Alcohol addiction, also known as alcohol use disorder, is a chronic disease attributed to relapse and remission. According to Wang et al. (2020), alcohol addiction is defined as a brain disorder which involves the brain reward circuit. It is among the leading factors for individual death and disability. Like other substance addictions, alcohol addiction results in seeking and maintaining the use of alcohol. It has been noticed that people suffering from this addiction have a strong reliance on alcohol when coping with emotional and physical facets of life. Alcoholism has become increasingly harmful, affecting many elements of people’s life (Wang et al., 2020). Therefore, the level of alcohol consumed by an individual is regarded as a disorder once its consumption causes distress and other associated harms to the consumer.
Moreover, alcohol addiction is a disease that started a long time ago. Alcoholism was defined as an ailment by the American Medical Association in 1956 and recognized as a disease in 1987, anchored on the theoretical that heavy drinking and alcohol addiction are caused by a disease that alters the anatomy and activity of the brain. In addition, the disease is becoming prevalent in the US, with more than 85,000 deaths reported every year (Glantz et al., 2020). Based on age, youths between 18 to 29 years are more likely to become addicted to alcohol than adults. In addition, young people are susceptible to getting alcohol use disorder due to influence social factors such as family, friends, or even religion. As a result, alcohol addiction is a problem that affects many people in society.
Alcohol use disorder can be transmitted genetically from parents to offspring. There is a relationship between alcoholism and biological factors, especially genetics (Crews, 2012). Although some individuals can control how much alcohol they drink, others have a strong desire to keep drinking. For some people, alcohol makes them feel good, making their brains want to do the same thing again. There is a higher chance of becoming alcoholism if they do this thing repeatedly. This is not the only thing that can make someone more likely to drink alcohol. Among other things, alcoholism is linked to a gene called the innate immune system gene (Crews, 2012). Family members are more likely to develop drinking issues if the gene is passed down through generations. As a result, genetics is among the risk factors contributing to alcoholism.
Summary of Discoveries
Drawing from the above information, I discovered that alcohol addiction is becoming a major health problem due to its impact. Alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition characterized by excessive or regular alcohol consumption. People suffering from alcohol consumption disorder cannot stop drinking, even if it causes them issues, emotional suffering, or bodily injury to themselves or others. I realized that alcoholism is more prevalent among young people than older people. The youths are likely to take alcohol in order to belong to a social group. In addition, I have learned that alcoholism can be passed from parents to offspring. The constant consumption of alcohol acts the cells of the neuroimmune system leading to the induction of innate immune genes. An individual with this gene has a risk of becoming addicted.
Organs Affected by Alcohol Addiction: The Brain
Alcohol has a major impact on the brain, especially on its anatomy. It slows down chemical signals between brain cells called neurons, which causes the common early signs of intoxication, like irrational behavior, difficulty speaking, poor memory, and slow reflexes (Uhl et al., 2019). If individuals drink too much over time, their brain adapts to the blocked compulsions by responding more strongly to certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Another thing that happens is when alcohol is eliminated from the body, the brain continues to over-fire nerve cells, causing withdrawal effects that are both unpleasant and sometimes dangerous. These symptoms can even kill brain cells. (Uhl et al., 2019). Therefore, individuals addicted to alcohol run the risk of developing severe and persistent changes in the brain.
Alcohol’s effects on the brain can manifest in various ways. The first is neurotoxicity, which occurs when neurons repeatedly overreact to neurotransmitters (Uhl et al., 2019). Overexposure to a neurotransmitter can eventually result in neuronal death. Due to the fact that neurons form the networks that integrate various areas of the brain, when they die, the reactions of these pathways may slow notably. Alcohol abuse wreaks havoc on the pathways and the brain matter itself (Uhl et al., 2019). Individuals dependent on alcohol frequently experience brain atrophy, which is a gradual decrease in the volume of both gray and white matter.
