Tag Archives: Alcoholic beverage

Binge Drinking affects Immune System

January 6, 2015

Binge Drinking Disrupts Immune System in Young Adults

Binge DrinkingAlcohol when drank in recommended quantities can help one get varied health benefits. however as one continues taking alcohol he may begin to take more of the drink so as to enjoy its euphoric effects, the more alcohol a person drinks and the frequency at which he takes alcohol pave way for serious health complications. There are people today who have been maimed as a result of binge drinking making them dependent on their families as they can no longer work to supplement their own daily needs. The effects of alcoholism are far more than the economic gravity that often befall the addicts but it has more to do with their health. Binge drinking has quite adverse effects on the health of an alcoholic as it has been found to disrupt the immune system of alcoholics especially the youth.

What is Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking usually refers to drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk. Most researchers define binge drinking as taking more than 8 units or more in a single session. This however may not be so appropriate as different people have different levels of tolerance to the drink and even the speed at which people drink is different. Some people are bound to be fast drinkers while others are slow drinkers but the essence of binge drinking is to get drunk quickly. To avoid binge drinking it is important to space your drinks and to avoid drinking too much that you get drunk instantly.

New research that was led by a researcher now at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine has found that Binge drinking in young, healthy adults significantly disrupts the immune system.

During this study the participants drank four or five shots of vodka. The study also considered the weight of the participants against the number of shots of vodka they took. Twenty minutes after reaching peak intoxication, their immune systems revved up. But when measured again, at two hours and five hours after peak intoxication, their immune systems had become less active than when sober. Binge drinking making them more vulnerable to disease infections. This study led by Majid Afshar, MD, MSCR, and colleagues was published online ahead of print in Alcohol, an international, peer-reviewed journal.

Apart from the fact that that binge drinking has a negative effect on the immune system of youth involved in it , it has also been found that binge drinking increases the risk of falls, burns, gunshot wounds, car accidents and other traumatic injuries. Researchers have also found out that one-third of trauma patients have alcohol in their systems.

There is more harm to binge drinking than just increased risk of traumatic injuries as it also impairs the body’s ability to recover from such injuries. Previous studies have found that binge drinking delays wound healing, increases blood loss and makes patients more prone to pneumonia and infections from catheters. The study led by Dr. Afshar warns that Binge drinkers are also more likely to die from traumatic injuries.

Binge drinking is known to alter behaviors of drinkers but as Elizabeth Kovacs, PhD, a co-author of the study and director of Loyola’s Alcohol Research Program puts it “But there is less awareness of alcohol’s harmful effects in other areas, such as the immune system,”. This shows that most binge drinkers are not fully aware of its risks.

If what the definition of binge drinking by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism holds some water then there are many binge drinkers who do not even know they are binge drinkers. According to this institute binge drinking is drinking enough to reach or exceed a blood alcohol content of .08, the legal limit for driving.

This study included eight women and seven men with a median age of 27. Each volunteer drank enough shots of vodka, generally four or five to meet the definition of binge drinking. Dr. Afshar and colleagues took blood samples at 20 minutes, two hours and five hours after peak intoxication because these are times when intoxicated patients typically arrive at trauma centers for treatment of alcohol-related injuries.

Binge DrinkingFrom the blood samples it was observed that 20 minutes after peak intoxication, there was increased immune system activity. There were higher levels of three types of white blood cells that are key components of the immune system namely leukocytes, monocytes and natural killer cells. There also were increased levels of proteins called cytokines that signal the immune system to ramp up. At this minute the immune system was higher than before they got drunk. However two hours and five hours after peak intoxication, researchers found the opposite effect- fewer circulating monocytes and natural killer cells and higher levels of different types of cytokines that signal the immune system to become less active signaling a drop in the immune system.

Follow up study

Despite the success of this study in showing the effect of binge drinking on the immune system, Dr. Afshar is still planning to do a follow-up study of burn unit patients. He intends to compare patients who had alcohol in their system when they arrived with patients who were alcohol-free. He will measure immune system markers from each group, and compare their outcomes, including lung injury, organ failure and death among other parameters.

Binge drinking has far worse effects on the health of an alcoholic, it is therefore safe to consider the pace at which a person drinks and avoid this dangerous habit. Dr. Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center has dedicated her life to helping addicts restore their lives by use of integrative medicine. Call her on (843) 213-1480 for help.

