Alcohol Denise Eberhart

Physiological Complications October 30, 2011

Instructor: Jerry Van Kirk

ALCOHOL

FACT SHEET

ALCOHOL DEFINITION Alcohol (ethanol or ethyl alcohol) is the ingredient found in beer, wine and spirits which causes drunkenness. Alcohol is formed when yeast ferments (breaks down without oxygen) the carbohydrates or sugars in different food e.g. wine is made from the sugar in grapes, beer from the sugar in malted barley (a type of grain), cider from the sugar in apples, vodka from the sugar in potatoes, beets or other plants.

CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL AND

SOCIAL IMPACT OF ALCOHOL IN

WISCONSIN

WISCONSIN RATES #1:

Binge drinking - Percentage of drinkers in the population Driving under the influence

WISCONSIN put away more brandy per person than any other state and has a strong claim on the vodka title

Person for person, Wisconsin has three times more taverns here than the rest of the country.

Since 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has conducted 10

surveys about binge drinking. Every time, Wisconsin led the nation. The state typically out-binged its nearest challenger, usually North Dakota, by more than 13%. It typically out-binged the country as a whole by more than 50%.

The state as a whole has roughly one tavern or alcohol-serving restaurant for every 430 people. And Lena Wi 1 per 187 people

5,000 kids per year die from underage drinking and in 2003, the average age kids started drinking was 14

10% of individuals of ages 12 and up have alcohol problems – either abuse or dependence

22.1% of adults in Wisconsin engage in risky drinking – having 5 or more drinks in an occasion

. 7.5% of adults in Wisconsin engage in heavy

drinking – having 60 drinks in a month .

21.6% of Wisconsin women of ages 18 to 44 engage in risky drinking, which puts their fetuses at risk for mental retardation and other birth defects –

Every year, unhealthy drinking is directly responsible for:

• 1,300 deaths • 8,500 motor vehicle crashes

• 6,800 motor vehicle crash injuries • 2,400 known cases of child abuse

• 90,000 arrests

Drinking is the fourth most common cause of death in Wisconsin.

Drinking is the fourth most common cause of hospitalization in Wisconsin.

STANDARD MEASURE OF

ALCOHOL

To work out the number of standard drinks in what you are drinking use this formula:

Amount of drink in litres (Vol) x Percent by volume of alcohol (%) x Density of ethanol at room temperature (0.789)

Example:

500ml of beer which is 5 percent alcohol by volume.

0.5 x 5 x 0.789 = 1.97 (approx 2 standard drinks)

 

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS FROM THE ABUSE OF

ALCOHOL

Alcohol abuse damages the nervous system and destroys brain cell

Alcohol abuse causes cirrhosis of the liver Alcohol abuse causes infection and chronic

inflammation Alcohol abuse causes malnutrition Alcohol abuse causes Cardiovascular problems Alcohol abuse causes sexual problems Alcohol abuse can cause Cancer Alcohol abuse is linked with diabetes

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE

Repeatedly neglecting your responsibilities at

home, work, or school because of your drinking.

Using alcohol in situations where it’s physically dangerous

Experiencing repeated legal problems on account of your drinking.

Continuing to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships.

Drinking as a way to relax or de-stress Anxiety or jumpiness

TOLERANCE: THE 1ST MAJOR WARNING SIGN OF ALCOHOLISM

WITHDRAWAL: THE 2ND MAJOR WARNING SIGN OF ALCOHOLISM

Shakiness or trembling Sweating Nausea and vomiting Insomnia Depression Irritability Fatigue Loss of appetite Headache You’ve lost control over your drinking. You want to quit drinking, but you can’t. You have given up other activities because of

alcohol. Alcohol takes up a great deal of your energy

and focus.

You drink even though you know it’s causing problems

If you have a drinking problem, you may deny it by:

Drastically underestimating how much you drink

Downplaying the negative consequences of your drinking

Complaining that family and friends are exaggerating the problem

Blaming your drinking or drinking-related problems on others

.

WITHDRAWAL EFFECTS FROM ALCOHOL

DEPENDENCE

SEVERE SYMPTOMS:

Extreme anxiety Excessive irritability Increased depression, Visual hallucinations\ Fever can show which may become high, and

needed to be monitored r can show which may become high, and needed to be monitored

Black outs ( will forget everything during a certain stage of their episode)

Severe autonomic nervous system over activity Difficulty thinking clearly is increased Convulsions Muscle tremors

SOME OF THESE ARE LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS, AND IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THEM AFTER A SUDDENLY STOPPING DRINKING, YOU SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE IMMEDIATELY

More extreme changes in emotions Seizures and  convulsions in this stage of

withdrawal are common Delirium tremens (DTs)

These alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually occur forty eight to ninety six hours after consumption of the last alcohol drink.

