Stopping alcohol drinking

June 26, 2017

Stopping alcohol drinking temptation can be difficult but with professional help, it is made easier

Stopping alcohol drinking temptation: Common health conditions

You must have been told that a little alcohol is good for your digestion and that it is better to take this substance responsible or moderately. I have equally been told the same. But wait a moment, are there consequences of doing so? Why then are we warned in every advertisement that alcohol consumption is harmful to your health? This is what we want to address in this article even as we seek for ways of stopping alcohol drinking for a better health. According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD. It all begins with understanding the effects of alcohol addiction before taking actions of defeating the problem.

Effects on the Lungs

Pneumonia – Over time, chronic alcoholism can cause severe reductions in white blood cells, which increase the risk for community-acquired pneumonia i.e. pneumonia acquired outside of hospitals or nursing homes. When patients are inebriated they are also at risk for aspiration of mucus from the airways, causing pneumonia. Patients who abuse alcoholism have a greater risk for developing severe pneumonia. It is therefore advisable that patients with alcohol dependence receive an annual pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination and so when you start seeing signs like high fever, cough and stabbing chest pains you must consult with your doctor immediately.

Skin, Muscle, and Bone Disorders

Severe alcoholism is associated with osteoporosis i.e. loss of bone density, muscular deterioration, skin sores, and itching. Women often seem to face a higher risk than men for damage to muscles, including muscles of the heart, from the toxic effects of alcohol.

Stopping alcohol drinking temptation: Reproduction and Fetal Development

Sexual Function and Fertility – Alcoholism increases levels of the female hormone estrogen and reduces levels of the male hormone testosterone, factors that possibly contribute to erectile dysfunction and enlarged breasts in men, and infertility in women. Such changes may also be responsible for the higher risks for absent periods and abnormal uterine bleeding in women with alcoholism.

Drinking during Pregnancy and Effects on the Infant – there is no safe drinking when it comes to pregnant mothers. That which you call moderate amounts of alcohol is more than enough to cause damaging effects on the development of the fetus in several ways like low birth weight and an increased risk of miscarriage. High amounts can cause fetal alcohol syndrome a condition that can cause mental and growth retardation. Although there is no specific amount of alcohol intake, the risk of developing the syndrome is increased depending on the time of alcohol exposure during pregnancy, a pattern of drinking (four or more drinks per occasion), and how often alcohol consumption occurs.

Effect on Weight and Diabeteshttp://www.integrativeaddictionconference.com/wp-admin

Moderate alcohol consumption may help protect the hearts of adults with type 2 diabetes. Heavy drinking, however, is associated with obesity, which is a risk factor for this form of diabetes. In addition, alcohol can cause hypoglycemia, a drop in blood sugar, which is especially dangerous for people with diabetes who are taking insulin. Intoxicated diabetics may not be able to recognize symptoms of hypoglycemia. The list is endless and we are still going to address the two below in our next article so keep reading and be the first to know. But in the meantime, if you have any concern over this discussion, you can call doctor Akoury for more professional input.

Central and Peripheral Nervous System and Mental Functioning
Vitamins and mineral deficiencies

Stopping alcohol drinking temptation: Common health conditions

Alcoholism signs and symptoms

June 23, 2017

Alcoholism signs and symptoms need to be identified in good time for the commencement of treatment immediately

Alcoholism signs and symptoms: Compulsive behaviors

Substance abuse experts make a distinction between alcohol abuse and alcoholism in the sense that, unlike alcoholics, alcohol abusers have some ability to set limits on their drinking. But even with that, their alcohol use is still self-destructive and dangerous to themselves and others. Knowledge of alcoholism signs and symptoms is important. You can identify victims in many ways including:

Repeatedly neglecting your responsibilities at home, work, or school because of your drinking. For example, performing poorly at work, flunking classes, neglecting your kids, or skipping out on commitments because you’re hung over.
Using alcohol in situations where it’s physically dangerous, such as drinking and driving, operating machinery while intoxicated, or mixing alcohol with prescription medication against doctor’s orders.
Experiencing repeated legal problems on account of your drinking. For example, getting arrested for driving under the influence or for drunk and disorderly conduct.
Continuing to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships. Getting drunk with your buddies, for example, even though you know your wife will be very upset or fighting with your family because they dislike how you act when you drink.
Drinking as a way to relax or de-stress. Many drinking problems start when people use alcohol to self-soothe and relieve stress. Getting drunk after every stressful day, for example, or reaching for a bottle every time you have an argument with your spouse or boss.

Alcoholism Signs and symptoms: The path from alcohol abuse to alcoholism

According to the experts from AWAREmed health center under the leadership of Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, it is important noting that even though alcohol affects everybody, it is not that all alcohol abusers become full-blown alcoholics, it is a big risk factor. Sometimes alcoholism develops suddenly in response to a stressful change, such as a breakup, retirement, or another loss. Other times, it gradually creeps up on you as your tolerance to alcohol increases. If you’re a binge drinker or you drink every day, the risks of developing alcoholism are greater.

