Effects of Alcohol on Mental Health

Alcohol consumption is a common tool which is generally used by people in order to relax, calm down or temporarily change the way they think. People often use it also to hide their depression or anxiety or other such mental conditions. Alcohol can temporarily boost your mood, but along with that, it can also give you long term mental problems. Some of the common effects of alcohol on your mental state are enlisted below.

Has an impact on your brain chemistry - The human brain functions on the basis of the balance of various kinds of chemicals excreted by the brain. Alcohol, if consumed in large amounts frequently can turn out to be a depressant and can change the signals that your brain transmits, hence causing undesirable mental effects like anxiousness, depression or aggressiveness.

Anxiety and stress - People usually tend to take a drink after a hectic day so that they can relax and calm down their minds. But if you are frequently becoming dependent on alcohol to relax your mind, then it can be extremely dangerous. This happens because alcohol tends to interfere with the neurotransmitters in your brain exposing you to developing anxiety and stress.

Depression - If you are resorting to regular and frequent drinking, then you are also lowering the level of serotonin inside your body. Serotonin is a chemical in your brain that helps to regulate your mood and kill depression-related thoughts and feelings. This depression can also affect your relationships in an adverse manner.

Memory damage - Alcohol can also affect your memory in more ways than you can imagine. Alcohol consumption generally leads to your brain not recording information on a regular basis. This is the reason why people tend to forget whatever they say or do once they are under the influence of a heavy alcohol dosage.



Effects of Alcohol on Mental Health

Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome is the name given to the symptoms seen in you if you consume heavy doses of alcohol frequently and then suddenly quit or reduce your alcohol intake considerably. These symptoms may surface anytime between six hours to a few days after you last drank.

Common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome:

Hallucinations
Fever
Nausea
Tremors
Anxiety
Vomiting
Immense sweating
Insomnia
High blood pressure
Sweating

All these symptoms may worsen over a few days and may even last till a few weeks.

What is the root cause?

Alcohol arouses your nervous system. In case you are a heavy drinker, your body gradually gets dependent on alcohol, and cannot adapt too easily to the lack of alcohol after you have abruptly quit. This is the root cause of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS).

Who is at risk?

You are at the maximum risk of AWS if you are an alcohol addict, or you cannot gradually cut down on its intake.

How do doctors diagnose AWS?

Usually, doctors will search for a few symptoms in you, like irregular heart rate, dehydration, fever, and tremors or minor fits. A toxicology screen also helps your doctor finding out the levels of alcohol in your body.

How is AWS treated?

Treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms. Usually are:

1. Home Care-

Mild symptoms of AWS can be treated at your home. You need to go for your regular routine checkups and tests. You may also have to go to rehabilitation programs for recovering alcoholics.

2. Hospitalization-

If your symptoms are more severe, you may have to be treated in a hospital, where you will be monitored and kept on a fluid diet to help prevent dehydration.

3. Medications

You can also be treated with sedatives.

Do you recover fully?

Usually, chances are that you will fully recover from AWS. If you quit drinking, take your medicines on time, and lead a healthy life thereafter. However, sleep disturbances and fatigue may persist. But, if you have severe symptoms of AWS, you should seek medical care as soon as possible to prevent any further fatal complications.

All you need to know about Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS)

If you are a heavy drinker and you are having problems with your sex life, they are likely to be caused because of your alcohol consumption. Sex and alcohol are not considered to be a good mixture. Although a small amount of alcohol is harmless, moderate to heavy drinking can hamper your sex life in several ways. Moreover, alcohol is very dangerous for pregnant women.

Alcohol can lead to sexual problems and issues in both men and women. It can also make them behave in a different and unusual manner, which may lead them into having sex with people who are unsuitable. It makes people take unnecessary risks and many get infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Unwanted pregnancy after having sex is a common aspect in today s world. Alcohol also makes people likely to be victims of sexual attacks.

