Alcoholism is a chronic disease Essay Example for Free

alcoholism is a chronic disease EssayAlcoholism is a progressive and chronic disease that implys controlling drinking, using intoxi gouget even though it ca go fors difficultys, having physical dependence with intoxi burn downtic drink, or having withdrawal symptoms when unrivalled tries to cut hazard or stop consuming alcohol. One stool have a problem with alcohol and non have it progressed to alcoholism. That is called problem drinking which means one drinks too much causing repeated problem in their life. According to the Mayo Clinic (2012), binge drinking is a pattern where a male consumes 5 or more drinks in a row, or a female drinks at least four drinks in a row. Binge drinking can idle words to the corresponding health risks associated with alcoholism (Mayo, 2012). Not being able to stop drinking or cut back and denying you have a problem is a few of the things that come with alcoholism Criteria for alcoholism based on the DSM V atomic number 18 an indiv idual visiting any two of the eleven criteria during the same twelve month period.Examples of these criteria include a unyielding desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control alcohol use, craving or strong desire or urge to use alcohol, and important social, occupational or recreational activities ar given(p) up or reduced because of alcohol use (NIH, 2013b). As for ICD criteria, an individual must experience certain criteria as well. ICD criteria require an individual to experience three or more of the criteria go throughring together for at least 1 month or if less than 1 month, occurring together repeatedly within a 12-month period. Examples of these criteria include Difficulties in controlling drinking in terms of onset, termination, or levels of use drinking in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended or a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to reduce or control drinking, Need for significantly increased amounts of alcohol to achieve intoxicatio n or desired execution or markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of alcohol, or Important alternative pleasures or interests given up or reduced because of drinking (Hasin, 2013).According to the article, Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk (2011), at that place is a dramatic link between alcohol and cancer. Heavy alcohol consumption ( 4 drinks/day) is significantly associated with an increased risk of about 5-fold for oral and pharyngeal cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, 2.5-fold for laryngeal cancer, 50% for colorectal and chest of drawers cancers, and 30% for pancreatic cancer (Pelucchi, Tramacere,Boffetta, Negri, Vecchia, 2011). Evidence proves that even one drink per day increases the risk for pharyngeal or oral cancer by 20% and 30% for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Breast cancer has an increased risk of occurrence with three to six drinks a week. When an individual exposes themselves to both alcohol and tobacco, there is a grea ter increase in oral and pharyngeal cancer risk.Alcohol also causes an increase in head and neck cancer when it is use alone (not used in conjunction with tobacco). Restricting alcohol to limits indicated by the European Code Against Cancer would avoid nearly 90% of alcohol-attri scarceable cancers and cancer deaths in men and over 50% of cancers in women (Pelucchi, Tramacere, Boffetta, Negri, Vecchia, 2011). This article provides great evidence of excessive alcohol being linked to further health risks for individuals who indulge over the recommended amounts. A person suffering from alcoholism has many outer appearance changes throughout their life. Someone suffering from alcohol withdrawal may experience nausea, sweating, go through tremors, visual hallucinations, or seizures. These are all very common symptoms associated when an alcohol symbiotic person goes through withdrawal. Not only do these physical symptoms occur, but mental symptoms also occur. Examples of psychologica l symptoms include depression, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, or insomnia. Both the physical and psychological symptoms can be visible from an outsiders perspective.An alcohol dependent person may not experience withdrawal symptoms if they are taking in enough alcohol on a daily basis that meet their need needs to feel well. Though they may not have the withdrawal symptoms, they do have physically visible symptoms from their excessive alcohol intake. Symptoms include facial redness/flushing of the skin, xerosis, dull skin tone, follicular hyperkeratosis, gingivitis, tooth decay, black hairy tongue, and weight gain. The or so common though include dehydration of the skin and bloating in the abdomen or prospect (Drink Aware, 2014). Drinking too much alcohol deprives the skin from important vitamins and nutrients. Over time, losing these nutrients from excessive drinking can cause ineradicable damage from frequent flushing and redness of the skin. Facial and abdominal bloatin g occurs when the person experiences dehydration from the excess about of alcohol intake (Drink Aware, 2014).Prevalence of lifetime alcoholuse by age and sex graph was reported by the matter Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2013c) males age 18-24- 70% and women 55%, males age 25-34- 82% and women 65%, males age 35-44- 82% and women 63%, males age 45-55- 80% and women 55%, and males age 55 + 71% and women 39% (NIH, 2013c). According to the data from the National Household Survey, most Americans had at least one drink of alcohol by late adolescence. Among men, 70% to 83% reported consuming alcohol on at