Alcoholism signs and symptoms: Signs and symptoms of alcoholism

Alcoholism is the most severe form of problem drinking. Alcoholism involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse, but it also involves another element: physical dependence on alcohol. If you rely on alcohol to function or feel physically compelled to drink, you’re an alcoholic.

Tolerance

Do you have to drink a lot more than you used to in order to get buzzed or to feel relaxed? Can you drink more than other people without getting drunk? These are signs of tolerance, which can be an early warning sign of alcoholism. Tolerance means that, over time, you need more and more alcohol to feel the same effects.

Withdrawal

Do you need a drink to steady the shakes in the morning? Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism and a huge red flag. When you drink heavily, your body gets used to the alcohol and experiences withdrawal symptoms if it’s taken away. These include:

Anxiety
Trembling
Sweating
Nausea and vomiting
Insomnia
Depression
Irritability
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Headache

Finally, in severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can also involve hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation. These symptoms can be dangerous, and that is why consulting with AWAREmed Health Center from time to time is the best option for your guaranteed health and comfort.

Alcoholism signs and symptoms: Compulsive behaviors

Detecting alcoholism manifestations

June 22, 2017

Detecting alcoholism manifestations in one’s life is essential and will help solve many domestic problems

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: Self-Testing

Am I an alcoholic? This is a very good question tailored towards preventing, treating and detecting alcoholism manifestations in one’s life. It is by asking such question and getting the right responses that will help in finding a permanent solution to the scourge of alcoholism. Speaking to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, it is evident that sometimes it can be hard to draw the line between safe alcohol use and alcohol abuse or dependence. Professionally doctor Akoury registers that there are several ways of detecting alcoholism presence in life. She suggests that you can carry out a self-testing method to ascertain whether you are alcoholic or not. Professionally, you may have a problem with alcohol if you answer “yes” to some of the following questions:

Do you need to drink a lot more for you to feel the effects of alcohol?
Do you suffer guilty about your drinking?
Do you become short-tempered or violent when you’re drinking?
Do you have problems at school or work because of drinking?
Do you think it might be better if you cut back on your drinking?

Depending on how you respond to the above, a yes answer could point to the direction of alcoholism. Besides the self-testing, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence also offers more comprehensive self-tests which can help you assess whether you have a problem with alcohol. Away from the test doctor Akoury advice that you can also consult with your physician in very many ways for a professional diagnosis.

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: Professional diagnosis

Your doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose alcoholism by carrying out a physical exam and ask you questions about your drinking habits. Like for instance, your doctor may ask if you:

Drive when you’re drunk
Have experienced blackouts as a result of your drinking
Have missed work or have lost a job as a result of your drinking
Have tried to cut back on your drinking but could not
Need more alcohol to feel “drunk” when you drink

Typically, a diagnosis of alcoholism does not require any other type of diagnostic test. Chance are that your doctor may order for a blood test to check your liver function if you show signs or symptoms of liver disease. This is because alcohol abuse can cause serious and lasting damage to your liver. Remember that it is your liver which is responsible for removing toxins from your blood and so when you drink too much, your liver will have difficulties in filtering the alcohol and other toxins from your bloodstream which can lead to liver disease and other complications.

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: How is alcoholism treated?

Treatment for alcoholism varies, but each method is meant to help you stop drinking altogether (abstinence). Treatment may occur in stages and can include the following:

Counseling to solve emotional complications
Detoxification or withdrawal for the elimination of alcohol in the body
Medical treatment for alcoholism-related health complications
Medications to help control addiction
Rehabilitation to learn new coping skills and behaviors
Support groups, including 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Finally, you can prevent alcoholism by limiting your alcohol intake. This may not be easy (detecting alcoholism presence) but consulting with doctor Dalal Akoury will make it much easier for you. Your health is more important than anything else and therefore scheduling that appointment will be a good start towards your recovery process.

