Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers

May 30, 2015

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Does Mom’s Drinking Harm Breastfed Babies?

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers. In this case both the mother and the baby are negatively affected

Children are not just gifts but are blessings that everyone would desire to have. When we are privileged to get them the laws of the land tasks us with their care, protection and well upbringing. Those who don’t have them live in great hopes of getting at least one in the near future. What surprises many is the way some parents fail to appreciate the priceless value of children they have more so to those parents who are intoxicating their lives with alcohol. If alcohol can cause one to neglect her own children, then to such a person of what benefit is alcohol? Surely the effects of alcoholism in breast feeding mothers cannot be this cruel. The purpose of this article is to dig deep into the injustices that we cause our young ones all in the name of misuse of alcohol. If you have been with us on this link, you must have come a cross from our previous posting where doctor Akoury in total disbelief could not understand why in a town the number of bars outnumbered the combined total of schools, churches, hospitals and mosque. This is a worrying trend because young children and the unborn children become the grater losers. Unborn children get hooked up in alcohol direct from their mothers’ wombs and young growing children suffer neglect. If all these are blamed on alcohol abuse, then what is good in alcohol if it is used like a sweeping broom to clear a whole generation!

Now let me bring it more closer to you for better understanding. Supposing you were walking along the way and you meet a young lady drunk disorderly with her seated next to her not knowing what is going on what would that register in your mind? And let say after that unbelievable sight you proceeded with your journey and decided to branch at you usual joint for one or two before finally leaving for home. Then when you get to the joint you see a breast feeding mother drinking one after the other and at the same time trying to pay attention to her young baby what would ring in your mind? I don’t know what is in your mind but ordinarily the sight of a mother breastfeeding while drinking a glass of wine no doubt has garnered disapproving stares and maybe some choice words from passersby.

These are some of the reasons that guided doctor Dalal Akoury’s decision into to creating a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Because knowledge is power doctor Akoury is using this platform to spread the message of hope to all addicts male and female. It is through informing people that those in the dark may get to the light and opt for assistance. I know that denial is a very big threat in this journey and so even if you want to bring everybody on board it may not possible, but if just one person take the heed and accepts to be rehabilitated, and this individual goes through the treatment program successfully, that would be an achievement. Remember that when one is affected the whole household grief’s and in the same way when one has been successfully rehabilitated the benefits extends to the whole family and the community as well. Your health is our command and that is why Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms what an opportunity you have to start all over again. It is never too late nor is it too early to seek for help schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today and be the next beneficiary of comfortable and healthy life that is free from any traces of addiction.

Doctor Akoury further explains that it is not recommended to drink excessively while nursing because of the passage of the alcohol into the mummery breast milk. It is important to note that excessive alcohol while breastfeeding is not only harmful to a baby who is breastfeeding but also life threatening. However at the moment it is not very easy to conclusively tell the extent of how much harm, because many of the women who drink excessively after [delivery] are those who have already been drinking excessively while they were nursing pregnancy.

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Drink in moderation

It is one thing that has not been achieved by many more so when making reference to substances which are this addictive. I am talking about the policy of moderate drinking. It is very easy to say moderate and it is all a different ball game to have it implemented. It is no wonder that when you listen to the media content these days you can only scratch your head. All that is in the news is that Madam X or Y was charged with child neglect because they were extremely intoxicated with alcoholic substances. Such news makes you wonder whether it’s OK for a nursing mother to be subjected to such penalties of jail terms. Are they candidates for jails or for a rehab centre? It would be appropriate for such mothers to be first molded into moderate drinking and progressively clear off their intoxication.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Breastfeeding mothers should avoid the use of alcoholic beverages, because alcohol is concentrated in breast milk and its use can inhibit milk production. An occasional celebratory single, small alcoholic drink is acceptable, but breastfeeding should be avoided for 2 hours after the drink.”

Large amounts of alcohol via mother’s milk can cause drowsiness, weakness, and decreases in growth and other health issues in babies.

In terms of long-term effects on infants, limited information is available, according to guidelines developed by the Sonoma County Breastfeeding Coalition and the Sonoma County Perinatal Alcohol and Other Drug Action Team in 2008. The guidelines highlight a 1989 study that showed chronic exposure to alcohol via a lactating mom (even if she has as little as one drink daily) can have detrimental effects on the infant’s motor development.

