or at least limit the amount of alcohol they drink. Because it’s one thing to simply know that drinking is harmful, it’s another thing to see it in all the ugly colors that paint the picture of the terrible consequences of drinking alcohol.
And it's really scary.

I consider the most terrible thing to be the consequences of the influence on the psyche of the drinker. For man degrades and turns into an animal, he is simply no longer a man, he has fallen several steps down the evolutionary ladder.

Alcohol is a poison for the body

The sad truth is that alcohol is not food product, as is commonly believed, but a narcotic poison.
Yes, yes, don't be surprised. It is a drug, and scientists have long recognized this.
It damages almost everyone internal organs and the body as a whole.
If a person is healthy, then the destruction occurs gradually and depends on the amount of alcohol and the duration of the influence. Therefore, when we are young, it is easier for us to endure the next alcoholic feast, but if any organ is initially sick, alcohol will provoke it to worsen its functioning. Usually, if a person gets sick early, he cannot tolerate alcohol and he has to justify in drinking companies that he cannot drink, this is often a subject of ridicule. But if a person continues to use, the diseased organ sooner or later stops functioning altogether, which usually leads to death. Where it is thin, it breaks. All this Once again proves that alcohol, as a strong poison, can only destroy the body and good health it just happens more slowly. But sooner or later, one or several organs at once become unusable, and the person turns into a disabled person. It’s just that for some it happens at 30 years old, for others at old age.

Absorption and destruction of alcohol in the body

Alcoholic drinks of any strength contain ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is easily absorbed in the digestive tract, quickly enters the bloodstream and spreads to all organs and systems. The process of ethanol absorption begins in oral cavity, continues in the esophagus and stomach. However, most of it enters the bloodstream from small intestine. When alcohol enters the digestive system, the body tries to reduce the dose of poison and reduce its concentration.
It is known that in the stomach, in response to the intake of ethanol, a large number of hydrochloric acid to dilute an alcoholic drink. The main body to combat ethanol, as well as other toxic substances, is the liver. It synthesizes the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol into less toxic components. Taking a large dose of alcohol cannot be completely neutralized by liver cells, enters the general bloodstream and disrupts the functioning of the entire body.

The effect of alcohol on the body's functioning

Systematic intake of ethanol-containing drinks negatively affects the functioning of all organs and systems. First of all, the digestive tract, central nervous system, and gonads are affected.

Gastrointestinal disorders

The digestive organs are the first barrier to the entry of alcohol into the body. Enhanced Selection gastric juice With high concentration hydrochloric acid in contact with ethanol causes damage to the organ mucosa. As a result, erosions and ulcers form, increasing the risk stomach bleeding. IN small intestine ethanol causes atrophy of the ciliary epithelium, which disrupts the process of food digestion and absorption of nutrients. Pathology develops especially quickly gastrointestinal tract when drinking alcohol on an empty stomach.

I’ll tell you a little more about the effects of alcohol on the gastrointestinal tract.

Once in the esophagus, alcohol affects its veins, they weaken, become deformed and often simply burst, unable to withstand such a load. The esophageal mucosa in alcoholics is usually inflamed, which often leads to scarring and malignant formations.

In the stomach, alcohol destroys its protective lining, as a result of which the natural microflora is disrupted. An abnormal increased secretion of gastric juice also occurs, leading to obesity; the glands atrophy due to overload.
As a result, the stomach does not have time to digest all the food with diseased glands; it simply begins to rot inside us. In general, the gastric mucosa does not like very spicy, sour, hot things, and alcohol as a result direct contact with the mucous membrane it destroys it more strongly than the above factors, and burns of the walls are also common. Atrophy of the mucosa leads to atrophic gastritis and ulcers, and this is a direct road to stomach cancer and human death.
If the drinker already has a stomach disease, such as gastritis, drinking alcohol leads to abdominal pain, which indicates that you need to stop drinking. A person, on the contrary, either takes pills to relieve pain, washed down with the same poison, or increases the amount of alcohol in order to switch off and not feel that he is ill.
Everyone thinks that gastritis is nonsense. But it is already reliably known that in most cases the scenario is as follows: gastritis- atrophic gastritis- stomach cancer - death. And this is no joke.
Well, let's follow the path of alcohol further.
Once in the duodenum, it causes the same harm as the stomach. The structure of these organs is similar; an ulcer may also occur, very unpleasant disease. But what is important is that the duodenum is connected through ducts to the pancreas and gallbladder, and alcohol here begins its detrimental effect on these organs.

Alcohol strongly stimulates the secretory functions of the pancreas and spasms the ducts that exit it, so the enzymes it produces do not have time to all come out and begin to digest not food, but their own tissues. The result is alcoholic pancreatitis. At acute form a very dangerous disease that leads to irreversible processes in the pancreas and death of a person. If you are lucky and the person remains alive, a chronic pancreatitis. It is unlikely that life with such a diagnosis is considered full. Ask this to people who suffer from pancreas problems. These foods cannot be eaten, it is undesirable, in general, a strict diet. Do you need it? Think about it.

In the gall bladder, also due to the narrowing of the ducts, stagnation of bile occurs, and this leads to inflammatory processes in it. In addition, drinking alcohol contributes to excessive accumulation of cholesterol in the bile. The result of all this is gallbladder disease: dyskinesia, cholecystitis, stones, polyps in the gall bladder.
The latter, under certain unfavorable conditions, and alcohol intake is such, lead to cancer. There is only one way out, remove the gallbladder, and if you can live without it, dietary food you are guaranteed for life.