Binge Drinking Disrupts Immune System in Young Adults

 

 

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All About Menopause Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

December 26, 2014

Menopause Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Menopause is a stage in life. That said when it occurs at the right time it is normal and hence not a disease. Menopause refers to the time when a woman’s menstrual periods stop and her ovaries stop releasing ova. A woman is considered to have hit menopause once she has gone a year without having a menstrual period.  The normal menopause should be happening between 40-60 years of age. However most women hit menopause at 50 years of age. As menopause approaches the menstrual periods become irregular and the flow may either become thicker or lighter however it is not mandatory that these changes must accompany menopause.

Menopause is a normal process that should not cause any reason to worry, however there is also premature menopause. Premature menopause occurs before the age of 40 and can be caused by a variety of things, such as removal of the ovaries, autoimmune disorders, endocrinological reasons, or cancer therapy. Medical interventions, such as a hysterectomy –removal of the uterus may also prevent menstruation. If the ovaries are removed as well, production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone are stopped, causing the symptoms of menopause. Premature menopause should be treated as soon as possible as it may affect negatively the health of a woman.

menopause symptoms

Signs and symptoms of menopause

In most cases when a woman is approaching menopause her bleeding patterns will change. The flow may become lighter or heavier, longer or shorter, the time between periods may increase and there may be occasional missed periods. These changes may occur gradually in some women, but in other women they occur more abruptly. Apart from this change in bleeding patterns, there are also other physical and psychological signs and symptoms associated with menopause. In some women they are very mild while in others they are more severe. The symptoms may last for only a few months, or may continue for several years. The average length of time for menopausal symptoms to be experienced is three to five years.

Physical signs and symptoms may include:

  • Headaches
  • Joint and bone pain
  • Palpitations
  • Unusual skin sensations
  • Hot flushes
  • Sweating at night
  • Tiredness
  • Vaginal dryness. Note that during menopause there might be occurrence infections of the urinary tract and vagina due to the thinning of the vagina and bladder walls.

 Psychological signs and symptoms may include:

  • Loss of confidence
  • Forgetfulness
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Anxiety
  • Reduced interest in sex
  • Irritability and mood swings
  • Difficulty concentrating

Causes of Menopause

Menopause is a very normal process that marks an end of a given lifestyle of a woman. When born a woman has ovaries that are to produce ovum when the right time comes. The release of these ova however has to be controlled by some hormones such as the Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) which are secreted by the pituitary gland as part of the normal menstrual cycle. The main work of these hormones is to stimulate the ovary to produce estrogen and progesterone and to release an ovum. As a woman ages, her ovaries don’t respond to FSH or LH as strongly as they used to. Over time, less and less estrogen and progesterone are produced and the woman stops releasing ovum hence the menstrual cycle ceases.

Premature menopause however is a cause for concern. If a woman cannot go through her periods before 40 then she needs to be helped. Premature menopause can be genetic or it can be caused by autoimmune diseases. These diseases produce antibodies that can damage the ovaries. Surgical removal of the ovaries causes artificial menopause, as can chemotherapy or radiation therapy to the pelvis to treat cancer. Different diseases may cause menopause in relation to the way they are treated for example in a case where an ovary is to be surgically removed the woman may become menopausal at an age below 40 which is considered premature menopause.

menopause symptoms

Menopause Treatment

Menopause is a natural process that should not be treated, however it comes with certain symptoms that must be addressed medically to calm. One of the popular ways of fighting symptoms associated with menopause is the menopause hormonal therapy (MHT). MHT was initially known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It involves taking the hormones estrogen and progesterone. MHT can be very good at relieving moderate to severe menopausal symptoms and preventing bone loss. But MHT also has some risks, especially if used for a long time. MHT has been found to be very effective in reducing hot flashes and night sweats, poor sleep, irritability, treating vaginal symptoms, such as dryness and discomfort and pain during sex. Menopause hormonal therapy also helps in slowing bone loss and easing mood swings and depression that are common to women who have hit menopause.

As said earlier MHT has some risks too. It may cause the following;

  • Blood clots
  • Heart attack
  • Stroke
  • Breast cancer
  • Gall bladder disease

A woman’s health is controlled by the hormones, any decline in the levels of estrogen hormones may cause undesired effects on the health of a woman. To be safe from severe symptoms of menopause you need to Request Menopause Treatment Information Today. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury by calling her on (843) 213-1480. She will surely be able to give a helping hand.

