For many people, drinking alcohol is a mild pastime that doesn’t have a major effect on their everyday life. However, for those suffering from alcohol addiction or alcoholism, the effects of drinking can compound themselves over time and cause long-term consequences that can be debilitating and even life-threatening. It’s important to know what alcoholism can do to the body and its potential side effects so you can get help before it is too late. The medical implications of alcohol use can last long after a person stops drinking.
Principles Recovery is dedicated to educating our clients and their families about addiction and what it can potentially do to a person. In this post, we are going to discuss the effects of alcoholism, the signs of alcoholism, how alcoholism can cause chronic headaches, and how to find alcohol treatment programs.
What Are the Signs of Alcoholism?
When it comes to alcohol abuse and addiction, there are a range of symptoms that can start as soon as a person takes their first drink. Other symptoms can appear after many years of excessive drinking. It’s also important to note that having alcoholism does not necessarily mean that a person drinks every day, binge drinkers are also considered alcoholics because they consume large quantities of alcohol, often without regard for the effects, it has on their body or their life.
Some of the short-term signs and symptoms of alcoholism include slurred speech, inability to focus, slowed breathing and heart rate, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, a sense of euphoria, and loss of inhibitions/ability to control one’s actions.
What Does Alcoholism Do To Your Body?
It’s important to understand how alcohol works on the body. Alcohol is considered a suppressant and works to slow down different systems in the body, including breathing and heart rate. Beyond that, it acts on the central nervous system to reduce thought and response time, which is why alcohol is known to cause automotive accidents.
While these effects are detrimental to one’s health, many people like the other effects that alcohol has on the body, namely the calming and euphoric effects and the lowering of inhibitions. These effects allow them to act differently or “more freely” than they normally would while sober.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse?
Long-term effects can include severe kidney and liver damage, inability to function without alcohol, blacking out, memory loss, tremors, seizures, and signs of neurological damage. Alcoholism has also been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and a whole host of other medical conditions as either a direct cause or a contributing factor. Alcohol use in the short term and over time can compound with existing medical conditions to make them worse.
Can Alcoholism Cause Chronic Headaches
As mentioned previously, alcoholism has been linked to a large number of health conditions. In terms of headaches, alcoholism and alcohol use, in general, have been linked to cluster and tension headaches.
In populations who suffer migraines, roughly 30% reported that they experienced migraines when drinking alcohol. Studies showed that these people drank less alcohol once they identified alcohol as a trigger.
One of the reasons that alcohol is known to be a trigger for headaches is because it not only slows down the central nervous system, but when consumed in large quantities, it can cause the body to become dehydrated, particularly the brain cells, which is a known cause of headaches, migraines, and hangovers.
How to Find Alcohol Treatment Programs
If you are looking for a rehab in South Florida, then Principles Recovery Center has the alcohol treatment program that you or your loved one need.
We offer a variety of treatment options for teens and adolescents, an outpatient program, and even South Florida dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders like depression and anxiety.
Contact Principles Recovery Center today if you or a loved one are suffering from alcoholism and are ready to get treatment.
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