MILD PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

Nervous, jumpiness, shakiness, anxiety, irritability or becoming easily excited.

Emotional changes such as emotional volatility and the quickness to change emotions

Depression Fatigue, Problems thinking clearly Rapid thoughts, Bad nightmares

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

Pulsating headache Sweating of the hands or face Nausea and vomiting Loss of appetite, insomnia Paleness Rapid heart rate Dilated pupils Clammy skin, Abnormal movements of the body Hand tremors Involuntary movements of the eyelids. State of confusion or hallucinations Agitation will become much worse,.

Short Term Effects of Alcohol

Long Term Effects of Alcohol

IN THE SHORT TERM, ALCOHOL CAN HAVE THE FOLLOWING EFFECTS:

feeling relaxed and less inhibited reduced concentration slurred speech and blurred vision affected coordination and judgment aggressive behavior the risk of accidents when operating cars or other

machinery is increased the effect of alcohol and other drugs combined is

unpredictable – mixing drugs can greatly increase the effect of all the drugs taken

IN THE LONGER TERM, ALCOHOL MAY HAVE THE FOLLOWING EFFECTS:

physical problems such as liver damage, heart and blood disorders, brain damage, stomach inflammation, damage to reproductive organs

emotional problems such as depression or relationship and family problems

social problems such as poor work performance, financial troubles, and legal problems

heavy drinking causes hangovers with symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, irritability, shakiness, and nausea

increased risk of common cancers such as breast, colon and rectum cancers, and some of the rarer cancers such as oral, esophagus, larynx, and stomach cancers

binge drinking can dramatically increase blood pressure and the risk of having a stroke

THE EFFECTS OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME FACIAL FEATURES of FAS

Upper lip flattens with increased prenatal alcohol exposure.

Upper lip thins with increased prenatal alcohol exposure.

Eye width decreases

GROWTH DEFICIENCY

PERMANENT CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Alcohol during pregnancy can harm the baby.

FAS has been linked with increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, stillbirth and premature birth.

DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY TO THE BRAIN.

STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES OF THE BRAIN/NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENTS

ALCOHOL-RELATED BIRTH DEFECTS:

Small head circumference Failure to thrive Developmental delay Organ dysfunction Facial abnormalities, including smaller eye

openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip)

Epilepsy Poor coordination/fine motor skills Poor socialization skills, such as difficulty

building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups

Lack of imagination or curiosity Learning difficulties, including poor memory,

inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills

Behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety

References

1) Fact Sheet: Alcohol And Health In Wisconsin http://www.capitolneighborhoods.org/pdf/Fact1.pdf

2) The Physical effects of AlcoholismFrom Jerry Kennard, former About.com Guide Updated June 08, 2011

http://menshealth.about.com/od/diseases/a/alcohol.html

3) Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Signs, Symptoms and Help for the Drinking problem http://helpguide.org/mental.alcohol_abuse_alcoholism_signs_effects_treatment_html

4) http://www.alcoholwithdrawalsymptoms.org/

5) Fetal alcohol syndrome http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome

6) Failure to Thrive http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/endocrine/failure_thrive.html

7) Facts About Alcohol Addiction Research Foundation January, 1991Edited by Erowid July 2003 retrieved Oct 28, 2011

8) Effects of Minimum Drinking Age Laws: Review and Analyses of the Literature from 1960 to 200ALEXANDER C. WAGENAAR, Ph.D.,† andTRACI L. TOOMEY, Ph.DDivision of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota

http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/supportingresearch/journal/wagenaar.aspx

9) Anti-Alcohol Industry 101: Overview of the Anti-Alcohol Industry in the U.S  by David J. Hanson, Ph.D.

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1122492295.html

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Advertising.html

10) ALCOHOL PROMOTION ANDTHE MARKETING INDUSTRY: TRENDS, TACTICS, AND PUBLIC HEALTH http://www.apolnet.ca/resources/pubs/respapers/AlcoholMarketingPaperSept30.pdf