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How Does Drinking Hurt The Body?
Question: I have family history of alcoholism. I cannot stop at one drink. I will drink until I am drunk. How does drinking hurt my body? I want to stop but I cannot. Help?!
Brief Answer:
may need assistance to stop
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Alcoholism is considered to be a disease and treatment is needed to stop.
It can be very difficult to stop on your own. You may need to assistance of your doctor or a counselor and a peer group such as AA.
Excess alcohol intake is 4th leading cause of preventable death in the US .
It can affect almost all the organs of the body and it interferes with the function of different neurotransmitters (chemicals involved in transmitting signals) in the brain .
Some of the alcohol related diseases are cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis , cardiomyopathy (damage to heart muscle), gastrointestinal bleeding, peripheral neuropathy (damage and abnormal function of the nerves)
it can also affect the occurrence of some cancers such as mouth cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and colonic cancer.
To stop, you would need to consult your doctor who would be able to refer you to a counsellor and the nearest AA.
Total abstinence is needed. If there is a history of repeated abuse you may need to be in a setting where you can be monitored in case any withdrawal symptoms occur.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
may need assistance to stop
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Alcoholism is considered to be a disease and treatment is needed to stop.
It can be very difficult to stop on your own. You may need to assistance of your doctor or a counselor and a peer group such as AA.
Excess alcohol intake is 4th leading cause of preventable death in the US .
It can affect almost all the organs of the body and it interferes with the function of different neurotransmitters (chemicals involved in transmitting signals) in the brain .
Some of the alcohol related diseases are cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis , cardiomyopathy (damage to heart muscle), gastrointestinal bleeding, peripheral neuropathy (damage and abnormal function of the nerves)
it can also affect the occurrence of some cancers such as mouth cancer, esophageal cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and colonic cancer.
To stop, you would need to consult your doctor who would be able to refer you to a counsellor and the nearest AA.
Total abstinence is needed. If there is a history of repeated abuse you may need to be in a setting where you can be monitored in case any withdrawal symptoms occur.
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your information. Pretty scary stuff to think about here! I do have a doctor appointment on Monday this upcoming week. I will discuss with him. Can you give me some insight on Spinal Stenosis. I was diagnosed with it when I fell and injured my back 5 years ago. I have been to a spine doctor and had several RFA's done on my lower left lumbar area. This is where it hurts, ALL the time. What can I expect for the rest of my life with pain or with the diagnosis for my back. Thank you again for being so kind and non judgmental on my alcoholism.
Brief Answer:
prognosis can vary
Detailed Answer:
HI
Spinal stenosis can occur as part of the aging process and often, predicting who would be affected is difficult.
Progressive or continual narrowing of the spinal canal can continue on its with protrusion of the disc (these are present between the vertebra).
This may or may not occur
IN terms of the prognosis- this can vary from one person. Some persons may show some mild improvement of symptoms, symptoms may remain the same or may progress.
One study conducted over 4 yrs found - 70% had no change in symptoms over 4 yrs, 15% worsening and 15% improvement.
It would be difficult to say which group you would fall into but hopefully your pain would be able stable or improve
Please feel free to ask any other questions
prognosis can vary
Detailed Answer:
HI
Spinal stenosis can occur as part of the aging process and often, predicting who would be affected is difficult.
Progressive or continual narrowing of the spinal canal can continue on its with protrusion of the disc (these are present between the vertebra).
This may or may not occur
IN terms of the prognosis- this can vary from one person. Some persons may show some mild improvement of symptoms, symptoms may remain the same or may progress.
One study conducted over 4 yrs found - 70% had no change in symptoms over 4 yrs, 15% worsening and 15% improvement.
It would be difficult to say which group you would fall into but hopefully your pain would be able stable or improve
Please feel free to ask any other questions
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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