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Keep breastfeeding

Alcohol levels in breast milk peak about 30 minutes to an hour after drinking alcohol (on an empty stomach). And as mom’s blood alcohol level drops, so does that of breast milk because the alcohol is diffusing back into the bloodstream that is according to research published in 1995 in the Journal of Human Lactation. Therefore “pumping and dumping,” in which nursing mothers use a breast pump to suck out some milk and proceed to ditch it before letting infants latch on, might not do the trick.

More than 75 percent of U.S. mothers today breastfeed either exclusively or in combination with infant formula for a period of up to six weeks. But after that the numbers drop off, and when infants reach six months, only 15 percent to 16 percent of mother’s breastfeed exclusively. The good news is that most people who breastfeed choose to breastfeed because they are concerned and interested in the health and well-being of their child, so the overwhelming majority of women who breastfeed, and if they do drink any alcohol they do so in moderation, so there’s no problem.

Effects of Alcoholism in breast feeding mothers: Does Mom’s Drinking Harm Breastfed Babies?

Alcohol Use Disorder and Possible health Complications

May 29, 2015

Alcohol Use Disorder and Possible health Complications: Death in waiting

Alcohol Use Disorder and Possible health Complications begins in small way and the dangers spread very fast

Did you know that alcoholism can reduce your life expectancy by about 10 – 12 years? That is a whole decade of life wasted because of an addiction to alcohol. Can carry out a small assessment of what you can accomplish in twelve years. With that time you could take a medical student through his doctorate studies you could also give birth to your acting last born and see him or her up to secondary education, what about financial investment you could invest in a business and reap out of it for a decade. Are you willing to waste those valuable years all in the name of alcohol? We have to do something both individually and collectively. On our part as professionals from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we have deliberately made a decision of creating health awareness to the public through this media and encouraging people to consult not just with us for treatment commencing but also even to other likeminded health professionals across the globe. It is because of this reason that we want to shade more light on alcohol use disorder and possible health complications. You may not know but with alcohol the earlier people begin drinking heavily, the greater their chance of developing serious illnesses later on, we must stop this by all means and so if you are already struggling with alcohol addiction, it is never too late to talk to the experts. You can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury MD and also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center for a more professional advice and treatment.

Alcohol Use Disorder and Possible health Complications: Alcoholism and Early Death

It is evident that alcohol can affect the body in so many ways for it to cause premature death to its victims. Whichever way you look at it miss us of alcohol will only succeed in delivering destruction to human health and that has been confirmed by researchers across the globe. Doctor Akoury acknowledges that even though heavy drinking is closely associated with premature death, it is however not just about that but there are also some other higher risk of alcohol use that are more common and serious to health problems including heart attack, heart failure, diabetes, lung disease, or stroke. It is important for users of chronic alcohol to understand that reckless consumption of this substance may lead to many problems that can increase the risk for death; some of those situations may include the following:

People who miss use alcoholic drinks regularly have a higher rate of death from injury or violence.
A single alcohol overdose can lead to death. This is particularly dangerous with adolescents who may want to impress their friends with their ability to drink alcohol but cannot independently gauge the effects of the quantities they are taking. Nonetheless, it is important to note that alcohol overdose does not only occur from any one heavy drinking incident, but may also occur from a constant infusion of alcohol in the bloodstream says doctor Akoury.
Severe withdrawal and delirium tremens. Delirium tremens occurs in about 5% of alcoholics. It includes progressively severe withdrawal symptoms and altered mental states. In some cases, it can be fatal.
Frequent, heavy alcohol use directly harms many areas in the body and produce dangerous health conditions including the 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.

Alcohol Use Disorder and Possible health Complications: The Effects of Hangover

Although not traditionally thought of as a medical problem, hangovers have significant consequences that include 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 for 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.

Alcohol Use Disorder and Possible health Complications: Accidents, Suicide, and Murder

Earlier in the discussion we mention that alcohol consumption has nothing to offer humanity a part from destruction anarchy and sufferings. What can you allude to a substance like alcohol which plays a large role in accidents, suicide, and crime? Let us briefly discuss some of the roles it play and I hope that as we continue into the conclusion of this portion, you are also making very informed health decisions to greater transformation from addiction to soberness.

