Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the many issues that women deal with these days along with weight loss, diet, stress level and pregnancy. It affects men and women differently. Drinking even in small quantities has its affects on women. Alcohol passes through the digestive system and gets mixed up with water in the body. Women weigh a lot less than men and hence have less water content in their bodies; as a result, a woman’s vital organs are exposed to more alcohol before it gets broken down. Alcohol is a definite threat to their health, safety and well-being.
Vital organs like liver and brain are the most affected by alcohol .Though moderate intake may lower the danger of heart disease among women who are over age 55; there are other factors which help control heart diseases like regular exercise, a healthy and systematic lifestyle. Alcohol can be avoided and could be had occasionally during social gatherings. Drink and drive as we all know result in fatal accidents, nearly half the accidents occur due to alcohol content in the blood. Research shows that a single drink per day can increase the risk of breast cancer in women.. One of the worst consequences of alcoholism is pregnant women consuming it which in turn affects their unborn child. The child could be born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), set of birth defects which include growth and mental injury.
Women of all ages are making alcohol a way of life, mostly teenagers and middle aged women and comparatively lesser in older women .Women are at their most vulnerable self when they are drunk, they become soft targets for sexual assault and unwanted pregnancy. One of the reasons women turn to alcohol is supposedly stress. It’s assumed that alcohol helps them cope with stress and high pressure situations which in fact are an absolute mistaken belief. Truth is, alcoholism causes that extra stress and leads to various problems like low performance levels at work, strained family relations which in turn results in low self esteem.
Aged women need to avoid alcohol completely as they are at a higher risk than other women. Since they inevitably use medication, it may have adverse affects when it gets mixed up with alcohol in the body. Also it’s more harmful for older women since they are not as strong as before and succumb to harmful conditions more quickly.
It’s never too late to bring the problem to an end and is possible to again lead an alcohol free life. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH -USA), conducts research on the causes and consequences of alcoholism and tries to find ways to treat the problem. There are various other organizations lending a hand in addressing the issue.
Treatment
People who drink usually do not admit to having a problem and don’t want any kind of confrontation; this is where intervention helps where the person is made to understand that there’s a serious problem, having an adverse effect on her health and affecting her personal and professional life. Subtle counseling by family and friends in making the person realize the issue could help. She could first be told to lessen alcohol intake and gradually discontinue drinking. Complete detoxification is necessary by completely abstaining from alcohol which could again lead to problems like blood clotting and liver problems if she is a heavy drinker. Being under medical observation is necessary under such conditions. Rehabilitation is another way of treating the disorder which is usually after the treatment. Proper medical care and counseling must be offered so that there’s no risk of yet again getting drawn towards alcohol.