ESCUELA SUPERIOR POLITCNICA DE CHIMBORAZO

ENGLISH

ALCOHOLISM

TEACHER:
MNICA VACA

STUDENTS:
JONATHAN ERAZO
EVELIN MONTERO
NANCY TURUSHINA

LEVEL:
Fourth `T`

DATE:
26Th, November, 2013
What Is Alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a chronic and often progressive disease that includes problems controlling your drinking,
being preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems, having to drink
more to get the same effect (physical dependence), or having withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly
decrease or stop drinking.
It's possible to have a problem with alcohol, even when it has not progressed to the point of alcoholism.
Problem drinking means you drink too much at times, causing repeated problems in your life, although
you're not completely dependent on alcohol. Alcoholism is also known as alcohol dependence. It occurs
when you drink so much over time that your body becomes dependent on or addicted to alcohol. When this
happens, alcohol use becomes the most important thing in your life.
Alcoholism signs and symptoms include those below. You may:

Be unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink

Feel a strong need or compulsion to drink
Develop tolerance to alcohol so that you need more to feel its effects
Drink alone or hide your drinking
Experience physical withdrawal symptoms such as nausea,
sweating and shaking when you don't drink

Keep alcohol in unlikely places at home, at work or in your car

Have legal problems or problems with relationships, employment or
finances due to drinking

What Causes Alcoholism?

The cause of alcoholism is still unknown. However, dependency on alcohol develops when you drink so
much alcohol that chemical changes in the brain occur. These changes emphasize the pleasurable feelings
that result when you drink alcohol. These feelings cause an increased desire to drink, even if it causes harm.
Alcoholism is influenced by genetic, psychological, social and environmental factors that have an impact on
how it affects your body and behavior. The process of becoming addicted to alcohol occurs gradually.
Known risk factors for alcoholism include having:

a parent with alcoholism

a mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia
You may also be at a greater risk for alcoholism if you:

are a young adult experiencing peer pressure

have low self-esteem
experience a high level of stress
live in a family or culture where alcohol use is common and accepted

What are the complications of

Alcoholism?

Alcohol is poisonous to many types of human cells. In small quantities it can suppress their activity.
It's a depressant in that it has the opposite chemical effect to a prescribed antidepressant.
At higher doses, it quickly becomes apparent that alcohol is in fact toxic. The main symptoms are
vomiting, stupor, behavioural changes, and major impairment of the central nervous system followed by
dehydration and a whopping headache.
Even non-lethal doses can kill.Aspiration pneumonia is a condition that occurs when people, sleeping off a
very heavy night's drinking, suffocate when their own vomit is inhaled into their lungs.
Anyone who drinks alcohol after going a long time without food can have an attack of hypoglycemia, a
sudden shortage of blood sugar, causing nervous symptoms like stupor or abnormal behaviour and, in severe
cases, coma or convulsions.
Long-term heavy drinking can cause a range of chronic problems. These include:

Arrhythmias.- abnormal heart rhythms.

Beriberi (vitamin B1 deficiency).
Brain damage- alcohol kills brain cells
Diabetes
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Liver disease such as cirrhosis
Loss of feeling in hands, feet, and elsewhere due to effects on nervous system
Stomach ulcers and gastritis.
Drinking during pregnancy has been shown to have a negative effect on babies.

How Is Alcoholism Treated?

Treatment for alcoholism involves a number of supports that are aimed at helping you refrain
from drinking altogether (abstinence). Treatment may occur in stages and can include the
following:

Detoxification or withdrawal to rid your body of alcohol

Rehabilitation to learn new coping skills and behaviors
Counseling to address emotional problems that may prompt you to drink
Support, including 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous
Medical treatment for health problems associated with alcoholism
Medications to help control addiction
There are a couple of different medications that may help with alcohol addiction.

RESOURCES:
- ALCOHOLISM . Available on: http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp?
channel_id=11&relation_id=10899666&disease_id=220&page_no=2
- ALCOHOLISM. Available on: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcoholism/DS00340/DSECTION=riskfactors