The bad effects of alcohol on your sex life
There are several bad effects of alcohol which take a toll on your sexual life. They are as follows:

Alcohol may make people more likely to engross in sexual activity with the wrong person. Getting pregnant, catching infections and embarking in affairs which lead to the breakup of many marriages are common effects of alcohol. Alcohol is a primary reason for the demand of the emergency contraceptive or morning after pill, all over the world.
Alcohol fuddles up people's brain and many of them forget to take proper contraceptive precautions before having sex.
Alcohol is very harmful for unborn babies in pregnant women. It may cause brain damage to the baby. You should consume alcohol as less as possible during pregnancy and totally avoid it during the first three months of pregnancy.
Alcohol accounts for being a major cause of erectile dysfunction or impotence in men. Alcohol may increase your sexual desire, but it reduces your performance.
Men who are heavy drinkers may develop a permanent case of brewer s droop. Loss of sexual interest is also likely.
Excessive alcohol may lead to diminished or reduced libido in women as well. It is yet to be proven whether alcohol causes any other sexual complications in women.
If you are facing problems with excessive alcohol consumption and it is affecting your sex life, you need to take some steps. It is recommended to consult an alcohol counsellor or join the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group.

Alcohol - 6 Reasons It Is Bad For Your Sex Life!

When it comes to the effects of alcohol, the liver is the most talked about the organ. However, this is not the only part of the body affected by alcohol. Alcohol can also affect your cardiovascular health. This effect is determined largely by the quantity of alcohol being consumed. In restricted amounts, alcohol can in fact be beneficial but in large amounts, it can be the cause of a number of heart health issues. Let s take a look at both sides of the coin.

The Good
For women over the age of 45 years, drinking a small amount of certain types of alcohol such as red wine can be good for the heart. It protects the heart against damage to the arteries by increasing the good cholesterol levels. This prevents the narrowing of arteries by reducing the amount of fat deposited on the arterial walls. Good cholesterol also helps lower the level of bad cholesterol and fights against its ill effects.

Alcohol also reduces the ability of platelets to stick together by increasing the amount of fibrinogen produced by the liver. Thus, it prevents the formation of blood clots an in turn heart attacks caused by them.

The Not so Good
The ill effects of alcohol consumption overshadow its benefits. Drinking heavily over an extended period of time can increase your risk of heart disease. It increases blood pressure that can further trigger a stroke or heart attack. Alcoholism can also lead to weight gain that again causes an increase in blood pressure.

Excessive alcohol consumption also weakens the heart muscles. This condition is known as cardiomyopathy. As the heart muscles grow weaker, they cannot pump blood efficiently and the heart may fail and cause premature death.

Binge drinking can cause a condition known as Holiday Heart Syndrome. It is characterized by severe pain in the center of the chest, increased blood pressure, irregular heartbeats and breathlessness. It may make the person feel as though they were experiencing a heart attack. The term was coined as this condition was seen more commonly during the holiday season when people tend to drink more heavily.

Thus, if you want to enjoy a long, healthy life, avoid alcohol or drink in moderation. For women, this means one drink a day while for men; consumption should be limited to two drinks a day. If you have an existing heart condition or a history of strokes, alcohol should be avoided completely. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Alcohol Intake and Heart Health - Know The Link!

If you are a heavy drinker and consume excess alcohol, you may face severe consequences related to short-term and long-term health. Alcohol has several negative impacts and affects on your heart. Although occasional drinking does not cause much harm, excess drinking may lead to many heart complications. There are chances of the development of cardiovascular diseases in an alcoholic person.
Alcohol affects the heart in several ways. Binge drinkers are more prone to face these complications. A person who drinks alcohol regularly, drinks very fast and drinks much more than the recommended consumption limit during a single session is called a binge drinker.

