AWARENESS WEEK 3RD JULY - 9TH JULY 2023
Regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks damaging your health. Increased risk for problem drinking, of social pressure to drink or way to control stress (anxiety and depression) levels.
Immediate effects can increase the risk of harmful health conditions:
- injuries, falls, drowning and burns
- violence
- alcohol poisoning (high blood alcohol levels)
- risky sexual behaviours including unprotected sex and sex with multiple partners.
- miscarriage, stillbirth or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Excessive alcohol can lead to a development of chronic diseases and other serious problems:
- high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke, and digestive problems
- cancer
- weakened immune system
- learning and memory problems
- social problems (family, job-related and unemployment)
Single session drinking:
Drinking too much on a single occasion increases the risk of accidents resulting in injury. Misjudging risky situations and losing self-control. To reduce the health risks it is encouraged to limit how much is drunk, drink slowly and with food, and alternate with water and non-alcoholic drinks.
There are increasing alcohol awareness in the local communities. (Separate article)
Your Health:
BRAIN: Interferes with brains communication pathways and affect the way it works. It can result in a change of mood and behaviour.
PANCREAS: Produce toxic substances leading to pancreatitis. Dangerous inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas preventing proper digestion.
CANCER: Clear patterns have emerged between alcohol consumption and increased risks of cancer.
Head and neck cancer
Esophageal cancer, inherit deficiency in an enzyme metabolizes alcohol found to substantially increase risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Liver cancer
Breast cancer
Colorectal cancer
Physical effects on the body:
DIGESTIVE AND ENDOCRINE GLANDS: Inflammation of the pancreas.
INFLAMMATORY DAMAGE: Liver breaks down and remove toxins and harmful substances. Alcohol related liver disease is life threatening condition leads to toxins and waste buildup. Chronic liver inflammation cause scarring and permanently damage your liver.
SUGAR LEVELS: Regulate the body to use insulin and respond to glucose. Damage pancreas prevent body from producing enough insulin to use sugar.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM: Slurred speech, intoxication as alcohol reduces communication between brain and body. Speech and coordination levels are more difficult. Affect the ability to create long term memories, think clearly, make rational choices and regulate emotions.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: Damage the tissues in digestive tract preventing intestines from digesting food and absorbing nutrients and vitamins. Damage can cause malnutrition. Heavy drinking can lead to gas, bloating, feeling of fullness, diarrhea and painful stools and ulcers.
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM: Affect your heart and lungs raising the risk of developing heart-related health issues. Circulatory system include high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, difficult to pump blood through the body and strokes.
Until the next Legal Thought,
Elicia Maxwell
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