All about Menopause Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

 

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Alcoholism Increases the Risk to Diabetes

December 18, 2014

 Alcoholism Increases the Risk to Diabetes

Alcoholism is a vice that ought to be fought at all costs. This is because apart from the health risks and diseases associated with it, it also affects the economy of a nation. Today there are very many people who have been rendered liabilities to their families as a result of their addiction to alcohol. Most people who have become dependent on alcohol have no places to work. Even if they were employed they will lose their jobs as no organization is interested in employing a person who can’t control his craving for alcohol. Being drunk and disorderly is a common recipe for arrests and so it is not strange to hear men who have been jailed for assaulting their wives when under the influence of alcohol. These are the heavy penalties that our societies suffer as a result of alcoholism. However there are some problems that will affect the individual health wise and this includes diabetes.

Alcohol and Diabetes

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that is associated with high blood sugar levels.  The term  describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood sugar level which is either caused by deficiency in  insulin production is  or failure of  the body’s cells do not respond appropriately to insulin, or both. Common symptoms associated with high blood sugar level are that the patients will typically experience frequent urination, they will become increasingly thirsty and hungry at the same time.

Diabetes is a serious disease that has disabled many people around the globe and so anything that may heighten the risk of getting this disease should be avoided. In 2013 alone it was estimated that over 382 people in the world had diabetes. That just shows how serious problem diabetes really is. The most common diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, intense thirst and hunger, weight gain, unusual weight loss, fatigue, cuts and bruises that do not heal male sexual dysfunction, numbness and tingling in hands and feet.

What is the relationship between diabetes and alcoholism?

Through numerous research studies scientists have been able to establish the fact that alcoholism can increase a person’s chances of getting diabetes. As known to many, diabetes type 2 is caused when there is insulin resistance. In an experiment done on rats it was found that binge drinking directly caused insulin resistance. In the past it was the link between binge drinking and diabetes had not been established but now scientist have proved that binge drinking alone aside from other factors as overeating can directly cause insulin resistance thereby leading to type 2 diabetes. People with a history of binge drinking have a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

A group of Researchers at the Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York, published their findings in the 30 January issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.  The scientists report that alcohol appears to disrupt insulin-receptor signaling by causing inflammation in the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that among other things is important for metabolic processes.

Alcoholism induces Insulin Resistance

Typically, the main role of the insulin receptor is to control the uptake of glucose. When there is a decrease in signaling of this receptor the cells will not be able to take up glucose, and this will result in too high sugar level in the blood a condition known as hyperglycemia among other consequences of type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance refers to a condition in which insulin does not bind properly to the receptor, thus hindering its ability to send the right signals to cells so they can use glucose for energy. This can happen even when the pancreas is producing enough insulin to keep glucose levels under control. One major symptom of insulin resistance is high levels of insulin in the bloodstream. This is a major component of metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that together increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke.

Senior author Christoph Buettner, an Associate Professor of Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease, at the Icahn School of Medicine, is quoted in a research report saying; “Insulin resistance has emerged as a key metabolic defect leading to type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD).” This statement shows the link between insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

“Someone who regularly binge drinks even once a week, over many years, may remain in an insulin resistant state for an extended period of time, potentially years,” he adds.

In their study, the researchers replicated human binge drinking by giving rats alcohol for three days while keeping another group of rats as controls. Both the groups had the same calorie intake but the control group was not fed alcohol. After the three days the researchers then ran a series of tests to check glucose metabolism. They found that even when there was no trace of alcohol left in their bloodstream, the binge drinking rats had higher levels of circulating insulin than the control rats this was a proof of insulin resistance in the drinking rats. This increase in circulating insulin hormone in the blood of drinking rats was induced by the alcohol.

Alcohol and Diabetes

Another author Claudia Lindtner, an Associate Researcher of Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease at the Icahn School of Medicine, is quoted in the report saying; “Previously it was unclear whether binge drinking was associated with an increased risk for diabetes, since a person who binge drinks may also tend to binge eat, or at least eat too much.”

“Our data show for the first time that binge drinking induces insulin resistance directly and can occur independent of differences in caloric intake,” she concludes.

