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Alcoholism
Medical Questions » Alcoholism
| Name: Alcoholism |
| Also known as: |
| A long standing addiction to alcohol that affects as many as 3% of the population. |
Causes of Alcoholism
The excessive use of alcohol on a regular basis to relieve tension or anxiety. There is also a genetic tendency, so that if one of your parents or siblings is an alcoholic, your risk of developing alcoholism is increased. |
Symptoms of Alcoholism
An alcoholic is someone who has three or more of the following symptoms or signs:
— drinks alone;
— tries to hide drinking habits from others;
— continues to drink despite convincing evidence that it is damaging their health;
— disrupts work or social life because of alcohol;
— craves alcohol when none is available;
— appears to tolerate the effects of alcohol well;
— blacks out for no apparent reason;
— binges on alcohol;
— averages six standard alcoholic drinks a day;
— has abnormal liver function blood tests. |
Tests for Alcoholism
Blood tests on liver function and alcohol levels may confirm diagnosis. An ultrasound scan of the liver may show damage (cirrhosis). |
Treatment for Alcoholism
Counseling, professional treatment programs in hospital, supportive groups (eg. Alcoholics Anonymous), medications to ease withdrawal and prevent relapses (eg. disulfram, naltrexone).
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Complications of Alcoholism of its treatment
Social complications include disruption to family life, verbal and physical abuse of children and wife/husband, poor performance at work, repeated loss of jobs or failure to gain promotion, loss of friends and chastisement from relatives, the physical risks of drink-driving and being injured in falls or industrial accidents, the increased risk of eventual suicide. Medical complications include liver cirrhosis (hardening of the liver — see separate entry); nutritional deficiencies (eg. beriberi — see separate entry); brain damage can cause depression, memory loss, irrational behavior and a form of insanity known as the Wernicke-Korsakoff psychosis (see separate entry); damage to the nerves supplying the rest of the body can result in peripheral neuropathy (see separate entry); degeneration of the cerebellum (the part of the brain that is at the back of the head) can cause permanent in coordination, difficulties in walking and performing simple tasks. Withdrawal from alcohol may cause delirium tremens (see separate entry). |
Likely Outcome of Alcoholism
The medical effects of alcoholism can be serious to the point where they can significantly alter the quality of life and shorten the life of the alcoholic. |
See related questions here.
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