Alcohol is the strongest poison for the body, affecting all internal organs. When abusing develop pathology of the liver, kidneys, heart, nerves, skin suffers. Therefore, before drinking alcohol it is worth to learn about the diseases to which they lead.
Diseases from alcohol
Alcohol has a high toxicity, and in its effect on the body it is similar to drugs. With regular ethanol poisoning, failures occur in the functioning of internal organs and systems. The state of health is significantly undermined, there are chronic diseases that can not be cured.
First of all, the liver, responsible for the neutralization of poisons, suffers. With prolonged abuse of alcohol at some point, it weakens so much that alcoholic hepatitis develops, and then - cirrhosis. With this disease, only the refusal of alcohol can prolong life, but recovery is impossible.
If the time does not stop the abuse of alcohol, in addition to physical pathologies, persistent mental disorders develop. In the end, there will be complete degradation of the individual from alcohol.
Stomach
Very often against a background of alcohol abuse develops gastritis and subsequent digestive disorders.20% of the ethanol entering the body is absorbed in the stomach, so its mucous membrane becomes inflamed and covered with ulcers. At the same time, the synthesis of important enzymes is reduced.
Even a small dose of alcohol on condition of regular use can cause very severe pain, because the glands in the stomach wall begin to intensively produce mucus. In the future, these glands often die, which causes problems with digestion. Part of the food stagnates in the stomach, and then enters the intestines undigested.
Strong alcohol is dangerous in that it causes burns of mucous membranes, resulting in tissues beginning to die. This is one of the manifestations of alcoholic gastritis. In order to restore the dead epithelium, it takes a lot of time and complete refusal of alcohol.
First time there is vomiting, which can last a very long time, but eventually it disappears.
OPINION OF SPECIALISTS!
Elena Malysheva:
"Is Alcoholism Cured? Yes! Use an effective home remedy. .. "
Read more. ..
However, there remain strong pains, accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms:
- feeling of raspryaniya at the top of the abdomen;
- by alternating constipation and diarrhea;
- smell of rot from the mouth;
- with an uninterrupted eructation.
If you leave gastritis without treatment, other serious diseases will develop on its background: cholecystitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, cirrhosis. Burning in the stomach will become a constant symptom.
Alcohol effects on the stomach:
Kidney
Alcohol abuse inhibits kidney function, leading to serious complications, among which:
- Urolithiasis.
- Renal dystrophy.
- Glomerulonephritis.
- Pyelonephritis.
- Acute kidney failure.
Very quickly, alcohol suppresses the ability of the kidneys to filter and remove fluid, resulting in the development of edema. The puffy face becomes one of the main external signs of an alcoholic. In this regard, the most dangerous beer - it has a pronounced diuretic effect, but, drunk in large quantities, overloads the kidneys and causes severe dehydration.
All liquid accumulated in the body is consumed for the washing out of ethanol, which causes a sharp deficit of moisture. The blood becomes thick, so filtration is difficult.
Because of the disturbed metabolism, renal cells are damaged, leading to a degeneration of the filtering organ.
This pathology has 3 varieties:
- Granular.
- Hyaline-dropping.
- Fatty.
With granular dystrophy, the kidneys increase in size, their tissues lose their elasticity, and the lumen of the tubules is shaped like a star. The main sign of the hyaline-drop form of pathology is a pronounced impairment of the filtering ability. With fatty degeneration, fatty tubules are formed in the tissue that impede kidney function.
What other diseases can be caused by alcohol intoxication? Alcohol-containing beverages can also provoke acute kidney failure. It manifests itself in the partial or complete cessation of diuresis. All metabolic processes in the kidneys are violated, so eventually necrosis of tubules and coma can develop.
In chronic alcoholism, the development of necronemphrosis, which develops into pyelonephritis or glomerulonephritis, is inevitable. The kidneys grow and become white due to the fatty degeneration of the epithelium. Then the chronic failure of the paired organ develops quite rapidly.