The Liver
The liver is an important organ in the body and the primary site of alcohol metabolism. Its main function is to eliminate toxins from the body by filtering blood from the digestive tract (Fernandez-Rodríguez et al., 2016). The liver degrades alcohol in various ways, all of which lead to the formation of acetaldehyde, a cell toxin that stimulates inflammatory modifications in the liver. Alcohol increases the production of fat in the liver, which can result in fatty liver. Additionally, alcohol metabolism’s toxic byproducts can cause cell and tissue damage, such as DNA damage. Cirrhosis of the liver can occur due to liver scarring (Fernandez-Rodrguez, 2016). Cirrhosis progresses by the formation of more scar tissue, impairing the liver’s ability to function. Therefore, excessive consumption of alcohol can adversely affect the functionality of the liver.
The Digestive System
Alcohol addiction can cause major changes in the digestive system’s function. According to Bajaj (2019), alcohol use disorder has the potential to overburden the gastrointestinal tract and induce intestinal inflammation. Alcohol may stimulate the digestive system to work more quickly than normal. Due to the increased speed with which the stomach contents pass through the small and large intestines, the body may be unable to absorb the normal amount of water. As a result, an inability to reabsorb may result in loose, watery feces (Bajaj, 2019). In addition, the urge to defecate may become more pressing due to the digestive system operating at a higher rate than usual. As a result, individuals who consume alcohol may experience diarrhea.
The Heart
Alcohol addiction is a condition that raises the likelihood of abnormal heart rhythms. It is the leading risk factor for high blood pressure, which increases a person’s risk of stroke (Day & Rudd, 2019). High levels of alcohol intake can raise a person’s chance of having a heart attack and developing peripheral vascular disease, especially in males and postmenopausal women. People who drink too much alcohol can have high blood pressure, heart failure, or a stroke. Cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease, can be caused by drinking too much. In addition, alcoholism can lead to obesity and all of the health problems that come with it, harming the heart (Day & Rudd, 2019). People who drink alcohol can eat more calories and gain weight, which would be bad for them in the long run.
Psychosocial Issues
Long-term alcohol usage can cause psychological harm to an individual. Alcohol abuse and mood disorders, especially anxiety and depression, have been linked in studies (Le Berre, 2019). On the other hand, the bidirectional ramifications of this show that alcohol may be used to self-medicate against various mood disorders. On the other hand, it can exacerbate mood disorders (Le Berre, 2019). For example, studies have discovered that people with alcohol disorders frequently suffer from depression. In trying to ease the symptoms of the depression, they would frequently engage in excessive alcoholic usage, which exacerbates their sadness. The prevalence of depression in dependents ranges from 15% to 70%, including major depression (Le Berre, 2019). Therefore, depression is one of the health issues linked with alcohol addiction.
Diagnostic Methods and Criteria: Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction
Diagnostic Interview
A diagnostic interview is one of the approaches used to diagnose alcohol addiction. It is an interview where a healthcare provider explores a patient presenting problems, existing situation, and history, with the primary reason of formulating a diagnosis and developing a treatment plan (Mayo Clinic, 2018). During this period, a health provider asks patients several questions about their drinking habits. A patient is expected to provide accurate answers to enable the provider to make accurate decisions. However, the physician may request permission to speak with the patient’s family or even friends to collect additional information (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Therefore, the success of this process largely depends on cooperation between health providers, patients, and family members or friends.
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
AUDIT is a simple and effective way to screen for alcohol addiction. The AUDIT is a model for how to help people who are drinking too much. It helps them cut back or stop drinking, which can help them avoid the negative effects of alcohol (Reichenheim et al., 2021). The AUDIT can help an individual find out if they have alcoholism and the effects of alcohol abuse. It is mostly for people who work in health care, but it can be used by people who aren’t health practitioners with the right aid. However, the accuracy of the technique largely depends on the information provided by the patient. As a result, AUDIT enables providers to collect vital information from an individual to diagnose the health problem effectively.