Liver disorders

But the biggest harm from alcohol is to the liver. After all, it is she who must cleanse the blood of this terrible poison, and this is a heavy load for which the liver is naturally not designed. If it does not fulfill its function, intoxication of the entire body occurs. It has also been established that a single dose of alcohol leads to changes in the function of liver cells, and if a person continues to drink, it leads to pathological disorders and diseases.

What does the liver do?

Destroys ethanol, reduces it toxic properties and prepares for elimination from the body. For this purpose, hepatocytes synthesize two main enzymes - alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The first breaks down ethyl alcohol into acetaldehyde, and the second forms acetic acid from acetaldehyde, which during metabolism turns into water and carbon dioxide. In this case, up to 10% of ethanol is excreted through the respiratory system, sweat and feces, and the rest leaves the body through the urinary system.

Alcohol abuse causes damage to liver tissue. At the first stage, fatty degeneration of liver cells appears - fatty degeneration. It is accompanied by a violation general condition, lethargy, drowsiness, heaviness in the right hypochondrium. IN biochemical analysis blood disorders are usually not detected.
Regular intake of alcohol causes progression of the disease and leads to the formation alcoholic hepatitis. Nausea, vomiting, enlarged liver appear, and sometimes jaundice develops. Laboratory tests reveal elevated liver function tests. If ethanol constantly enters the blood, alcoholic cirrhosis develops, which inevitably leads to death.

Cardiovascular disorders

The effect of ethanol on the heart muscle and blood vessels occurs even with a single dose of alcoholic beverages. After alcohol abuse, blood pressure increases, heart rate changes, blood vessels spasm, which leads to deterioration of blood flow in various organs and tissues. IN pathological process cellular respiration is involved, energy production is disrupted, and the ability of the myocardium to contract is reduced. Regular alcohol abuse accumulates negative impact ethanol, which leads to the development of hypertension, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias varying degrees gravity.

Disorders of the central nervous system

Neurons in the brain and spinal cord absorb ethanol from the blood well. The cerebral cortex and subcortical structures are primarily affected.
You know that this is how people die nerve cells, which are not restored, the person simply becomes dull. This also leads to a violation of behavioral reactions - liberation, irritability, suspicion, speech and motor agitation appear. Long-term use of alcohol causes hallucinations, personality disintegration, and social adaptation, ability to implement in the family and professional activities.
Chronic alcoholism leads to the appearance alcoholic encephalopathy– toxic brain damage, which is accompanied by neurological manifestations and destruction of the psyche. Suffering motor function limbs, sensitivity changes, tendon reflexes decrease. Anxiety, various types of hallucinations, delusions, and antisocial behavior appear. In severe cases it is affected medulla, where the respiratory and vasomotor centers are located, which causes a coma and leads to death.

Sexual dysfunction

Cells of male and female gonads are sensitive to toxic effects ethanol As a result of alcohol abuse, the motility and fertilizing ability of sperm are reduced, which leads to male infertility. In women, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, the size of the fallopian tubes and uterus decreases, the process of egg maturation slows down, and this in turn causes female infertility. Mutation of the gene material of germ cells causes the birth of children with physical deformities, developmental defects, low weight, or leads to miscarriages. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy causes the birth of sick children or contributes to stillbirth.

The negative impact of ethanol on the body makes us think about the need to stop drinking alcohol. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), you can take no more than 50 grams of vodka, 500 ml of beer, 200 grams of wine per day. To maintain health, longevity and a sober outlook on life, it is better to completely give up alcohol in favor of a healthy lifestyle, professional development, and fulfilling family relationships.

Mental and spiritual degradation

I recommend reading the book by Fyodor Grigorievich Uglov, “The Truth and Lies about Legal Drugs.” In the Soviet Union, many disliked him because he told the whole truth about the dangers of alcohol and the fact that normal person Shouldn't drink at all.
In Russia they began to drink a lot, even a cult arose that a real man is a man who drinks. If you don’t drink, it means you’re a weakling, not a man, and most likely crazy. A real man should smell of alcohol and tobacco. You see how zombified people are who do not see the truth.

Fortunately, times change, views change. Modern world requires completely different qualities from people, otherwise you won’t survive. Today the qualities of a real man are completely different.
First of all, this is strength, a sober view of things, intelligence, the ability to make quick decisions, not to become depressed, and the ability to manage your emotions. A person who will achieve something in this life must be exactly like this; this is what modern realities of life require. The weak will not survive. In principle, a man should always be like this. But if he drinks, then there can be no talk of any strength. Alcohol makes a person weak, stupid, unable to control his emotions, turns him into an animal. Yes, yes, to an animal, because after each drinking, the number of nerve cells in the brain decreases. What kind of intelligence and self-control can we talk about in such a situation?

But the worst thing is that drinking man He degrades very much spiritually, does not feel his soul, which means he is dying now, without waiting for death. What does it mean?
Anyone who engages in energy meditative practice or leads a healthy lifestyle (by healthy life I mean not only the health of the body, but also the health of the soul) sees how much brighter, richer and more conscious his whole life becomes. We seem to wake up and understand that our previous state could not be called life. It becomes sad that I spent so much time sleeping, and woke up, opened my eyes and straightened my shoulders only now. Someone who drinks alcohol and deteriorates mentally, one might say, does not live at all, but is always in a dead state of consciousness. And this applies not only to the time when he is drunk, but even when sober. Even after sobering up, a mind killed by alcohol will no longer work at full capacity.

