<\/span><\/h2>\nAlcohol abuse has been defined as recurrent<\/span> Drinking alcohol where it impacts work, school, or home, or to the point of being physically dangerous, gets you in trouble with the law, or continues despite the problems it has created.<\/p>\n\n
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<\/span>Health problems due to alcohol.<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/span>Alcohol intoxication<\/span><\/h3>\nThe effects of alcohol intoxication include:<\/p>\n
\n- Heart: slow heart rate or irregular rhythm, low blood pressure<\/li>\n
- \nCNS<\/span>: headache, confusion, memory loss, disorientation, lack of coordination, emotional lability<\/li>\n
- Gastrointestinal: nausea and vomiting.<\/li>\n
- Respiratory: asthma, slow or heavy breathing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>\nChronic<\/span> Alcohol abuse<\/span><\/h2>\nThe effects of chronic alcohol abuse include:<\/p>\n
\n- Heart: high blood pressure, heart failure, irregular heartbeat<\/li>\n
- \nHaemostasis<\/span>: coagulation is impaired with reduced survival and aggregation<\/span> of platelets<\/span> and reduced thromboplastin<\/li>\n
- \nEndocrine<\/span>: low testosterone<\/span> levels with loss of libido, testicular atrophy<\/span>, impaired fertility and facial reduction hair<\/span>, high estrogen<\/span> levels with gynecomastia<\/span>, fat change distribution<\/span> and loss of body hair<\/li>\n
- Esophagus: ulcer<\/span>varicose veins Cancer<\/span>\n<\/li>\n
- Liver: hepatitis<\/span>, cirrhosis<\/span>, gallstones<\/li>\n
- CNS: dementia, poor coordination, Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome<\/span> (Vitamin B1 deficiency) associated with psychiatric<\/span> and visual disturbances<\/li>\n
- Immune system: direct toxic<\/span> effect on bone marrow, reduced number and function of T cells, reduced survival of immunoglobulins<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The infographic below shows the effects of alcohol on the body (provided by Healthline).<\/p>\n
![alcohol-infographic-healthline-200h__scalewidthwzgyxq-7429994-8420843](https:\/\/doctorhoogstra.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/alcohol-infographic-healthline-200h__ScaleWidthWzgyXQ-7429994.png "\\"\\"")
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<\/span>\nVascular<\/span> effects of alcohol<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/span>Facial flushing<\/span><\/h3>\nOne of the first signs of alcohol abuse is a persistent red face due to enlargement blood vessels<\/span> (telangiectasia<\/span>) This appears because the regulation of vascularization control<\/span> in the brain it fails with sustained alcohol intake.<\/p>\n<\/span>Redness<\/span><\/h3>\nTransient flushing is also a common side effect of alcohol, particularly in heavy drinkers. It is due to acetaldehyde, the main breakdown product of alcohol. Acetaldehyde is believed to cause redness by stimulating the release of histamine<\/span>.<\/p>\nUp to 40% of Northeast Asians experience flushing and an elevated heart rate after drinking even minute amounts of alcohol, due to accumulation of acetaldehyde. This is due to a mutation<\/span> in acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2), the enzyme<\/span> which converts acetaldehyde to acetate.<\/p>\n\n<\/span>Vascular effects of alcohol.<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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Facial flushing<\/p>\n
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Telangiectasia<\/p>\n
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Redness<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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<\/span>Skin changes due to liver disease.<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/span>Spider telangiectasia<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h3>\nSpider telangiectasia gets its name because of its appearance. Blood vessels (spider legs) radiate in all directions from one center blood vessel<\/span> (your body) Like other blood vessels, the spider angiomas<\/span> whiten<\/span> when pressure is applied. They can press. They are most often found on the face, neck, chest, arms, hands, and abdomen.<\/p>\nLarge number of spiders telangiectasias<\/span> are associated with cirrhosis of the liver (scarring of the liver) due to elevated levels of estrogens. A study of 82 patients with liver cirrhosis showed significantly higher numbers of spider telangiectases in alcoholic cirrhotic patients than in nonalcoholic cirrhotic patients, indicating that there may be an additional effect such as vasodilation<\/span> to account for this difference.<\/p>\nSmall amounts of spider telangiectasias are seen in healthy children and adults. They are more common in women, especially during pregnancy, as they are influenced by the female hormone, estrogen.<\/p>\n
<\/span>\nPalm<\/span> erythema<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/h3>\nChronic alcoholic liver disease can lead to redness of the palmar skin. This is also believed to be due to estrogen, as is sometimes seen during normal pregnancy.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Caput medusa