Alcohol abuse is a serious issue that impacts millions of Americans every year. While drinking alcohol occasionally can be good for you, chronic alcohol use can have a negative impact on your health and can even lead to death. Men are more likely than women to suffer from serious health issues and even death as a result of alcohol abuse. If you’re concerned about how your drinking habits may be impacting your health, check out this article.
Alcohol Contributes to Over 200 Diseases and Injury Conditions
Alcohol abuse is a contributing factor to over 200 diseases and injury conditions. It’s also the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States, after tobacco use, high blood pressure, and obesity. In addition to contributing to many common diseases such as liver disease and cancer, alcohol abuse can lead to heart disease by increasing cholesterol levels in men.
Additionally, alcohol dependence causes impaired functioning at work or school, decreases productivity, and increases healthcare costs related to accidents caused by drinking too much. Many men who are being impacted by alcohol abuse would benefit from sober living in Utah, Texas, or any other state. There are plenty of things to do locally that don’t involve alcohol.
Chronic Alcohol use can Result in Major Health Problems
Many men make the mistake of believing that because they don’t have any illnesses yet, their alcohol consumption is fine. However, chronic alcohol use can result in problems such as liver disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and more. And sometimes, by the time they realize how sick they really are, it’s almost too late to reverse the damage.
Alcohol is a toxin that can be extremely damaging to the body. Alcohol abuse has many negative effects on the central nervous system and can result in memory loss or even coma if consumed heavily over an extended period of time. Studies show that men who consume large amounts of alcohol over long periods often have problems with their immune system as well as their heart muscles.
Men are at Higher Risk
The risks associated with alcohol use are higher for men than women. Men are more likely to engage in risky behavior while drinking. For example, men are more likely than women to drive after consuming alcohol, even when they have been drinking heavily. This can lead to serious car accidents that result in injuries or death for both passengers and other drivers on the road.
Men are also more likely than women to binge drink—defined as having five drinks or more during one occasion—which can lead them down a path toward developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Research has shown that men who drink more than five drinks a day are more likely to die from injuries related to alcohol. The most common types of accidents resulting from drinking include car crashes, falls, burns, and drowning. In addition, suicide is one of the leading causes of death for people with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). And although it’s not often discussed as much as other types of violence related to alcoholism or AUDs, homicides also occur when an intoxicated person commits acts of violence against others.
Men are More Likely to Binge Drink
Binge drinking can lead to alcohol poisoning and other serious health problems like heart disease and high blood pressure, liver damage, brain damage, stroke, and cancer caused by chemical contaminants in alcohol. When you find yourself drinking more than 5 drinks in a short amount of time, this is considered binge drinking and is a form of alcoholism in and of itself.
Alcohol Abuse Can Limit Your Senses
As you probably know, alcohol has many short-term effects on your body including slowed reflexes, reduced coordination, and blurred vision. These short-term effects can lead to injury or death if you aren’t careful. It’s important to let others drive if you’ve been drinking, even if you think you are fine. Because slowed reflexes aren’t obvious to the person under the influence, it means that driving, walking, and even trying to operate machinery are extremely dangerous.
Moderation is Key When it Comes to Alcohol Consumption Moderation is a key component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Drinking alcohol in moderation means consuming no more than one standard drink per day for women and two standard drinks per day for men up to 3 times a week. If you are consuming alcohol daily, or are using alcoholic beverages to handle stress, you may need to seek out help.