A drinking person almost never listens to his soul, which means he cannot control his feelings and emotions at all. He is completely in their power, while alcoholics are dominated by lower animal instincts and the negative emotions associated with them. Therefore, we can safely say that man turned into a pig. Higher feelings, such as Love, devotion, care, forgiveness, are not available to him. These feelings relate to the highest consciousness - the soul. And where do they come from if all the impulses of the soul are clogged with lower emotions? This is another argument for women choosing a life partner. Drinking man never wakes you up to love you the way he should love you in order for you to have a happy family. You will not have mutual understanding, because he cannot cope with his feelings, cannot understand himself, let alone you.

A woman chooses a strong man for herself, and a drunkard is weak person. It’s just a pity that there aren’t enough normal women who don’t drink. Having to give birth to children from “animals”, which leads to the birth of unhealthy children, and in the future to the degeneration of the nation.

Often in a male company, the one who drinks calls non-drinkers weaklings.
I'm always amazed at how hard the minds of drinkers become. After all, in fact, it is the one who drinks alcohol who is weak in spirit. You will understand this when I tell you the main reason. A drunkard cannot look at our complex life with a sober look. He is afraid of. It’s much easier not to accept responsibility for your actions and defeats, but to drown your grief with a glass of vodka. A person does not want to face a problem; it is better to forget, hide his head and see nothing. Subsequently, alcohol makes nervous system sick and weak, which leads to an even greater inability to withstand stress. And the drunkard begins to drink even more. This is a direct road to degradation and death.

So, the harm of alcohol on the human body is obvious. The drinker becomes weak, sick, stupid and inadequate, spiritually degraded. But don’t think that if you drink a little and don’t consider yourself an alcoholic, then this doesn’t apply to you. Alcohol is harmful in any dose. Of course, you are not as sick as a heavy drinker, but believe me, alcohol has still done its destructive work in your body. If you hadn't just drunk one glass of vodka today festive table, then you would be healthier because the poison did not get inside you. They would have been smarter, because the poison did not destroy even a small amount of nerve cells of the brain. You would simply be better in every way, kinder, wiser, not afraid of difficulties, because alcohol did not destroy your mental and spiritual essence.

You still don’t believe in the destructive effect of alcohol on the human body and psyche, then be sure to watch this video.

I also think this video will interest you.

I hope I was convincing.

I wish you success in the fight against bad habits that are destroying your body and psyche.

The harm of alcohol to the human brain. What are the factors that determine the extent to which alcohol affects the brain? Why are the harms of alcohol more pronounced in women than in men? What happens to brain size in people who regularly drink alcohol? What vitamin deficiency is caused by regular alcohol consumption and what does this lead to? What is Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff's psychosis? How to treat Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome? What is hepatic encephalopathy, due to exposure to what substances does it develop, and when can it be fatal? How to treat hepatic encephalopathy? What is fetal alcohol syndrome and how is it treated? Do nerve cells recover? What is neurogenesis? What mystery regarding organic brain damage by alcohol has not yet been solved by scientists? What modern technologies do scientists use to overcome the harm of alcohol?

The harm of alcohol. Destructive effects on the brain.

Alcohol undoubtedly has a detrimental effect on the brain, as evidenced by stumbling feet, blurred vision, slow reaction times, slurred speech, and memory lapses, all of which are observed after drinking alcoholic beverages. However, almost all of these reactions, which appear after taking just a few doses of alcoholic drinks, quickly disappear after the intake of alcohol in the body stops. On the other hand, if you drink alcohol frequently and in large doses, then its harmful effect on brain cells is noticeable even after the direct effect of alcohol has long ceased. Today, studying the mechanisms of the effect of alcohol on the brain, as well as the likelihood of irreversible changes in brain activity with regular consumption of large doses of alcoholic beverages, is a popular topic of scientific research.

Everyone knows that alcohol abuse can have negative and far-reaching health consequences. The harm of alcohol manifests itself, ranging from banal memory lapses to... serious illnesses, which may lead to the need for lifelong treatment in the clinic. However, as shown by the results of recent scientific studies of the effect of alcohol consumption on driving behavior, even moderate alcohol consumption is extremely harmful to the body.

There are several factors that determine the degree of alcohol's influence on brain cells and, accordingly, the harm of alcohol. These factors include:

dose of alcohol and frequency of drinking alcoholic beverages
the age at which the person began drinking alcoholic beverages, as well as the length of the period during which alcohol was consumed regularly
age, education, gender, genetic predisposition to alcoholism, presence of alcoholics among close relatives
prenatal alcohol poisoning, which also increases the risk of developing alcoholism in the future
general health

This article on the dangers of alcohol reviews several of the most common diseases that result from the harmful effects of alcohol on the brain, and also identifies the people who are most at risk for brain damage as a result of drinking alcoholic beverages. The article also discusses methods of treating these diseases, methods of preventing them, and modern technologies that are used by scientists to determine exactly how alcohol affects brain cells.

The harm of alcohol. Clouding of consciousness and memory loss.

Drinking alcohol can cause memory impairment after drinking a small amount of alcohol - and the larger the amount drunk, the longer and more severe the memory loss will be. The harm of alcohol is manifested in the fact that a large number of drinks containing alcohol, especially taken quickly and on an empty stomach, can cause short-term clouding of consciousness. This is the name of the period during which a person under the influence of alcohol is unable to properly respond to what is happening around him, and sometimes even adequately perceive the speech and actions of other people.

Short-term clouding of consciousness after drinking alcohol is observed much more often than previously thought in medicine. This effect can be considered a potential consequence of harmful alcohol poisoning, regardless of the patient's age or whether he has signs of alcoholism as a disease. Scientists conducted a study to identify the harm of alcohol associated with short-term clouding of consciousness. In this study, 772 young people studying in higher education educational institutions, the question was asked: “Have you ever been unable to remember what you did last night or where you were the morning after drinking alcohol?” Of the students who had experience drinking alcoholic beverages, 51% answered in the affirmative, reporting that they had experienced memory loss after drinking alcohol, and 40% noted that memory loss had happened to them less than a year ago. Of those who drank alcohol in the past two weeks, 9.4% reported memory loss during this period. Those who experienced memory loss admitted that after drinking alcohol they even participated in acts of vandalism, had unprotected sex and drove a car while drunk, but in the morning they could not remember anything.

