9 Health Risks Of Drinking Alcohol

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If you ask most alcohol drinkers, they don't like to admit that they are alcoholics. They consider themselves to be moderate drinkers or social drinkers. However, even for those people who are moderate alcohol drinkers, the ill-effects of alcohol will not spare you. There are always health risks associated with alcohol consumption.

These health risks may not implement itself right away but eventually the ill-effects of alcohol consumption catch up with you. Alcohol drinkers must reduce their consumption of alcohol as they age. If they don't change their drinking habits then it simply starts becoming alcohol abuse. Diseases like high blood pressure, heart problems etc. happen in the middle ages. And if you are an alcohol drinker then it is all the more severe.

Many diseases can be solely accounted to drinking alcohol. These diseases are Cirrhosis Of Liver and pancreas damage. They are common disorders seen among alcohol drinkers. Mind you, both these diseases are fatal.

So here are some of the major health risks that alcohol drinkers must watch out for.

Cirrhosis Of Liver

This disease is like the nemesis of all drinkers. Alcohol is like a toxin for liver cells and thus, it scars the liver tissues. Finally the liver is so damaged that it stops working altogether. Cirrhosis is a potentially fatal disease.

High Blood Pressure

Alcohol gives you a 'high'. This 'high' comes at the cost of your sympathetic nervous system that controls your blood pressure. When you do binge drinking, it might spike your blood pressure suddenly.

Obesity

Vodka, beer and gin are pretty fattening alcoholic drinks. Actually you can end up gaining more calories from alcohol than your food. Most chronic alcoholics have a beer belly and loose fat. Obesity is the beginning of many serious health problems.

Cardiovascular Diseases

If your blood pressure is high, it will obviously put pressure on your heart. Alcohol drinkers are more prone to heart attacks. Alcohol also makes blood platelets clot together and thus leads to heart blockages.

Anaemia

When you drink, the oxygen carrying capacity of your blood lowers down. This could cause a special type of anaemia that makes you feel fatigued and breathe heavily even without doing any work.

Depression

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That is the debate raging these days. Do depressed people drink more or people who drink get depressed very easily.

Gout

Gout is a kind of arthritis that causes by accumulation of uric acid in the joints. If you are an alcohol drinker, then gout could be a very painful prospect for you.

Pancreas Damage

Alcohol leads to inflammation of the pancreas and that hinders normal digestion. This is very rarely curable and could also lead to death.

Nerve Damage

Alcohol is like poison for your nerve cells. It causes a syndrome called alcoholic neuropathy. You might suddenly feel pins and needles on your fingers and toes or a part of your body might be numb for hours.