Lab Tests and Imaging Tests
Despite the fact that there is no direct test to diagnose alcohol addiction, some lab tests can be used to evaluate the organs that it may affect, such as the liver. The tests can determine the health issues linked with alcohol addiction (Mayo Clinic, 2018). For example, a liver biopsy can be used to find out if someone has cirrhosis. Cirrhosis can be found with radiology tests like computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cirrhosis can be found with a new imaging method called elastography, which can be done with ultrasound or MRI. As a side note, neurological tests use small electric instruments to monitor brain operation and nerve function. Therefore, several tests can be conducted to assess health problems related to alcohol addiction.
Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin (CDT)
CDT is one of the tests conducted to assess alcohol addiction among individuals. A patient’s chronic alcohol use can be assessed using CDT (Lee et al., 2019). The test has little to do with the amount of alcohol consumed rather than the persistent ingestion of large amounts of alcohol. In this case, a single incident of excessive drinking will not raise CDT levels. The major benefit of CDT is its high precision, as seen by increased alcohol intake. Medication has little effect on CDT readings, especially in immunocompromised patients, who may have low CDT values (Lee et al., 2019). For example, CDT readings in women appear to be lower after consuming alcohol. The biggest disadvantage is that it has a low sensitivity.
Treatment and Management of Alcohol Addiction
Degree of Severity of Alcohol Addiction
The severity of the disease depends on the duration of consumption. This results in the short- and long-term effects. Some short-term effects are hangovers, alcohol poisoning, falls and shorts, accidents, falls, and conflicts (Singal et al., 2018). In addition, an individual can experience lowered inhibitions and engage in risky behaviors. Some of the long-term effects of alcoholism are different types of diseases. It raises the chance of various liver disorders, such as fatty liver disease and alcoholic hepatitis, and certain forms of cancer, such as head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. An individual is likely to get mental health problems such as depression (Singal et al., 2018). Therefore, there exist short and long-term effects of alcohol addiction.
Reflection
The project creates a clear understanding of alcohol addiction, its impacts, and treatment. It is an excellent reminder to raise awareness about the origins of alcoholism, the symptoms and effects, how to manage a drinking problem, and how to discover treatment choices. Apart from the description, it provides an in-depth analysis of alcohol addiction (Singal et al., 2018). It offers important insights regarding alcohol use disorder that can be used to make informed health decisions. For example, the information on the transferability of alcohol use disorder from parents to offspring can be used to create public awareness. People need to understand that the effects of excessive consumption of alcohol can be passed from one generation to another. As a result, this project is integral because it provides important information pertaining to alcohol abuse that can be used to offer an advisory opinion to reduce its effects.
Drawing on this project, I discovered that alcohol addiction is a major health issue that affects many people across the globe. It is one contributor to health-based severe problems that can lead to death (Mayo Clinic, 2018). As a result, people who drink too much alcohol can have long-term health problems like high blood pressure and heart disease. They can have heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Hypertension is among the problems of drinking excess alcohol (Mayo Clinic, 2018). I found out that alcoholism has led to several indirect deaths originating from heart diseases, cancer and many more. Therefore, alcoholism is an issue that results in health problems.
In addition, I learned that several treatment techniques could be used in addressing. It involves the use of medication and therapy to manage the situation. There is a possibility of oral medication and injections that a healthcare provider can use to reduce the impact of alcohol addiction. I found that many alcohol-related health problems improve significantly when a person stops drinking. Based on this, these medical conditions may demand treatment and monitoring to prevent an individual from serious health complications. For example, treatment will be needed if the liver has been severely damaged. Apart from medication, there is a need for counselling to address the psychological impacts of the health condition.
Patient education is an important technique in reducing the impact of alcohol addiction. A patient needs to be informed about the adverse effects of the health problem. This will be an important stage in addressing psychological issues. People who suffer from high stress, panic, depression, or other mental health issues are more likely to develop alcoholism (Mayo Clinic, 2018). In these situations, alcohol is frequently used to repress sensations and alleviate the symptoms of psychological problems. Drinking might become habitual and contribute to alcohol addiction over time. The more an individual use alcohol to cope with pain and adversity, the more the body adapts to it and becomes dependent on its effects.
References
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