Among older people surveyed, cases of short-term memory loss were also noted, both in men and women, despite the fact that in general men drink alcohol much more often than women and in much larger doses. Thus, it is logical to assume that the risk of memory loss and clouding of consciousness after drinking alcoholic beverages is higher for women than for men. Therefore, the harm of alcohol is much greater for women than for men. When drunk, women are more likely than men to lose consciousness and more often cannot remember what they did after drinking alcohol - this is due to the difference in the specific mechanism of alcohol absorption in the body of a man and a woman. In addition, when drinking the same amount of alcohol, memory loss in women is likely to be significantly worse than in men.

The harm of alcohol. The effects of alcohol on the brain of women.

For women, many of the consequences of drinking alcohol are more severe than for men. Some clinical researches showed that the harms of alcohol are significantly more severe in women than in men because female alcoholics develop cirrhosis of the liver, weakening of the heart muscle under the influence of alcohol (for example, cardiomyopathy) and damage to the nervous system much faster than male alcoholics. (eg peripheral neuropathy). However, studies that have looked at the effects of alcohol on brain cells have not concluded that women's brains are more susceptible to the harmful effects of alcohol than men's.

Using method computed tomography, researchers, through a comparative analysis, were able to establish that the harm of alcohol manifests itself as compression (shrinking) of the brain. This level of contraction is a major indicator of the presence of organic changes in brain cells, and it is significantly higher in frequent alcoholics, both male and female, compared to those who drink alcohol only rarely. Studies have also shown that male and female alcoholics have the same problems with remembering information and learning ability, which resulted from regular consumption of high doses of alcohol. However, the men who took part in the experiment regularly consumed large doses drinking alcohol twice as long as women. Thus, the harm caused by alcohol to the brain of both men and women was determined approximately equally, but at the same time, women regularly consumed alcohol for 2 times less time than men. This fact suggests that alcohol has a stronger effect on the female brain than on the male brain.

However, others Scientific research did not lead to such significant results proving that the harm of alcohol is more severe in relation to women. Thus, recently the American Journal of Psychiatry published two reports on clinical experiments related to the study of the influence of gender on the degree of susceptibility of the body to the effects of alcohol. The results were just the opposite. It is clear that further research is needed in this area, primarily because female alcoholism still remains poorly understood medical problem, despite the fact that the features female body suggest a higher degree of women's exposure to the negative consequences of alcohol abuse.

The harm of alcohol. Lack of vitamin B1.

For people who regularly drink large doses of alcohol over a long period of time, there is big risk receive harm from alcohol in the form of disruption of brain activity associated with damage to brain cells. Impairment of brain activity can result from the actual consumption of alcohol itself, or may occur under the influence of alcohol. harmful consequences alcohol abuse, leading to a deterioration in the general condition of the body, as well as as a result of serious liver diseases due to alcoholism.

The harm of alcohol, for example, in people suffering from alcoholism, often manifests itself as a deficiency of a substance called thiamine, also known as vitamin B1. The cause of thiamine deficiency is poor nutrition and metabolic processes in organism. Thiamine is very important trace element, which is necessary for the normal functioning of all organs, including the brain. Thiamine is found in foods such as animal and poultry meat, grains, nuts and legumes. The recommended daily allowance for thiamine is 1.2 mg per day for men and 1.1 mg per day for women.

The harm of alcohol. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

80% of people suffering from alcoholism have a lack of thiamine in the body. In some cases, the harm of alcohol manifests itself in the fact that it is thiamine deficiency that leads to serious illness brain, known as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This disease includes two stages, or two different syndromes: short-term exacerbations called Wernicke encephalopathy, and long periods of a calmer, but at the same time significantly debilitating course of the disease - Korsakoff's psychosis.

Symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy include confusion, paralysis optic nerve(oculomotor imbalance) and coordination problems. Thus, patients with Wernicke encephalopathy often cannot find a way out of the room or are even unable to move independently. However, many patients do not have some of the symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy, so doctors working with patients with alcoholism should be aware that Wernicke's encephalopathy can occur even if only one or two of the above symptoms are present. There have been cases where only after the death of the patient it was determined that the cause was thiamine deficiency encephalopathy, which was not diagnosed during life only because the patient did not exhibit the full range of classical symptoms.

The harm of alcohol is also manifested in the fact that approximately 80-90% of patients with alcoholism and Wernicke's encephalopathy develop the so-called Korsakoff's psychosis - a chronic and quite severe disease, which is characterized primarily by memory lapses and difficulties with remembering new information. Patients with Korsakoff's syndrome are forgetful, constantly depressed, lose their temper easily, and also have difficulty walking and coordinating movements. These patients have difficulties both with reproducing information they already know (so-called retrograde amnesia) and with assimilating new information (anterograde amnesia), which is the most notable symptom of the disease. For example, such patients can discuss in detail with a doctor some event from their life, and an hour later they no longer remember not only about this event, but even about the conversation.