Alcohol plays a major role in more than half of all automobile fatalities. Every police department in every nation has in the past released very shocking statistics to this effect.
From those traffic department statistics, it is evident that alcohol-related automobile accidents are the leading causes of death in young people.
Fewer than two drinks can impair the ability to drive. Even one drink may double the risk of injury, and more than four drinks increase the risk up to 11 times. Therefore what is really good about this drink if all we have on records communicated the direct opposite of good health?
Alcoholism is the primary diagnosis in a quarter of all people who commit suicide.
Alcohol is implicated in over half of all murders.

Finally we can only say that the decision of Dr. Akoury to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power shouldn’t have come at a better time. We all need this and now if we have to remedy the situation. Enough of all these premature death in the name of enjoying life, if you or any one you know is struggling with alcohol problem, then you can start the recovery journey today by scheduling for an appointment with Dr. Akoury’s whose practices focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms.

Alcohol Use Disorder and Possible health Complications

NAD Therapy for Cravings Reduction

May 24, 2015

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

NAD Therapy Contrary to what many people think, addiction isn’t just a disease of the body alone but also of the mind and therefore any therapy for addiction has to treat all these aspects to be successful. When you are being treated from withdrawal effects of any drug but the doctors fail to give a therapy that will help heal the conditions that create depression, fatigue and anxiety, the chances of relapse become even higher and you may not completely recover from the effects of the drug.

Similarly if you withdraw from a substance and do not understand the psychological and spiritual issues that promoted the need for it, then relapse is likely and the lessons of disease have not been learnt.

Integrative medicine avails the tools that are instrumental in assessing and treating the conditions in the body that culminate into fatigue, depression, and anxiety, thereby increasing the likelihood of chemical dependency. These include:

Hypothyroidism
Neurotransmitter deficiency
Gluten intolerance
Metabolic cofactor deficiency
Adrenal fatigue
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) deficiency

These “terrain issues” in the body have to be properly addressed so as to make detoxification easier and to inhibit relapse.

Addiction is a complex disease that must be properly addressed as it doesn’t only affect the body alone but also the mind. most of the symptoms that are exhibited in the body are developed within the consciousness, the body is just an avenue through which these emotional traumas, fears , irrational thoughts, chemical imbalances in the brain and conflicts are showed.

Diseases are a way through which the body seeks your attention and beckons self-exploration in pursuit of true healing.

One of the hardest stages in addiction treatment and recovery that those addicted to drugs have to endure is detoxification. this is necessary as drugs of abuse always alter the chemical balances in the brain hence this balance must be restored.

Drug withdrawal can cause symptoms such as sweating, fever, hallucinations and even seizures. The severity of these withdrawal symptoms can prevent a person from maintaining sobriety. It can even make it impossible for a person to stop using the drugs in the first place.

The coenzyme NAD, also known as “biological rocket fuel,” is a good approach to treatment of addiction and recovery. It might also help in reducing the drug cravings .

What is NAD?

NAD is an abbreviation that stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. this is an activated form of vitamin B3. It is naturally present within every cell in the human body. It not only helps in regulating gene expression but also mediates calcium levels. NAD is also a participant in a number of redox reactions – in other words, it reacts with oxygen in the body.

Owing to these reactions, It is a powerful anti-oxidant that can help in reducing the populations of dangerous free radicals hence protecting the body from aging and diseases that are caused by oxidative damage like cancer. nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is also an essential component of the citric acid cycle known to many people as Krebs cycle; a cellular process that is essential for the production of energy for every cell and organ in the body.

How can IV NAD therapy benefit drug addicts?

When a drug of abuse is used for a long time, it alters the chemical makeup of the body. The addict will be glued to the drug and whenever he stops the brain has to begin learning how to work. For this reason any recovery plan must put in place ways to help the brain to rebuild and to function optimally. Without healing the brain the withdrawal symptoms and cravings for a drug will relapse.

Since NAD is essential for energy production, increasing the availability of NAD increases cellular energy. When the energy is increased the brain can more quickly rebuild its neurotransmitter population and fix its connections. This condition will help in rebuilding the brain and restoring its functions.

The NAD therapy results in an increased sense of well-being, clearer cognition. it also reduces the severity of the withdrawal symptoms.

What are the advantages of NAD over other detox methods?

NAD works better and quicker as compared to other detoxification methods. Just within four days of treatment with NAD the withdrawal symptoms as well as physical cravings are reduced. This can be especially inspiring during the beginning phases of drug cessation. Other detox methods take a while before they start working – with NAD infusions, recovering drug addicts are provided with near-immediate relief, encouraging them to continue pursuing sobriety.

