Alcohol abuse and drinking - does drinking affect your health for good or bad?

Published 27/12/2009

Recent national survey figures have shown that the UK general public is buying and consuming significantly more alcohol than is good for them. In fact, to even meet the Department of Health's daily alcohol recommendations of no more than 3-4 units for men and 2-3 units for women, the country's yearly purchasing of alcohol would have to be reduced by a third.* Not only is this excess consumption damaging our pockets, but our health as well. Here, Sue Allchurch, director at the Linwood Group, discusses the link between health and alcohol and explains the short and longer-term health implications of abusing recommended daily drinking levels.

"There is a quote that says ‘whatever you do do it in moderation' and I think that this is the secret to having a relationship with alcohol that leads to long term health. More and more medical trials are showing that alcohol, when drunk in moderation, can have a positive impact on our health, but the key to this statement is moderation. Many studies have shown that when a small glass of wine is drunk daily with a meal it can raise levels of "good cholesterol," which helps prevent harmful blood clots and helps keep blood flowing smoothly through our bodies, reducing risks of heart attack and stroke. However, the dangers to a person's short and longer-term health begin when that ‘one small glass' becomes larger and more frequent."

So to give you an idea of what happens to a person's body once they begin to regularly exceed recommended alcohol limits, here are the short and longer term effect of alcohol on a person's overall health and wellbeing:

Short-term health effects:
• Excess alcohol can slow a person's breathing and heartbeat
• Increased alcohol levels can lead to sexual difficulties such as impotence
• Anxiety can be increased through alcohol consumption
• Excess consumption can also lead to suffocation through choking on vomit or the possibility of fatal poisoning
• There is an increase in mental and physical fatigue as the body tries to process increased toxicity
• There is an increased risks of injury from accidents, violence whilst under the influence and loss of short-term memory

Longer-term health effects:
• Heavy drinkers who substitute alcohol calories for nutritious foods run the risk of malnutrition, which can lead to osteoporosis (a thinning of the bones)
• Long-term excessive drinking increases high blood fats (triglycerides) and subsequently the chances of obesity, due to the empty calories in alcohol. This in turn leads to higher blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attacks
• High levels of alcohol consumption increases the risk of liver cirrhosis, stomach ulcers and gastrointestinal complications
• Increased alcohol consumption over the longer term can also lead to fertility problems and damage to an unborn child if the mother continues drinking excessively through pregnancy
• Longer- term abuse of alcohol increases the risk of diabetes and strokes and it has also been linked to brain damage and dementia
• Cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, colon (especially in men) and breast are also directly linked to alcohol abuse
So, if you or a loved one is drinking beyond sensible limits, what can be done about it? Well here are some suggestions for taking those vital steps back to health:
• Try to avoid situations in which you know that you will choose to drink too much. If this is not possible, plan in advance to NOT drink too much and gain the support of your friends and family to help you achieve this goal
• Seek out people to spend time with who do not drink. This sounds like an obvious thing to do, but if you are breaking a social drinking pattern that has become dangerous to your health, you might find initially that most of the people you choose to socialise with are drinkers. A local support group is invaluable for this kind of help
• If you are struggling to reduce your drinking levels, make an appointment to see your GP or practice nurse for information on support groups and professional help available to you

If you are not sure about the effects of alcohol and need confidential advice and support, then why not call the Linwood Group? Free and confidential help is only a call away on: 0800 066 4173 or if you are calling from a mobile phone or from overseas, call +441226 698 054.

*Source: Centre for Public Health, published by Alcohol Concern, 18 Dec 2009

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