Treatment of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Coordination of movements and, possibly, some forms of assimilation of information are controlled by the cerebellum, which is extremely sensitive to a lack of thiamine, and is also largely susceptible to the harmful effects of alcohol with its regular and excessive use. Taking medications containing thiamine helps restore normal brain function, especially in the early stages of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. If the harm of alcohol has become particularly severe and organic changes in the brain have become irreversible, treatment involves not so much normalizing the patient’s condition as providing him with proper care and his family with support. Approximately 25% of patients with irreversible changes in brain function and cognitive impairment require qualified medical care. Some scientists believe that the development of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome in some patients suffering from alcoholism and thiamine deficiency in the body may be due to a genetic predisposition. Thus, further scientific research is needed in this area in order to determine the likelihood of the development of this syndrome from genetic factors.

The harm of alcohol. Hepatic encephalopathy.

Most alcoholics know that drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time can lead to problems with the liver, the organ that breaks down alcohol into harmful byproducts and then eliminates them from the body. However, not everyone knows that the harm of alcohol to the brain can manifest itself in a very specific way. It is expressed in the fact that long-term liver dysfunction, for example, cirrhosis, which is caused by regular consumption of alcohol in large quantities, can also lead to disturbances in brain function, including serious disorders brain functions, known as hepatargia, or hepatic encephalopathy, which itself can be fatal. Those. In addition to direct harm to the brain, alcohol destroys the liver, which in turn independently harms the brain.

Thus, the harm of alcohol can manifest itself as hepatic encephalopathy, which can result in sleep disturbances, sharp changes mood, changes in personality characteristics, anxiety and depressive state, disorders of cognitive (i.e. cognitive) functions, for example, inability to concentrate, as well as problems with coordination of movements (for example, asterixis is often observed - an irregular flapping tremor). In the most severe cases, patients may fall into a coma ( hepatic coma), which is often fatal.

New brain scanning technologies allow scientists to analyze activity various areas brain in patients with liver diseases caused by alcoholism and, thus, study the process of development of hepatic encephalopathy. Based on the results of studies already conducted, at least two toxic substances and, which provoke the development of hepatic encephalopathy - ammonia and manganese. The harm of alcohol in in this case applied as follows. Liver cells damaged by alcohol secrete excess amounts of these harmful substances, which then enter the brain and destroy brain cells.

Treatment of hepatic encephalopathy

The following medical procedures are commonly used to prevent the development of hepatic encephalopathy:

Prescription of drugs that reduce the level of ammonia in the blood, for example, L-ornithine, L-aspartate.
Using various medical technologies, for example, liver support devices, also known as "artificial livers", which help cleanse the patient's blood of toxic substances. Studies have shown that when using devices of this type, the concentration of ammonia in the blood of patients is significantly reduced, which can partially reduce encephalopathic effects.
Liver transplantation is widely used to treat patients with severe (end-stage) liver cirrhosis. According to medical statistics, liver transplantation using the latest medical technologies leads to a significant improvement in cognitive functions in patients, up to their complete recovery, as well as a decrease in the concentration of manganese and ammonia in the blood to normal levels.

The harm of alcohol. Fetal alcohol syndrome.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to negative effects on the developing brain of the fetus, which will later be expressed in physiological, cognitive and behavioral aspects of the personality. The harm of alcohol is manifested in the fact that in the most severe cases a complex of symptoms develops, known as fetal alcohol syndrome. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome often have malformations of external organs and typically grow and develop more slowly than healthy children. Their brain volume may be smaller than normal (microencephaly), and these children also have fewer brain cells (including neurons) than others. Neuronal cells in the brain of children with fetal alcohol syndrome are unable to function normally, which leads to cognitive impairment and various behavioral abnormalities.

Treatment of fetal alcohol syndrome

Researchers are currently developing an effective complex method treatments that would help people overcome the harm of alcohol as a consequence of fetal alcohol syndrome. The treatment method being developed includes both exercises to develop motor skills and drug treatment. In one experiment, Dr. Klintsova and her colleagues used a motor skills training course designed as an obstacle course to help patients overcome the negative effects of alcohol on their brains during the fetal period. Interestingly, the training on the development of motor skills contributed to the restoration of the functions of various parts of the brain (including the cerebellum) in adults. This experiment is of critical scientific importance because its results indicate that comprehensive rehabilitation treatment aimed at developing motor skills can lead to positive results not only in children, but also in adults with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Scientists are also actively working on an invention medical supplies, capable of slowing down or preventing the harm of alcohol, expressed in the destruction of brain cells, including due to fetal alcohol syndrome. Clinical experiments on animals have shown the effectiveness of antioxidant therapy and vitamin E. Also good results gives the use of 1-octanol, which, paradoxically, is itself an alcohol-containing substance. As experiments conducted on mouse embryos have shown, drug treatment with 1-octanol has significantly reduced the degree of harmful effects of alcohol on embryos. In addition, two substances were discovered that are responsible for the normal development of the fetus, which are able to protect nerve cells from harmful effects alcohol, while their mechanism of action is similar to that of octanol. These substances are called NAP and SAL. The component MK-801, which is capable of blocking the action of some chemical compounds formed as a result of ingestion of alcohol (for example, glutamate) on the brain. The use of MK-801 in the treatment of the consequences of early postnatal (postpartum) alcohol syndrome gives good results.

Despite the fact that these components have shown effectiveness in combating the harm of alcohol when conducting experiments only on animals, they positive effect has not yet been proven in the treatment of humans. The best way Prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome is a complete abstinence from drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Doctors observing expectant mothers regularly remind their pregnant patients that this syndrome can and should be prevented, and this depends only on the mother herself.

Let's overcome the harm of alcohol! Formation of new brain cells.

