| Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a chronic disorder | | | | coordination. Prolonged and excessive use of alcohol |
| characterized by compulsive, repeated, and excessive | | | | can lead to depression, heart failure, liver cirrhosis, |
| consumption of alcohol to the extent that the | | | | damage to vital organs, high blood pressure, sexual |
| individual's health, social and economic functioning is | | | | dysfunctions and even brain and nervous system |
| impaired. Alcoholism has four symptoms namely | | | | damage. |
| craving, loss of control, physical dependence and | | | | Alcoholism has a direct effect on the liver. Alcohol |
| tolerance. Craving is a strong urge or need to | | | | effects appear within 10 minutes of consumption and |
| consume alcohol and loss of control is the inability to | | | | are at their peak for about 40-60 minutes. Since |
| control the amount of intake of alcohol. Tolerance can | | | | alcohol remains in the blood stream until the liver |
| be explained as the need for increased amount of | | | | metabolizes it, continuous and increased consumption |
| alcohol every time to feel the alcohol's effect. | | | | of alcohol strains the liver and increases the danger of |
| The factors that lead to alcoholism could be genetic, | | | | liver breakdown. Alcoholism in pregnant women leads |
| environmental, psychological or social. Often alcoholism | | | | to birth of infants with fetal alcohol syndrome in which |
| remains undetected for years. Alcoholism does not | | | | case the infants suffer from mental retardation and |
| depend on the kind of alcohol an individual consumes | | | | irreversible physical abnormalities. |
| but it depends on the quantity, long period of addiction | | | | Various researches indicate that 53% of the men and |
| and the uncontrollable need of it. Some individuals are | | | | women in the US report that one or more of their |
| able to recover from alcoholism easily while there are | | | | close relatives are affected by alcoholism. 15% of the |
| others who may require medical assistance. | | | | population in US constitutes problem drinkers, which |
| Excess alcohol or alcoholism can lead to serious health | | | | means that 14 million persons are affected by |
| problems. Short-term effects include dizziness, nausea, | | | | alcoholism in US alone. |
| vomiting, slurred speech and impaired judgment and | | | | |