The influence of alcohol on the kidneys on video:
Cardiovascular system
Because of its microscopic size, an ethanol molecule can overcome any barrier in the body, penetrate any shell. Therefore, harm to health as a result of alcohol abuse can be enormous.
To split out 100 grams of vodka, the body needs 6 hours of hard work. Throughout this time, highly toxic acetaldehyde passes through the blood, passing through the heart. It experiences a heavy load and starts to make up to 110 beats per minute.
Because small vessels are clogged with blood clots, blood circulation is hampered, and myocardium begins to lack oxygen. As a result, the heart muscle after a long intake of alcohol loses its tone, it accumulates fats and slags.
Dangerous diseases can develop as a result of alcohol exposure to the cardiovascular system, which threatens cardiac arrest:
- hypertension from alcohol;
- atherosclerosis;
- cardiomyopathy;
- arrhythmia.
Free circulating with blood, acetaldehyde penetrates deeply into the heart structures, causing serious disturbances. Functionality of the myocardium decreases, the composition of muscle fibers changes. As a result, the membranes become friable, so the production of proteins by the heart cells is difficult.
In the course of diagnosis, people who are addicted to alcohol are registered with the disease "alcoholic heart".So doctors call specific changes in the body as a result of prolonged intoxication: it increases in size due to the proliferation of connective tissue and changes its shape.
If alcoholic poisoning does not stop, a mechanism of decompensation is triggered. Myocardium begins to contract less often and with less intensity, resulting in heart failure with concomitant edema of all internal organs. Recovery at this stage of the disease is impossible.
Liver
The strongest damage alcohol does to the liver, which is responsible for the neutralization of poisons. It is in this organ that ethanol is split up to a highly toxic acetaldehyde, and then to carbon dioxide and water released from the body.
The most frequent liver disease against the background of alcohol abuse is hepatitis. For the development of the disease, it is sufficient for men to consume 50 g of alcohol per day, for women 30 g, for adolescents only 15 g, which corresponds to 0.5 l.beer.
Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver cells, a process associated with the intake of alcohol, damaged by acetaldehyde. In just 5 years, the disease becomes chronic. It can take place in a persistent form, when the development of the disease can be stopped by the rejection of alcohol, and in the progressive, in which residual effects persist.
With persistent hepatitis, cell degeneration and fibrosis are observed. If the disease progresses, a person begins to suffer from constant diarrhea and vomiting.
At the middle stage, more dangerous symptoms appear:
- fever;
- yellowing of the skin, eyes, nails;
- bleeding;
- tenderness on the right under the ribs;
- is a liver failure.
The greatest danger is the failure of the liver, because it can lead to the death of the patient. In addition, as the disease progresses, hepatitis can pass into liver cirrhosis, in which the body loses the ability to neutralize toxins. In addition, it makes it difficult to produce the proteins needed to stop bleeding.
The liver with cirrhosis increases or decreases, and the growing scar tissue that replaces dead cells, squeezes the capillaries. As a result, the veins expand, bleeding occurs from them, which can lead to death.
Cirrhosis is a progressive and incurable disease. At the last stage, development of cancer tumors is possible.
Pancreatic
The pancreas does not directly participate in the cleavage of ethyl alcohol. However, under the influence of alcohol in its ducts, spasms often occur that interfere with the synthesis and release of digestive enzymes into the blood. As a result, these enzymes literally begin to digest the pancreas itself.
Iron increases in size, it forms stones and protein plugs, which leads to the development of the inflammatory process. He often provokes the development of diabetes.
The pancreas as a result of intoxication reduces the synthesis of insulin. It is an important hormone that regulates the metabolism of sugar. In the body, tolerance to glucose is reduced, so diabetes develops.
In addition, under the influence of alcoholic toxins in the pancreas, functional cells die. The depletion of the gland develops, in which the secretory cells are replaced by supporting cells. This is how pancreatitis begins to form.