For many decades, scientists believed that the number of nerve cells in the adult brain is fixed in the first days of life and remains unchanged throughout it. Thus, if there is destruction of brain cells, then the only way treatment is to strengthen the remaining cells, since it is impossible to add new ones. However, in the 1960s, researchers discovered that the formation of new brain neurons continues into adulthood, a process called neurogenesis. New brain cells are formed from stem cells - these cells can divide randomly, renew themselves and become the starting material for cells various types. The discovery of brain stem cells and adult neurogenesis has made it possible to develop a new scientific approach to the treatment of organic brain damage caused by alcohol exposure, as well as to improve the effectiveness of treatment of alcoholism in general.

Thus, experiments conducted on animals have shown that high doses of alcohol cause significant harm and lead to disruption of the formation of new brain cells. Scientists believe that it is the disorder of neurogenesis that causes disruption of the functioning of various areas of the brain (for example, the hypothalamus) in the future. It is necessary to comprehensively study the process of interaction of alcohol with brain stem cells, as well as study the brain cells of patients suffering from alcoholism - all this could be the first step in developing a new method of treating alcoholism and its consequences through cell therapy.

conclusions

All patients suffering from alcoholism differ significantly from each other. The disease manifests itself differently in everyone and also has different origins. That is why, at the moment, researchers have not been able to identify common cause disorders of brain activity in patients with alcoholism. It still remains a mystery why such harm from alcohol as organic brain damage manifests itself differently in everyone. Namely, it is not entirely clear why some alcoholics have serious organic brain damage, while other patients, other things being equal, do not experience such damage - today this problem is quite relevant for scientific research.

The good news is that most patients with alcoholism and related cognitive disorders show positive changes in brain structure and overall body functioning within a year of complete failure from drinking alcohol, although some patients require much longer recovery time. Treating physicians may try wide range treatment methods to help the patient quit alcohol and recover from the negative effects of alcohol abuse, thereby completely eliminating the harm alcohol causes to the patient. Of course, a set of treatment methods is compiled taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

An important role in the development of alcoholism treatment is played by the use of modern technologies. Treating doctors can use computer brain scanning technology to track positive changes during treatment and, accordingly, get an idea of the effectiveness of the chosen course. A CT scan can show structural, functional and biochemical changes in the patient’s body, as well as their progress over time, which, accordingly, will show how the harm of alcohol decreases. Also, active development of promising new medications is currently underway that will help prevent the harmful effects of alcohol on the body and the formation of new brain cells to replace those that were destroyed under the influence of alcohol.

To understand why alcohol is dangerous, you need to understand how it moves in the human body. A drink containing ethyl alcohol and other equally dangerous impurities first enters the digestive system.

The oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, intestines - they are the ones who take the first blow. The main volume of ethanol is absorbed into the blood in duodenum. The walls of this section of the gastrointestinal tract are permeated big amount blood vessels.

Fats, proteins and carbohydrates are digested through the action of enzymes. This is necessary due to their complex structure and specific gravity.

Alcoholic drinks do not require a complex breakdown process, so a person who drinks alcohol on an empty stomach gets drunk very quickly. In this case, the harm caused will be more significant.

The maximum concentration of ethyl alcohol is recorded within an hour after its penetration into the body.

People suffering from alcoholism have many reasons to worry. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to serious problems with health, deterioration in quality of life and personality degradation.

Heart, hematopoietic organs and blood vessels

Ethyl alcohol provokes a decrease in the tone of the veins and arteries, which increases their lumen. In the first half hour, a person feels pleasant relaxation and calm. Problems fade into the background, and your mood improves. Unfortunately, this is a temporary effect.

After a certain period there is a sharp jump blood pressure caused by spasm of blood vessels. The heart begins to beat faster, tachycardia occurs. As a result, peripheral blood flow deteriorates.

Compensatory capabilities of cardio-vascular system undermined due to increased load. Increases the likelihood internal bleeding and the occurrence of blood clots. Consequences include ischemia, acute thrombosis of the coronary veins, and intoxication of the body.

Thanks to alcohol, anemia develops, tissue hypoxia is vital important organs, macrocytosis (increased volume of red blood cells), myopathy and leukopenia.

Respiratory system

How does excessive consumption of drinks containing alcohol harm the respiratory system?

It makes it worse chronic diseases, the affected area is the lungs. In this case, the decomposition products of ethanol, which are transformed into toxic vapors, are especially dangerous.

The lungs begin to work faster than usual. This is explained by the need to remove harmful substances from the body.

As a result, the surface of the mucous membranes is not sufficiently moistened, which creates favorable conditions for life pathogenic microflora. The patient becomes more vulnerable to infectious pathologies. The risk of developing tuberculosis increases.

Gastrointestinal tract

It is more difficult for the body of an addicted person to fight waste and toxins.

Partial dysfunction digestive system expressed as:

Diarrhea.
Acid-base balance disorders.
Constipation.
Capillary blockages.
Lack of vitamins and organic acids.
Increased permeability of the intestinal walls.
An allergic reaction that provokes skin rashes, Quincke's edema.
Nausea, vomiting.

Possible formation of dysbacteriosis, acute pancreatitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer, intestinal cancer. Their development can be prevented only by completely abstaining from alcohol.

It is advisable to undergo recovery therapy to treat complications caused by harmful addiction.

Nervous system

Why is alcohol so dangerous for humans?

There is no safe dose of ethyl alcohol. Even if you drink in moderation, a negative effect on the cerebral cortex cannot be avoided. The centers responsible for behavior are suppressed.

Alcoholic diplopia (double vision) appears, hearing suffers, and neurons are destroyed. As a result, drunk people cease to adequately perceive the people around them and the environment. Their reactions are slowed down and their actions become unpredictable.