Drug Addiction is a vice that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. It does not matter what kind of addiction you are wrestling with right now, just call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Alcoholism Increases the Risk to Diabetes

 

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Alcohol Rehab in Middle East

December 17, 2014

Alcohol Rehab in Middle East

In the past people who were deeply in the Islamic religion did not drink alcohol. It was against their faith. Every Muslim was desist from alcohol lest he be ready to face the punitive laws that prohibited alcohol consumption in Muslim dominated nations-eighty lashes for men and forty lashes for women. In fact women were not supposed to be drinking. In these countries water was the sole beverage and any distilled or fermented drinks were not readily available. In public places you couldn’t find these beverages. This culture has not come to a halt and that has only made matters worse for alcohol addicts as they cannot seek professional help in the open for fear of being punished for using alcohol in the first place. It is well known fact that the Middle East and many Gulf States that are obviously Islamic nations have very strict alcohol laws.  There are very many cases where people found in possession of alcohol in public places have faced very severe penalties even death sentences. Whilst things have changed over a time and alcohol is fairly easily obtained in hotels and on the black market, severe penalties are imposed on those found to be in possession of alcohol, and, worse still, if they are found intoxicated in public.

Drug-Rehab-for-middleeast

The fact that alcohol consumption is not allowed in public places has only made matters worse as it has led to an increase of drinking in private homes, where little attention is paid to the amount of alcohol consumed. Those who drink in private homes often exceed the below risk quantities making them susceptible to problem drinking. A lack of up-to-date information on safe drinking and the wide-spread presence of beverages with unregulated or contaminated alcohol content has resulted in a steady increase of Middle East residents with growing alcohol problems. Moreover, they suffer from a lack of access to local resources to help them to quit. There is therefore need for more rehab centers to spring in the Middle East to help those addicted to alcohol. Today there are some alcohol rehab centers that have begun to offer discrete, cultural sensitive support for residents from the Middle East who are struggling with alcohol addiction.

The strict laws of the Middle East countries in relation to alcohol consumption are blind to the fact that if anybody is suffering from his use of alcohol and he can’t cut down or stop drinking altogether, he has an alcohol addiction-a problem that can’t be solved by even the strictest laws on the planet earth. An addict is a victim that should not be punished but should be helped and offered support to be free from cravings for alcohol. A person with an alcohol addiction may or may not be physically dependent on alcohol. People who haven’t developed physical dependency to alcohol can still be addicted: that is, they can’t control, cut down or stop using, even when drinking alcohol is negatively impacting their life. This therefore means that you do not need to be physically dependent on alcohol to seek support in a rehab. You should begin as early as possible to reduce the effects of alcohol.

However it is good to note that most people become chained to alcohol use at the dependence stage because that is when their attempts to stop alcohol use are met by very severe withdrawal symptoms. The available Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation centers in the Middle East has helped persons from all over the region lead a clean and sober life though various treatment programs. These rehab centers in the Middle East serve people from Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iran, and Jordan. Since most countries in the Middle East are not proactive but rather strictly reactive to alcohol addicts, these rehab centers are creating a home for the alcohol addicts giving them support that no other public institution can ever offer. Most of the rehabs are located at discreet locations and are quite luxurious attracting alcohol addicts seeking help.

drug-abuse-in-the-middle-east

Rehabs offer Inpatient and outpatient treatments

To those victims of alcohol addiction and dependency seeking help, the rehabs have two options that can be used to help them win this war against unstoppable use of alcohol. The recovery and rehabilitation professionals will however guide you on the best course to take. The rehab centers will also avail you the best paraphernalia to help you stop drinking alcohol depending on the program you have chosen. There are two main choices in seeking drug and alcohol services- inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment. With inpatient treatment, you become a resident at the rehabilitation center, living and partaking in therapy on-site. The inpatient treatment has been the most effective method as the patient is kept away from the triggers that could make quitting alcohol drinking a problem. He is also available all the time and the doctors can closely monitor his progress with the treatment.

However there are situations when an addict can only be on the outpatient treatment program. It involves visiting the rehab centers for treatments sessions throughout the week for as long as the doctors have found best and prescribed. It is also effective but the victim will need to avoid the triggers by himself and it needs self-discipline.

Alcoholism is a vice that should be fought by all means that is why we at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are committed to availing help to addicts and offering them a place to call home. We offer NER Treatment and Amino acid therapy that are the most effective approaches to addiction treatment and recovery. You call on Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) today and begin your journey to victory against addiction.