Effect of alcohol on the pancreas:
Blood
Alcohol has a destructive effect on blood, causing destruction of red blood cells.
This can provoke the following diseases:
- Thrombosis.
- Microinsult.
- Microaneurysm.
- Anemia.
The effect of microscopic alcohol molecules on erythrocytes is expressed by the fact that they begin to stick together and clog small vessels. This leads to the formation of blood clots, which can provoke a micro-insult and micro-aneurysm.
As blood circulation deteriorates, the organs experience oxygen starvation, and their parts begin to die off. Therefore, in chronic alcoholics, the noses become red.
The opinion that alcohol at the expense of vasodilator properties removes the attack of angina pectoris is erroneous. A minute later the dilated artery sharply narrows.
Under the influence of ethanol in the shells of blood cells, the cholesterol level sharply increases - up to 80%.This provokes the development of anemia.
Skin covers
Alcohol abuse also leads to a significant deterioration of the skin, which forms the specific appearance of the alcoholic. Due to constant dehydration, his skin becomes dry, loses elasticity, acquires an earthy hue, and after drinking alcohol becomes crimson. The alcoholic always has an unhealthy blush that causes microscopic hemorrhages in the upper layers of the epithelium.
Raspberry-red complexion after drinking alcohol, as well as itching and burning can be caused by an allergic reaction. With chronic alcoholism there is a rupture of the vessels, which is especially noticeable on the nose - it becomes crimson.
Brain
Even a minimal dose of ethyl alcohol can cause irreversible changes in the brain. Accordingly, in case of abuse, the risk of negative consequences is aggravated.
It has been scientifically confirmed that the death rate of all alcoholics is less than normal. Ethanol in the literal sense causes it to "shrink" and straightens the gyrus.
This is due to the activity of cerebral circulation. Alcohol is immediately absorbed into the blood and delivered to the brain, disrupting its function.
In addition, the body needs a large amount of oxygen for normal operation, but if a person drinks alcohol, the red blood cells stick together and form clots. The circulation of blood is hampered, and the cells of the brain lack food and die.
Paradoxically, a person at that moment feels euphoric, although already 100 g. Of vodka kill 8,000 cells of the brain. In addition to a reduction in size, the body is covered with ulcers and scars - they are formed in place of the dead neurons. In the brain, microscopic hemorrhages begin to occur.
In addition, alcohol kills cells responsible for morality, and generally reduces mental abilities. The behavior of a person becomes cheeky, his thinking is disturbed, it becomes difficult to make decisions.
One of the most dangerous consequences of alcohol abuse is cerebral edema.
It is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- pain in the head and neck;
- nausea with vomiting;
- numbness of the skin;
- shortness of breath;
- dizziness;
- coordination disorder;
- partial amnesia;
- syncope;
- incoherent speech;
- convulsions;
- paralysis;
- sleepiness.
Brain edema can occur even as a result of drinking a small amount of alcohol. The consequences of this pathology can be mental abnormalities, disability and death.
Nervous system
Most of the pathologies of the central nervous system are associated with the onset of the 2nd stage of alcoholism. A total of more than 20, and the most common are the following:
- encephalopathy;
- neurasthenia;
- polyneuritis.
Encephalopathy usually develops in alcoholics between 35 and 50 years. The disease appears due to the constant deficiency of vitamins and carbohydrates.
At the initial stage, neurasthenia occurs. The person's performance decreases, he starts to tire quickly, can not concentrate on anything. This provokes aggression, later the patient lost all interest in life, rapidly deteriorating memory, and eventually comes complete degradation of the individual.
Polyneuritis is formed due to inflammation of the nerves of the extremities. In this case, the legs lose sensitivity to pain and temperature.
Lower extremities begin to weaken, numbness appears with pricking, and because of contraction of muscles there is acute pain. You can add swelling and sweating.
Nervous disturbances against the background of alcohol abuse can lead to death. Thus, encephalopathy is accompanied by psychosis, and in this state a person ceases to control himself.