These processes do not go away without a trace. The morning after a feast, a person often suffers from headaches, weakness throughout the body, and problems with concentration.

Damaged nerve cells do not recover, so over time you will have to get used to the difficulties caused bad memory and inability to concentrate. The consequences of regular consumption of alcoholic beverages include: neurological disorders and mental illness.

Skin

Alcohol makes a person look older than he really is. Ethanol and its breakdown products have Negative influence on the skin. Dehydration leads to a lack of nutrients and moisture. It gives impetus to degenerative processes that cause changes in color and texture, decreased elasticity, and difficulty in removing harmful substances through the skin pores.

Excretory system

Alcohol is eliminated in several ways: through the lungs, skin and kidneys. In the latter case, ethyl alcohol comes out unchanged. This is explained by its effect on antidiuretic hormone, which promotes increased urine output.

Unfortunately, along with ethanol, substances that are necessary for normal functioning are washed out of the body. These include vitamins from group B, micro- and macroelements. Violation of the acid-base balance provokes irritability, swelling, tremors, heart problems, and seizures.

Due to regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, kidney stones form, nephropathy, necronephrosis, and pyelonephritis develop. The inflammatory process localized in parenchymal organs, in the absence of timely treatment, can lead to renal failure.

Endocrine glands

Organs included in endocrine system, are responsible for the chemical regulation of processes. They control the activity of the entire body, so their partial dysfunction provokes the development of serious, sometimes incurable diseases.

Due to the penetration of ethyl alcohol, the glands that control sexual function. The functioning of the adrenal glands is also disrupted. As a result, metabolic and regulatory processes are subjected to pathological changes. There can be no talk of normal human life. The consequences are often irreversible.

Reproductive organs

Alcohol harms the health of not only those who drink, but also their future children. If a woman drank alcohol before or during pregnancy, the likelihood of having a child with mental or physical disabilities increases several times. They may develop in the future. The period of drinking and the amount of alcoholic beverages does not matter.

Eggs are formed even before a girl is born, therefore, they are not renewed throughout life. The more often the expectant mother drinks, the more “defective” eggs she has.

Men need to be careful too. Their reproductive cells change every three months. Before conception, it is recommended to abstain even from beer for this period. It often carries more harm than strong drinks.

Alcoholism causes infertility, early attack menopause, sexual impotence. Alcohol is contraindicated during breastfeeding. Ethanol easily overcomes all barriers and enters the child's body through mother's milk.

Conclusion

The harm from alcoholic beverages is not limited to the listed complications. The musculoskeletal system and immunity also suffer from ethyl alcohol. In general, the pleasure of drinking alcohol is not commensurate with the damage it causes. People who value life know this and do not neglect their health.

Created 09/25/2010

Alcoholism is a problem affecting different aspects life. Alcohol also affects the body itself. Let's take a closer look at the harm that alcohol causes.

What are alcoholic drinks?

These are drinks that contain ethyl alcohol. There are 4 types of alcoholic drinks:

beer contains 3-6% alcohol
wine contains 12-14% alcohol
fortified wine (port and others) due to the added alcohol has more high content alcohol - 18-20%
strong alcoholic drinks (vodka, rum, whiskey and others) contain 40-50% alcohol.

Why do people drink alcohol?

People use alcohol to escape stress, loneliness, boredom, family troubles, illness, and aging. There is a traditional use of alcohol - from New Year's Eve to weddings and funerals.

When does a person usually try alcoholic drinks for the first time?

Most often in adolescence. In America, 37% of adolescents aged 12-17 regularly drink alcohol. A survey conducted in some educational institutions in Russia revealed that 3% of respondents began drinking alcoholic beverages at the age of 10, 3% at the age of 13, 88% at the age of 15, and 5% at the age of 17 and older.

According to statistics, 10% of those who try alcohol for the first time later turn out to be alcoholics. Think about it.

What happens to alcohol in the human body?

Unlike food, alcohol does not need to be digested. It is absorbed directly into the blood in the stomach and small intestine. Through the bloodstream, alcohol enters all organs and tissues, where it slows down the activity of processes in cells.

The bulk of alcohol is neutralized in the liver, and the remainder is excreted by the kidneys, lungs and sweat glands. The human body excretes an average of 7.4 - 14.8 ml of alcohol per hour.

What effect does alcohol have on the human body?

Alcohol destroys brain matter and aggravates age-related disorders of its blood supply.

Even a small amount of alcohol impairs peripheral vision, reaction speed (including to sound), the ability to perceive and process information, reason sensibly, and control oneself.

Alcohol abuse over a long period of time leads to damage to the nerves that control muscles, pain, temperature, pressure and orientation in space. In addition, long-term drunkenness leads to the development of Korsakoff's syndrome, when, as a result of the destruction of certain brain structures, a person loses the ability to master new material and has almost no memory of recent events.

Alcohol abuse can also cause hallucinations.

Alcohol increases the likelihood of myocardial infarction. Moderate doses of alcohol do not help prevent heart attacks, as has now been established. The beneficial fraction of cholesterol contained in the blood - lipoproteins - protects against heart attack. high density HDL2. The level of this faction increases due to physical exercise, and not alcohol at all. On the contrary, alcoholic drinks lead to an increase in the content of the harmful fraction of cholesterol - HDLV lipoproteins, which can increase the risk of myocardial infarction.

Further, as a result of chronic poisoning of the heart muscle with alcohol, it can no longer contract effectively, and heart failure develops. Arrhythmias and chest pain may occur as a result of insufficient blood flow to the heart.

Alcohol causes an increase blood pressure, which can lead to a stroke. Research has shown that young people healthy men systolic pressure(top number) increased significantly as the dose of alcohol consumed daily increased. A moderate drinker is three times more likely to have a stroke than a non-drinker.