Alcohol Rehab in Middle East

 

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Alcoholism in South Africa

December 1, 2014

Alcoholism in South Africa Current Treatment Available

AlcoholismAlcoholism is a big problem in South Africa. According to World Health organization it is the primary drug in South Africa. In South Africa it is reported that alcohol is responsible for nearly half of all the motor accidents with over   30% of the population having an alcohol problem or are at risk of having one. According to The world health organization alcohol affects 17.5 million South Africans with several Studies showing that people who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics. The alcoholism problem does not only affect the youths, fetal alcohol syndrome is common in South Africa as the statistics shows that 122 out of every 1000 Grade 1 pupils in the Northern Cape town of De Aar have fetal alcohol syndrome. This is the highest incidence of the fetal alcohol syndrome in one population anywhere in the world. There are also locally brewed beers that are somewhat illegal but are still highly consumed the country has estimated 182000 illegal shebeens.

Dr. David Bayever from the government drug control organization, known as the CDA, is quoted saying “The drug problem in South Africa remains very serious with drug usage being twice the world norm in most cases…and we are only dealing with what we know about…this is only the tip of the iceberg,”. He says that at least 15% of South Africans have a drug problem; this number however is expected to rise. While some drugs are produced directly in South Africa, it is also a major transshipment hub for importing and exporting them owing to its strategic location. Poverty, unemployment, lack of recreational facilities, being surrounded by substance abusers, and long work shifts have also mentioned by researchers as factors contributing to substance abuse. The age of initiation of substance abuse using non-drugs such as glue was 9 years old and alcohol 10 – 12 years old.

The schools are not left out, the heaviest drinkers are aged between 18-22. In high schools 35% of the students are alcohol drinkers taking at least 9 units spirits, 1 liter wine or 2 liters of beer. In a CDA study 20% of 14 year old boys and nearly half of 17 year old boys drank in the previous month. Girls were a bit lower with 18% of 14 year olds and 35% of 17 year olds in the same period. (CDA). Considering the high rate of alcohol abuse in South Africa it is important that there be effective treatment means for the users of alcohol if the population is to be freed from alcohol addiction.

The problems associated with alcohol abuse are well known by the people who abuse it. Despite this fact, in South Africa it’s been reported by the Medical Research Centre (MDC) that 50% of all people who die of unnatural causes have above-legal alcohol levels in their bloodstream. The MRC also estimates that up to 30% of all general hospital admissions are related directly or indirectly to alcohol consumption. A big reason to worry.

The other social problems associated with alcohol abuse include assault, domestic violence, child neglect where parents neglect their children as all their money is spent on alcohol. It has also been shown that alcohol is involved in most traffic accident cases. For example, 60% of all pedestrians involved in traffic collisions were found to have high blood-alcohol levels and 76% of domestic violence cases in the rural South-Western Cape also involved high blood-alcohol levels.

As stated earlier South Africa also has the highest rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) cases across the globe at 8-12%, with approximately 70-80 babies per 1000 born being affected with FAS in the Western Cape. This calls for guidance to parents and strategies to be laid in helping parents who abuse alcohol to stop using alcohol especially during pregnancy so as to reduce this rate.

Alcohol abuse in itself is very costly to the south African government as alcohol abuse overall, including healthcare, police enforcement, incarceration et cetera, costs the country R9 billion per year besides this the country is also losing its manpower to alcohol deaths, it is estimated that cirrhosis which is a liver disease most commonly caused by over-consumption of alcohol is the 5th leading cause of death in the country and kills approximately 25,000 people each year.

Public Rehab centers

AlcoholismAlcohol being the problem it is to South Africa; there many public rehabilitation centers that have been set to help deal with alcoholism and help the addicts break the chain of alcohol addiction. However most of these public rehabilitation centers are filled with people as a greater population is affected. The huge number of alcohol addicts has led to a strain on the resources in these centers making it impossible for an addict to get a good treatment, moreover most of these rehab centers take on a strict Christian approach to treating alcoholics which do not suit all of the addicts. This has led to the rise of other private rehabilitation centers to help give an alternative to alcohol addicts.

The private rehab centers have now offered an alternative to addicts giving more time to every addict as they are less crowded than the public rehab centers. However they charge fairly higher and that is quite a problem to most addicts who do not have stable jobs.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is committed to helping all people trapped in drug addiction. Call on her today at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for help.

Alcoholism in South Africa Current Treatment Available

 

 

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