Alcohol Abuse (Symptoms)

You know a person is abusing alcohol when life at work and at home are seriously disrupted. It's a chronic disease that hits younger adults more prevalently than older ones.

Alcohol Dependence

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is a disease that includes:

Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink
Loss of control: The inability to limit one's drinking on any given occasion
Physical dependence: Includes evidence of tolerance and withdrawal
Tolerance: The need to drink greater amounts of alcohol in order to get drunk
Withdrawal symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, sweating, shakiness, hallucinations (visual or auditory), anxiety, and even seizures. These symptoms can occur in individuals who have been heavy drinkers over a period of time.

Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse differs from alcohol dependence in that

It does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol
A person may experience some loss of control over drinking, which may lead to problems with work, home, school, relationships, or the law
It usually does not include signs of physical dependence

Answering the following four questions can help you find out if you or a loved one has a drinking problem:

Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover?

One yes answer suggests a possible alcohol problem. A yes to more than one question indicates that it is highly likely a problem exists. In either case, it is important to consult a doctor or other health care provider immediately to determine if you have a drinking problem and, if so, initiate the best course of action.

Even if you answered no to all of the above questions, you may still need help. You should seek a professional if you encounter drinking-related problems with your job, relationships, health, or the law. The effects of alcohol abuse can be extremely serious—fatal—to you and to others.

Side effects

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Higher incidence of unemployment
Higher incidence of domestic violence
Legal problems

Health Hazards

Increased incidence of cancer, particularly cancer of the larynx, esophagus, liver, and colon
Alcoholic hepatitis, an acute syndrome reported by patients who have ingested about 100 grams of alcohol (about eight ounces of 100-proof whiskey, 30 ounces of wine, or eight 12-ounce cans of beer) daily for over one year. Symptoms can include fever, jaundice, and enlarged liver
Acute and/or chronic pancreatitis—inflammatory disease of the pancreas
Cirrhosis of the liver—alcohol abuse can cause alcoholic hepatitis, which then can lead to cirrhosis, or fibrotic changes in the liver
Alcoholic neuropathy—or degenerative changes in the nervous system affecting nerves responsible for sensation and movement
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
High blood pressure
Nutritional deficiencies—vitamin B12, folate, and thiamine
High blood pressure
Erectile dysfunction
Cessation of menses
Fetal alcohol syndrome in the children of women who drink during pregnancy
Depression
Traffic fatalities
Accidental deaths
Increased risk of suicide
Alcohol dementia
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or Wernicke's encephalopathy: a syndrome of central nervous system changes resulting from thiamine deficiency where an individual becomes confused, loses balance while walking, and shows loss of vision.