NAD Therapy Unlike other treatment methods, NAD is completely natural and non-addictive. This therefore is a guarantee that the addict will not suffer another addiction as a result of the drug used in treating him that was addictive.

Addicts who have received NAD therapy have testified that it helps them feel better and more energetic. They have also shown NAD have reported decreased withdrawal symptoms and a diminished desire to use. Since this treatment has no side effects and has received positive reviews, it may be prudent and safe to try the therapy.

NAD therapy is offered at AWAREmed Health and Wellness resource center. Here we ourselves fully to offering lasting solution to the menace of addiction. Don’t hesitate to call Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) on (843)213-1480 for help.

NAD Therapy For Reduction Of Cravings, Withdrawal Symptoms And Detoxification

What is Sex Addiction?

May 20, 2015

Is Sex Addiction A Disease Or A Symptom?

Sex addicts are among the addicts who will suffer for a longer time before they are known to be suffering from the disease. This can be attributed to the traditional model of addiction that had it that addiction is a choice and not a disease. The society has placed high standards of morality that to find a sex addict stating publicly or even sharing the issue with those dependent to them is very rare and this may only make them suffer longer and may fail to get help for their condition. The earlier models of addiction escalated the chances of addicts getting stigmatized and sex addicts can be the ones who will be subjected to the most degrading treatments if they were to come out declaring that they need help in a society where sexual issues are known to blankets alone. So is sex addiction a disease or a symptom? This is a really mind boggling question as some experts I’ve shared this question will tell you. It is like asking which came first; the egg or the chicken? So to simplify things lets broaden our view and look at addiction generally before we confine it back to the topic.

Is addiction a disease?

Well, According to American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is a disease and not a symptom. They define addiction as a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Addiction of any kind affects the flow of signals within the nervous system. It alters neurotransmission and interactions within reward structures of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate cortex, basal forebrain and amygdala. When these areas of the brain are affected, the addictive behavior begins to replace the healthy behaviors, this is the neurobiology of addiction, and it doesn’t matter whether its alcohol, gambling or sex addiction; once the neurotransmission is inhibited then the addictive behaviors becomes a part of a person and a chain not easily broken.

Hippocampal and cortical circuit’s interactions are also altered by addiction, the brain reward structures are also altered by any addiction irrespective of what type of addiction it is. When the reward structures are affected, the memory of earlier exposures to rewards like sex, pornography and the like will lead to biological and behavioral response to external signals, in turn triggering craving and engagement in addictive behaviors.

As much as the neurochemistry of reward plays a role in addiction, there is more to neurobiology of addiction beyond the reward system. The frontal cortex of the brain and underlying white matter connections between the frontal cortex and circuits of reward, altered judgment, motivation and memory are fundamental in the manifestations of altered impulse control and the dysfunctional pursuit of rewards seen in addiction.

Sex addiction isn’t just a symptom

As have been explained above, all addictions can pass for diseases as they are primarily involved in wrecking the nervous system, causing chemical imbalances and alters the functions of crucial brain sections that are concerned with issues of reward.

From previous researches, it has been shown that sex addiction affects three regions in particular that are important in the reward mechanism; the ventral striatum, dorsal anterior cingulate and amygdala. These pars of the brain are more active in people with compulsive sexual behaviors; in research it has been shown that they are more active in sex addicts than in the healthy brains. This is an indication that that sex addiction is a chronic disease that affects the brain chemistry. These parts are equally active in those addicted to drugs and other substances, if drug addiction is a disease, and we have seen that both sex addiction and drug addictions affect the brain in similar manner then why can sex addiction be termed a symptom?

Sex addiction has its causes and symptoms

Sex addiction is characterized by an intense craving for sexual activity and an inability to control these desires for sex despite the risk that they may be exposed to. This inability to control the desire is not the only problem but the behavior changes that comes with sex addiction is a real reason to worry. Very many relationships have been broken because of sex addiction; it has also led to the patients contacting venereal diseases as result of their untamed sexual exploration with different partners.

Some of causes of sex addiction

People addicted to sex get a sense of euphoria from it that seems to go beyond that reported by most people. The sexual experience is not about intimacy. Addicts use sexual activity to seek pleasure, avoid unpleasant feelings or respond to outside stressors, such as work difficulties or interpersonal problems. This is not unlike how an alcoholic uses alcohol. In both instances, any reward gained from the experience soon gives way to guilt, remorse and promises to change.