Detecting alcoholism manifestations: Self-Testing

Escaping early death by quitting alcohol abuse

June 20, 2017

Escaping early death by quitting alcohol abuse is the best you can do to be safe

Escaping early death by quitting alcohol abuse: Drug addiction

Besides alcohol is the number one addictive substance it’s also a killer substance. It leads because it does not only kill its abusers but also very innocent people who have never had the taste of alcohol. Because of that, we must all pool together in escaping early death by quitting alcohol abuse. The magnitude of alcohol effects are so real and many that researchers have had a difficult time determining exactly what are the consequences of drinking this substance which has been associated with causing earlier death. The health complications associated with alcohol consumption include heart attack, diabetes, heart failure, and stroke or lung disease further explaining why avoiding early death by managing alcohol usage is such an important topic. According to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the leadership of Doctor Dalal Akoury MD, those who drink regularly are subjecting their life into several risks including:

Premature death from injuries, accidents or violence triggered by alcohol consumption.
Alcohol overdose may lead to death. The danger is so particular with young people in the adolescence who may want to impress their peers with their ability to drink alcohol and sense of belonging inducing them into taking alcohol even though they may not be able to gauge its effects.
Severe withdrawal and delirium tremens. Delirium tremens occurs in about 5% of alcoholics. It includes progressively severe withdrawal symptoms and altered mental states and in some cases, it can be fatal.
Frequent, heavy alcohol use directly harms many areas in the body and produce dangerous health conditions like liver damage, pancreatitis, anemia, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, nerve damage, and erectile dysfunction.
Alcohol abusers who need surgery have an increased risk of postoperative complications, including infections, bleeding, insufficient heart and lung functions, and problems with wound healing. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms after surgery may impose further stress on the patient and hinder recuperation.

Escaping early death by quitting alcohol abuse: Effects of hangover

Although not traditionally thought of as a medical problem, hangovers have significant consequences including changes in liver function, hormonal balance and mental functioning and an increased risk for depression and cardiac events.
Hangovers can impair job performance, increasing the risk of mistakes and accidents.
Hangovers are generally more common in light-to-moderate drinkers than heavy and chronic drinkers, suggesting that binge drinking can be as threatening as chronic drinking.
Any man who drinks more than five drinks or any woman who has more than three drinks at one time is at risk for a hangover.

Finally, even though this substance is legally allowed for consumption, it has far reaching effects to human health as stipulated above and more as we are about to find out in our nest posting. Because of this, prevention becomes the best option for safety and that is why we are discussing this topic of avoiding early death by effectively managing alcohol consumption. I need not tell you of the dangers of being addicted to alcohol because the facts above speaks for themselves. Nonetheless, if you or anyone you know is struggling with alcohol addiction, we have some good news of hope for you. Doctor Dalal Akoury and her team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are on standby to help you overcome this addiction. Call now and free yourself from this bondage.

Escaping early death by quitting alcohol abuse: Drug addiction

Drunkenness complicates life

June 13, 2017

Drunkenness complicates life and if not addressed and corrected in good time can lead to total life destruction

Drunkenness complicates life: Alcohol abuse problems

Alcohol is fit for consumption and licenses are freely given for traders to do business in this line. Though globally all authorities acknowledge the negative effects of alcohol, they haven’t been bold enough to do the right thing classifying this product as an illegal substance. It is worrying seeing how drunkenness complicates life in the full view of our authorities who have allowed this substance to be used freely. It is also in their knowledge that even though they have put a certain ceiling of the quantity to consume, the substance is so addictive that when tasted, no one will remember the recommended units allowed for a daily consumption. Because of this, alcohol abuse has become the order of the day. Lives are lost, people get arrested and yet alcoholism is still on the rise.

To address this, we spoke to Doctor Dalal Akoury MD President and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to shed some light about this calamity. Interestingly, no one will be able to tell when they are crossing the line from moderate drinking to problematic drinking. It is one problem that will continue to be there unless the policy makers come up with something else that is acceptable and implementable. From her experience, she acknowledges that alcoholism and alcohol abuse is no respecter of anyone and so long as you are practicing what is known as social drinking, you are truly a candidate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse. If you want to be safe from this problem, the first thing to do is to be informed and understand what it takes to overcome this disturbing problem.

Drunkenness complicates life: Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse

Experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury agrees that alcoholism and alcohol abuse are as a result of several factors including your social environment, emotional health, genetics among very many other factors. There are certain communities or racial groups who are at more risk than others like the Native Alaskans and American Indians. Again if you come from a family where drinking is part of people’s lives or if you are hanging out with people who drink, then your risk of becoming alcoholic is much higher. Besides these, it has also been established that those individuals who are suffering from mental health complications like depression, anxiety or bipolar disorders are at risk to self-medicate their conditions using alcohol further putting them in a more vulnerable situation of being addicted to alcohol. With this piece of information, you can now carry out a self-evaluation and ascertain whether you are at risk of not says doctor Akoury.

Drunkenness complicates life: Assessing possibilities of having a drinking problem

From the list below you will be able to tell if you’re developing drinking problem if you can identify with any of these factors:

Blackout or forget what you did while you were the drinking.
Feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking.
Have friends or family members who are worried about your drinking.
Lie to others or hide your drinking habits.
Need to drink in order to relax or feel better.
Regularly drinking more than you intended to.

If these communicates to you anything, then you may want to consult with the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for further professional advice.

Category Archives: alcoholism