Here the ways in which alcohol affects your heart:

Alcohol weakens the heart muscles: Heavy drinking for a long span of time tends to weaken the heart muscles. A condition known alcoholic cardiomyopathy may be caused. When the heart gets weakened, proper contraction gets disrupted and the heart is unable to pump sufficient amount of blood. Due to this, a person may experience certain symptoms such as tiredness, irregular heart rhythm, shortness of breath and swelling of the feet and legs. This can also lead to a heart failure.
Alcohol affects your heart beat rate: Binge drinking and regular drinking over a long period of time may affect the rate of the heart beat or how quickly the heart beats. Alcohol may cause the heart to beat too fast, and irregular beating is observed. This is a condition known as arrhythmias, which may have grave consequences on your health. If you are not a regular drinker but drink too much in a day, you could face this condition.
Alcohol can lead to high blood pressure and also cause a stroke: Binge drinking leads to increased blood pressure, also known as hypertension. The blood vessels become stiff, and this causes the pressure to rise in the arteries and veins. Heavy consumption of alcohol may also trigger several stress hormones to be released, which cause a constriction in the blood vessels. This leads to increased blood pressure. Hypertension may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
In order to reduce the negative impacts of alcohol on your heart and overall health, you must practice drinking in moderation. You must not drink more than fourteen units of alcohol in a single week. Consume these fourteen units in three to four parts instead of consuming it all at once. You should give gaps and avoid regular drinking.

Alcohol - How It Affects Your Health?

Back pain can take away all of your energy and stop you from doing your daily chores. Therefore, it is very important that you get the right kind of treatment. Ayurveda has proven to be a very crucial player in treating lower back pain.

The following solutions diminish the Vata dosha, which is responsible for the lower back pain:

Remain warm: One of the fundamental characteristics of Vata dosha is that it is cool. That is the reason, at whatever point you come in contact with something cold or even consume cold food items or beverages, your lower back pain somehow spikes up. During winters, this pain becomes excruciating and keeps you from doing your everyday activities. Therefore, it is very important for you to stay warm. For that, you can either put on a warm belt or get a warm balm massages on your lower back.
Lessen your intake of extremely impactful flavours: Consuming a lot of extreme flavours in your food, for example, red and green chillies and wasabi can have an extremely drying impact on the body. Since dryness is another of the primary characteristics of Vata dosha, it gets expanded with drying substances, and this can lead to constipation in your body. This increases the lower back pain.
Eat warm foods: Devouring frosty foods and beverages cause an increase in V;ata dosha,k which leads to a lot of pain. Coldness makes your lower back tightened and causes certain body parts and areas to clog. Whereas, the fitting amount of warmth gives relieve and allows smooth bowel movement in the body and helps them remain open with the goal that we can finally dispose of the processed food. This also helps relieve the pain that comes from constipation.
Practice padahastasana: Padahastasana (leaning forward-overlay stance) is an incredible Yoga posture for lower back pain specifically on the grounds that it permits the Vata dosha to stream all through the body, wiping out the blockage of the stool-conveying channels that causes both constipation and lower back pain.
Oil your body: Ayurveda shows how stress, tension, exhaustion, and tiredness are all expansions of the Vata dosha, and a lot of collected development of Vata dosha leads to early maturing, a lot of pain in different parts of the body, particularly the lower back. Therefore, oiling the body can help unclog all the parts in the body and increase the blood flow.
Drink Bishop's weed seed tea: Bishop s weed seeds (called Ajwain seeds in Hindi) can be found in practically any grocery or departmental store and many health and clinical stores as well. This Ayurvedic flavour is very useful for pain and in addition constipation. It can be securely taken by anyone.
Kati Vasti: Kati Vasti is a miraculous Ayurvedic treatment very effective for various ailments connecting to the lower back and spine. The treatment involves retention of specially prepared warm medicated oil over the lower back or other parts of the spine for a certain period, to tackle all types of backpain, sciatica, spondylosis, and also to cure disc prolapse and spinal dislocations.
Cold/Heat therapy: Cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain. Cold therapy may be recommended immediately following a sprain or strain. Apply cold to your back using cold packs, ice cubes, iced towels/compresses, or take a cool bath.

Lower Back Pain - How Ayurveda Can Help You Get Relief?

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