Sex Addiction Most of the people who are addicted to sex came from broken families and maybe have been sexually abused in their lives. In a study it was found that 82 percent of sex addicts who participated in the study were sexually abused early in their lives. Other sex addicts have got here because of uncaring and distant parents who in most cases were substance abusers.

Despite the controversy of whether sex addiction is a disease or a symptom, it is a real menace that you should not accept to be silent with if you are affected. The journey towards recovery begins by accepting that you are affected and need help. At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center we know of the nightmares sex addicts go through; the very reasons why we are devoted to availing help to sex addicts. Call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) and get the burden off your shoulder.

Is Sex Addiction A Disease Or A Symptom?

The Sex Differences and Addiction

May 19, 2015

Women Are More Susceptible To Addiction than Men

Differences In the past drug addiction was not a discussion for women; it has long been known that men are more likely to suffer from drug related consequences than women, while this is true; Men are more prone to become addicted to substances than women. This is why most research studies have been focused on men. In comparison the pace at which women develop dependence and addiction to drugs is quicker than in men. They also get to suffer the negative effects of drugs and other addictions earlier and more severely than men. They show the effects of drugs earlier in their physical conditions, medical conditions and social effects as compared to men. Several studies have also shown that women find it more difficult to quit using their drugs of abuse or quit their addictive behaviors and may relapse easily as compared to men.

There has been a cause for alarm in the rate and pace at which women fall into addiction. It has been documented that women may begin using drugs later than men and may use it less frequently but when they begin using the drugs they take less duration for the addiction to peak than in men. They become dependent on the drug of abuse sooner than men and the side effects of using the drugs set in them earlier in the addiction cycle than in men.

The number of women battling addiction is on the rise

This risk of addiction that has been shown in women has soon changed the trend in research, today researchers are more concerned about women, and they are enrolled in good numbers in research studies as opposed to earlier time when all research studies were all about men. with this change in trend there is hope that more will be unearthed about the differences gender play in addiction and hopefully this will lay ground for giving treatments that will best suit each gender especially women who are now on the rise in issues of addiction.

According to a literature review on Gender similarities and differences: the prevalence and course of alcohol- and other substance-related disorders by Zilberman M, Tavares H, el-Guebaly N in 2003; the number of women abusing alcohol are fewer than men. But the rate at which young women are getting intoxicated on alcohol regularly is on the rise and the consequences of alcohol consumption are more severe on women than in men. it has been established that women become more rapidly addicted to alcohol than men do and brain chemistry become altered in women faster than in men. Generally the effects of drugs and alcohol use weigh down on women earlier and more adversely than in men.

some of the biologically factors that have been identified as likely cause of the differences in the way women are affected by drugs include the fact that women generally weigh less than men since their bodies are made of more fats and less water, fat retains alcohol while water does the opposite; diluting it. So their biological make-up favors alcohol and puts them at risk. Another factor is that they have low amounts of enzymes that help in breaking down the alcohol once consumed so whenever they consume alcohol, they will remain with high amounts of alcohol in their bloodstreams than men. This enzyme is known as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH).

Women and addiction to illicit drugs

Like mentioned earlier, in the past decades researchers prioritized men in their researchers and so there is still need for more literature relating women to drug addictions. Currently, there is clarity in the ways that women and men react differently to alcohol; however there is haze on how women respond to drugs like cocaine, meth as they are abused equally by the genders. However, for cocaine research has shown that women begin using the drug earlier than men; they develop dependence more quickly and have higher chances of relapse after treatment. This difference is attributed to the fluctuations in the hormonal levels that take place during menstruation which intensifies cravings for drugs. This can be blamed on the effects of estrogen on dopamine systems.

In the use of opioid the differences in effects has been drawn from men and women users. Research has shown that women are more likely to become addicted to prescription drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, morphine and methadone since they suffer more to chronic pain. This in return places them at a higher risk of becoming addicted to the opioids than men. However in relation to the pace at which they become dependent there is more that still needs to be done to clearly show the difference.

In conclusion, the physiological and psychological sex differences in response to drugs of abuse are well documented and this is mostly attributed to hormonal interactions between dopamine and estrogen, however there is yet to be an explanation of how the interactions between these two hormones relate to the use of drugs of abuse and their effects in the dopamine systems.

The rate at which women are becoming addicted to drugs is a call for concern. We at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to giving help to those battling with addictions. Just in case you are affected, feel free to call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for help

Women Are More Susceptible To Addiction than Men

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