DEFINITION

The alcoholism consists of an excessive consumption of alcohol of form prolonged with dependency of the same one.
It is a chronic illness produced by the uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, which interferes in the physical, mental, social and/or familiar health as well as in the labor responsibilities.

CAUSES

The alcoholism is a type of drug addiction.

There are two types of dependency in this addiction: the physics and the psychological one. The physical dependency is revealed by itself, when the alcohol ingestion is interrupted, with very clear symptoms like the tolerance, every time major, to the alcohol and illnesses associated with his consumption.

The direct effect of the alcohol in the nervous system there are the depression, like result of the decrease of the activity, the anxiety, tension and inhibitions. Even a small alcohol level inside the body enlentece the reactions. The concentration and the judgment begin deteriorating. In excessive quantities, the alcohol produces a poisoning and poisoning.

The alcohol also fond of other corporal systems. There can appear an annoyance of the gastrointestinal tract with erosions in the walls of the stomach due to the morning sickness and vomiting. The vitamins are not absorbed well, and this causes nutritional shortcomings in the alcoholics of long evolution. Also it causes problems in the liver (hepatic cirrhosis).

The cardiovascular system turns out to be affected for cardiopatías. Also a sexual alteration can appear causing a malfunction in the erection of the penis in the man and a disappearance of the menstruation in the woman. The alcohol consumption during the pregnancy can cause problems in the development of the fetus, producing the called fetal syndrome of the alcohol.

The development of the dependency on the alcohol can happen between 5 and 25 years following a progression. First the tolerance alcohol develops. This happens in persons who are capable of consuming a big alcohol quantity before the adverse effects are evident.

After the tolerance the memory slips will appear. Later there appears the absence of the control to drink, and the affected person cannot remain without drinking, needs it to develop his daily life.

The physical and mental complications are the most serious problem of the drinkers. Some persons are capable of obtaining a control on his dependency in the early phases before the entire loss of the control.

There is no definite cause of the alcoholism but there are factors that can play a role in his development. The unleashing of an alcoholism is more probable in the persons with some alcoholic relative than in others that do not have it. There is not known the reason, which can be in genetic or biochemical anomalies.

Between the psychological factors they are included: the need for consolation for the anxiety, conflicts in the personal relations, low personal esteem, etc...

The social factors include: the facility of consumption of alcohol, the social acceptance of the consumption of alcohol, life styles of stress, etc...

The incidence in the dependency on the alcohol is increasing. The statistics change but approximately 7 % of adults in Europe is affected.

PREVENTION

Until the primary causes of the alcoholism are discovered, the problem cannot be far-sighted. Anyway, the educational programs on the alcohol directed to the children and adolescents and to his relatives can be of big utility. The correct social habits are fundamental for the prevention of his abuse.

SYMPTOMS

• Tolerance of the effects of the alcohol.
• Daily or frequent need for alcohol for his daily function.
• Loss of control with incapability to interrupt or to reduce the alcohol consumption.
• Solitary drinker.
• To give excuses to drink.
• Episodes of loss of memory associated with the consumption of alcohol (black absences).
• Episodes of violence associated with the consumption of alcohol.
• I spoil in the social and familiar relations and in the labor responsibility.
• Absenteeism from work.
• Inexplicable bad genius.
• Conduct that stretches to hide the alcoholism.
• Hostility on having spoken about the drink.
• To refuse to the food ingestion.
• To deny the physical appearance.
• Morning sickness.
• Vomiting.
• Hesitation in the mornings.
• Abdominal pain.
• Cramps.
• Dullness and quakes.
• Reddening and extensive capillaries of the face (especially in the nose).
• Confusion.
• Quakes and uncontrolled shakes of the body.
• Weariness and agitation.
• Insomnia.
• Loss of appetite and intolerance to all the meal.
• Confusion.
• Hallucinations.
• Tachycardia.
• Perspirations.
• Convulsions.
• Problems in the language.
• Lacrimeo.
• Evanescence.

TEST AND ANALYSIS

There is done a history of the chronic or excessive consumption of the alcohol. The history must be obtained of the family if the affected person is unable to answer the questions. A medical examination makes possible the identification of physical problems related to the consumption of alcohol.

A toxicological examination of the level of alcohol in the blood confirms the recent alcohol consumption (what not necessary confirms an alcoholism).

Also there are realized tests of function of the liver including GOT, GPT and fosfatasas alkaline, that are abnormally high.

This illness also can alter the results of the following tests:

• Uric acid.
• Urine Osmolaridad.
• Test of whey of magnesium.
• Bodies cetónicos in the urine.
• Absolute eosinófilos inventory.

PROGNOSIS

The alcoholism is the biggest problem of health, both social and economic. It is involved in more than half of traffic accidents and accidental deaths. A high percentage of suicides is committed combining the alcohol with other substances, and there are many deaths related to the alcoholism for the complications related to the illness. The treatment programs have different results, but many people with a dependency on the alcohol have a finished recovery.

COMPLICATIONS

• Sharp and chronic Pancreatitis.
• Alcoholic Cardiomiopatía.
• Alcoholic neuropathy.
• Varicose veins esofágicas sangrantes.
• Cerebral degeneration.
• Hepatic cirrhosis.
• Complications of the alcoholic abstinence.
• Depression.
• Malfunction in the erections.
• Alcoholic fetal syndrome in the children of alcoholic women.
• Increase of the blood pressure.
• I increase in the incidence of the Cancer.
• Insomnia.
• Nutritional shortcomings.
• Suicide.
• Syndrome of Wernicke-Korsakoff.

EMERGENCY SIGNS

Go to urgencies or call to the phone of urgencies (in Spain: 112, 911, 061) if well-known confusion, hemorrhages, loss of conscience, etc..., symptoms that can appear in well-known alcoholics or in persons suspicious of enduring dependency on the alcohol.

TO SEE ALSO

• Treatment of the alcoholism
• Delirium tremens
• Hallucinations
• Hepatic cirrhosis
• Hypertension
• Pancreatitis

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