least one occasion during their lifetime, as compared to 39% to 66% of women. The prevalence send of lifetime alcohol use among men is highest among those corned 25 to 55 and lowest among the 18 to 24 and 55 or older age groups. Similar findings were found for women, although they reported lower rates than men. The rate of lifetime alcohol was lowest among women ages 55 or older. The largest gender difference was noted among the 55 years or older age group, with males drinking more.The smallest gender difference was between 18 to 24 years old (NIH, 2013c). Alcoholism results from the complex interaction of genetic, social, and environmental factors. Alcohol has widespread do on the top dog and can chance on nerve cells, brain chemistry, and blood flow within the frontal lobes. Neurotransmitters are affected by long-term use of alcohol. Neurotransmitters are released when alcohol is consumed, which sire euphoria and a sense of well-being. Chronic exposure of the brain to alcohol is thought to result in long-term adaptive changes that initially produce increased reinforcement for alcohol use and over time progress to withdrawal and negative affective states, so that regular alcohol use is required to feel normal (Chung Pittman, 2013) Being dependent on alcohol is often associated with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, or PTSD. Genetic factors are believed to play a role in alcohol abuse.The New York Times (2013), believe the amygdala, part in the brain responsible for controlling cravings, has been reported to be smaller in individuals with family history of alcoholism (TNYT, 2013). There are also many social and environmental factors that contribute to the climb upment of alcohol abuse or alcoholism. There are mass marketing of alcohol on television, billboards, and gas stations. Marketing tends to increase the number of alcohol sales and in turn increase detect of alcohol abuse among individuals. Many young individuals are pressured by friends or even family to begin drinking at a young age. Drinking at a young age greatly increaseschances of that individual to suffer from alcoholism in the near future. During the general assessment of a person suffering from alcoholism, the nurse is to commencement ceremony gather accurate data regarding their drinking patterns.The nurse must ask the question, Do you sometimes drink beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages? If the person states yes, thusly the nurse asks How many times in the past year have you had five or more drinks in a day? This will serve well the nurse gather important data regarding excessive alcohol consumption. The next step is to tell the patient to decrease the amount of alcohol that is being consumed since the chance of It is also important to ask about their life style, family, and relationships. The person may be experiencing depression or anxiety if they have lost family support because of their addiction. If this person is experiencing withdrawal symptoms during the assessment, the nurse should plan to provide comfort measures for this patient. The patient may also be very agitated, embarrassed, or not level headed, since alcohol has these effects on an individual.By simply looking at the patients appearance, the nurse should be able to determine if the alcohol has caused further damage to the bodys org ans. For example, if the colorful is failing, the person may experience jaundice. Focusing the assessment around the use of the alcohol and effects it has on his or her life will be of most concern. The patient should have a full lab workup to determine if further damage has occurred to this patients health. The nurse can also provide grab resources for help, such as AA meetings, rehab, or family counseling, which will be beneficial for the patient. Drinking too much can take a serious toll on ones health. Alcohol can affect a person brain, heart, liver, pancreas, immune system, and can increase the risk for cancer.According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (2013a), alcohol interferes with the brains communication pathways. These disruptions can change mood and behavior. These changes can also make it harder to think understandably and move with coordination (NIH, 2013a). The heart can be affected with cardiomyopathy which is stretching and drooping of hea rt muscle. Arrhythmias, stroke, and high blood pressure can also occur from over using alcohol. Research by the NIH (2013a), alcohol can inflame the liver and cause steatosis or fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and or cirrhosis. The pancreas produces toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis (NIH, 2013a). Pancreatitis is inflammation andswelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion. The immune system is weakened. Chronic drinkers are more give carely to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who dont drink.Chronic alcohol consumption increases risk for cancers such as mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, and breast Alcohol pharmacokinetics includes absorption, distribution, and metabolism. After oral absorption, alcohol is absorbed from the duodenum by diffusion (Ramchandani, 2009). The rate depends on the volume of alcohol consumed (the less concentrated the slower rate of absorption), rate of drinking ( fast you drink the faster the absorption), food, and gastric metabolism. The distribution of alcohol is into total body water. There are also gender differences in body. Women have a lower proportion in total body water compared to men. Metabolism of alcohol occurs primarily in the liver in a two-step process. As researched by Ramchandani (2009), the first step, alcohol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase or ADH. In the second step, acetaldehyde is converted to acetate by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase.Then there is alcohol pharmacodynamics (Ramchandani, 2009). Alcohol is a CNS depressant. Its stimulatory effects result from depression of inhibitory control mechanisms in the brain. Characteristic responses to alcohol include euphoria, impaired thought processes and decreased mechanical efficiency. More than just a doctor is needed for the treatment of alcoholism. Alcoholism counselors, social workers, psychologists, and family therapists are a few oth ers that may be involved. There are three stages in treating alcoholism. The first is to make sure the person is medically stabilized. Next, they must undergo a detoxification process which is then followed by long-term sobriety and rehabilitation.According to Cunha (2012), the most common medication in treating alcoholism is disulfiram (Antabuse). It interferes with alcohol metabolism resulting in a metabolite that makes the person nauseated and very disquieting when consuming alcohol (Cunha, 2012). If they stop taking this they can implant a device under the skin so they have to continuously take it without the emancipation of being able to stop it. Other medications used are naltrexone (ReVia), acamprosate (Campral) and a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Cunha, 2012). Alcohol withdrawal is treated by oral or IV hydration along with medications. According to Cunha (2012), the most commonmedication groups used in treating alcohol w ithdrawal symptoms are benzodiazepines, which include lorazepam (Ativan), diazepam (Valium), and chlordizepoxide (Librium) (Cunha, 2012). Any person that is being treated for alcoholism should also receive thiamine (vitamin B1). The thiamine levels are usually low and if deficiency occurs it could lead to Wernickes encephalopathy.The detoxification stage involves stopping the alcohol consumption. This usually occurs in an inpatient setting and will require extensive support. The medication will be given and then tapered off until no withdrawal symptoms are evident. This process lasts a few days to a week. Rehabilitation can be both a short term or long term residential program. These help those who are more severely dependent and need the help to develop skills not to drink and to work on ways to help them from relapsing. Short term programs are less than four weeks long where long term programs can last for a month to a year or more. There are also several effective individual tre atments delivered by professional counselors in outpatient treatment clinics. These treatments include twelve-step facilitation therapy, motivational enhancement therapy, and cognitive- behavioral coping skills.There are also self-help programs which are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), women for sobriety, Rational Recovery, and SMART recovery (Cunha, 2012). These kick alcoholics to stop drinking and remain sober on their own. In conclusion, alcoholism is a very serious condition that sadly many people face in the world. There any many means of helping these patients, but only if the individual wants the assistance. Once the person is so alcohol dependent, they are in a state of denial and think that nothing is wrong with their habit, but the earlier we get them to understand their problems then the easier it is to help them through it. Alcoholism is not only a terrible disease itself, but it also leads to many other deadly diseases and illnesses.The first priority to make a difference i n the world is to educate the youth about alcohol, which will hopefully decrease the rates of alcoholism occurrences in the future. The effects of alcoholism which are physical and psychological can cause many problems that affect a persons life in all aspects. Alcohol alters ones brain, muscles, digestion process, and other disorders that affect ones health. It also can cause depression or changes in behavior that result in problems with their family, friends, and with themselves.ReferencesChung, P. Pittman, J. (2013). Epocrates Online. Alcohol Abuse. Retrieved fromhttps//online.epocrates.com/noFrame/showPage.do?method=diseasesMonographId=198ActiveSectionId=24Cunha, J. (2012). E Medicine Health. Alcoholism. Retrieved from http//www.emedicinehealth.com/alcoholism/page8_em.htmDrink Aware.(2014).Health Effects of Alcohol. Alcohol Dependence. Retrieved fromhttps//www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-dependenceHasin, D. (2013). National I nstitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Classification of Alcohol theatrical role Disorders. Retrieved from http//pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/5-17.htm Mayo Clinic Staff. (2012). Alcoholism. Retrieved fromhttp//www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcoholism/basics/definition/CON-20020866) National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH). (2013a). Alcohols Effects on the Body. http//www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (NIH). (2013b). Alcohol Use Disorder.Retrieved from http//pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/dsmfactsheet/dsmfact.pdf National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH). (2013c). Epidemiology of Alcohol. Problems in the United States. mental faculty 1. Retrieved fromhttp//pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module1Epidemiology/Module1.html Pelucchi, C., Tramacere, I., Boffetta, P., Negri, E., Vecchia, C. (2011). Alcohol Consumption and Cancer Risk. Nutrition Cancer, 6 3(7), 983-990. doi10.1080/01635581.2011.596642.