Alcohol disrupts the processes of food digestion, absorption and absorption of nutrients. He calls increased production acidic gastric juice, which entails gastritis - inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Gastritis is accompanied by pain, leading to ulcers and bleeding.

Alcohol causes inflammation of the pancreas; In this case, disturbances in the production of the hormone insulin may occur.

Drinking alcohol can cause varicose veins esophagus. At severe cough or vomiting, they can break through, which leads to bleeding, even death.

Since the liver plays the main role in neutralizing alcohol, the harm it causes to this organ is especially obvious. May occur:

fatty degeneration of the liver due to the fact that the body uses alcohol calories as an energy source rather than its own fat reserves
inflammation of the liver is accompanied by the death of liver cells and can cause jaundice. Without treatment, liver inflammation can lead to death or the development of cirrhosis of the liver.
Liver cirrhosis occurs when liver cells die and are replaced by scar tissue. Symptoms of the disease include weight loss, weakness, fatigue, and decreased sex drive. If you do not give up alcohol in time, the disease often becomes fatal. Men in Russia are dying from alcoholic cirrhosis liver 4 times more often than women

Alcohol increases the risk of cancer.

The risk of esophageal cancer increases especially significantly when drinking alcohol in combination with smoking. Esophageal cancer progresses rapidly and is very rarely curable. Its signs are difficulty swallowing, a feeling of obstruction in the sternum.

It is known that not only cancer of the esophagus, but also cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, stomach, liver, colon, as well as pancreatic, thyroid and breast cancer are more common in those who drink alcohol.

A person who abuses alcohol is more susceptible to infectious diseases.

Alcohol often contributes to obesity, since it is the most concentrated source of calories after fat. For example, one 237 ml can of imported beer contains 114 “empty” calories.

Drinking alcohol by a person taking medication may cause serious consequences. Alcohol interacts with many medications, enhancing their effect or, conversely, reducing their effectiveness. Among them are anticoagulants, barbiturates, antibiotics, salicylates, various psychotropic and other drugs. In combination with sleeping pills and tranquilizers, alcohol can even lead to death. Alcohol also prolongs the recovery period after anesthesia (narcosis).

Moderate doses of alcohol increase sexual desire in men, but at the same time reduce their ability to have sexual intercourse. In women, alcohol can worsen infertility and contribute to spontaneous miscarriages.

How does alcohol affect children?

Any amount of alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman can cause what is called “fetal alcohol syndrome.” This concept unites a group of congenital anomalies, such as small eyes, small skull size, defects of the face, ears, and joints. Low birth weight, heart defects (heart defects), and retarded physical growth and mental development are also common. Such children cannot concentrate, are impulsive, hyperactive, and study poorly.

As for the consumption of alcohol by children themselves, it is especially destructive for them. For example, one 5-year-old boy died from just one glass of vodka, which he quietly took from the holiday table.

Often a teenager receives his first glass of alcohol from the hands of his parents. In Russia, sample studies among students showed that 29% of respondents had relatives who drank alcohol in their presence, and 24% of parents did not condemn their children for drinking alcohol. But in adolescents, alcoholism manifests itself much faster than in adults.

More negative consequences of drinking alcohol

Alcohol causes great damage to the economy due to a drop in labor productivity, absenteeism, and an increase in injuries.

Most serious crimes are committed under the influence of alcohol. In Russia, according to selective data, violent death in 77% of cases occurred in a state of alcohol intoxication. Such serious crimes as mutilation of wife and children, as well as incest, are often consequences of alcohol intoxication.

Because alcohol depresses the central nervous system, negatively affecting common sense and perception, a person loses control over his actions. He becomes aggressive, his behavior goes beyond social boundaries. This leads to the destruction of family and relationships with others, and loss of work.

Alcohol consumption is associated with higher mortality from road traffic accidents, accidents and suicide.

Research by the Swedish National Institute of Roads and Transport showed that even if 24 hours after drinking alcohol the level in the blood dropped to zero, the person drove the car much worse than before drinking alcohol.

In Russia, alcohol consumption is often the cause of many accidents, poisonings and injuries, which among all causes of death occupy 3rd place in men and 4th in women, second only to diseases of the circulatory system and cancer.

Respiratory arrest, coma and death can result from too much alcohol taken over a short period of time.

Can alcoholism be cured?

First of all, everything depends on the person himself, on his desire to change his life and give up alcohol. It happens that people quit drinking without anyone's help. But such cases are rare. Most often, the fight against alcoholism causes great difficulties, especially for women.

Now they offer many methods to combat alcoholism. Many promise to “cure alcoholism in one session,” which is so consistent with people’s desire to get quick results without much effort on their part. However, the very presence of an inexhaustible flow of such services casts doubt on their effectiveness; otherwise we wouldn't have a single alcoholic left.

Research by Russian scientists says that despite the variety of methods of anti-alcohol therapy, its effectiveness remains low. Abstinence from alcohol for more than 3-5 years occurs, according to different authors, only in 1-4% of cases, more than 1 year - 20-25% of cases. On average, abstinence from alcohol rarely exceeded 3-6 months, especially among women. The disadvantage of a number of methods, according to scientists, is that when “coding” they set a certain period of abstinence from alcohol and leave the person with hope of the possibility of drinking small doses of alcohol in the future.

When you pick up a glass of alcohol, think about the harm you are doing to your body. Even if you do not have an alcohol addiction today, in the future you may not even notice how you will get used to alcohol and join the numerous ranks of people suffering from alcoholism. The words “this won’t happen to me...” are inappropriate here!