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What
does the alcohol destroy?
illnesses caused by drinking are present at about 50% of men and 10% of
women visiting a doctor. Doctors, however, do not recognize alcohol
addiction at most of their patients suffering from it. It concerns most
often women addicted to alcohol.
Nervous
system
A
nervous system is especially sensitive to ethyl alcohol activity, most of
all its metabolites. This is the nervous system where the earliest and the
most clearly the results of toxic activity of ethanol appear. Pathologic
changes in this system are worsened by vitamin shortages (mostly vitamins of
B group - thiamine, biothine, pantothene acid and piridoxine). In the
circuit system, the most common is polinervous inflammation (polineuropathy).
It is the result of a change in activity and structure of peripheral nerves
caused by noon-infectious factors, in this particular case broadly meant
activity of alcohol and its metabolites. It is symptomatic for its
malfunctions in parts of the limbs, (paresthesy and weakening), nervous
pains and pressure pains of nerves, weakening or loss of tendon reactions as
well as muscle pains. In special cases there may happen inertia or even
paralysis. The most common are paralyses of radious nerve (so called
"falling arm" - malfunction of a stretching reaction of a wrist
and joints of a palm and fingers) and arrow corporate nerve (weakening
folding of a foot and disability to turn the foot and weakened folding and
stretching toes, the foot falls and its inner side takes a lower position
than the outer (?) and the foot takes an unstable position). These changes
in peripheral nervous system are almost always accompanied by first changes
in muscles, with symptoms such as weakening their power and muscle sclerosis
(patients suffer from "weak legs"). It also comes to weakening the
tension of organ muscles (including the uterus and intestines). At the
diagnosis, except for proving the fact of excessive and intense alcohol
consumption and clinical picture it is important to conduct a medical
procedure of electromiograph together with measuring the speed of
transferring in nervous fibres. The chronic ethanol consumption may also
cause serious problems with eyesight, owing to damage to extra eyeball part
of sight nerve (so called toxic neuropathy, which symptoms are problems with
seeing of different extent up to the total blindness and other types of
limiting the scope of seeing and sometimes it may lead to the atrophy of
sight nerve) and retino-vascular.
The central nervous system constitute: brain, cerebellum, medulla and spinal
cord.
A mature brain has approximately 100 trillion neuro-cells connected to one
of glia cells. More less since 35th birthday a person loses about 100 000
neurons each day Despite these losses the net of remaining neurons perform
their duties with no difficulty. This situation is changed, however owing to
the influence of external factors such as trauma, malfunctions of brain
circulation or degeneration, intoxication (incl. alcoholic). With people
consuming large amounts of alcohol in 50 to 90% of cases of analysis of
central nervous system the tommograph shows broadened the structure of lobes
and atrophy of cortex mostly in temporal and frontal lobes. The review of
few dozens of research programmes of computer analysis performed on 2270
people showed atrophy of cortex-subcortex at 67.9% checked. Many researches
show also that they are most often apparent in Korsakov syndrome
(psychosis). At the same time, a partial withdrawal of these changes was
observed, as a result of limiting drinking. Owing to the fact that according
to dictionary definition, the term atrophy suggest something irreversible,
it was suggested, in case of reversible changes, to use the term of brain
shrinkage.
 The
changes observed within the research process are the result of not only
destructive activity of alcohol and its metabolites but also many other
factors connected with the syndrome of alcohol addiction (including traumas,
blood pressure fluctuations, malfunctions of blood circulation in the brain
during the state of drunkness, periods of non breathing in the state of deep
intoxication and various kinds of illnesses, malnutrition etc.)
Together with changes in the central nervous system are connected convulsive
abstinence attacks, often called alcohol epilepsy. The results of this
limited alcohol damage to a brain are: Vernicky's encephalopathy (Vernicky -
Korsakov syndrome) stupor and non amnestic handicaption of cognitive
functions and memory.
Wernicky's
encephalopathy is the result of toxic activity of alcohol, together with
lack of vitamins (mostly B1). As a result of haemorrhagical- spondylosis-
inflammatory changes it comes to paralysis of eye moving muscles and ataxia,
even malfunctions of consciousness. Moreover, it quite often leads to the
symptoms of multi-nerve inflammation, in some cases, it comes to involuntary
movements or spastic limbs' paresis. Wernicky's Encephalopathy affects
approx. 5 - 10% addicts and its main symptoms include: disturbances of eye
ball movement, nystagmus, trebmling, ataxia, spastic paresis of limbs,
polineuropathy, convulsions, consciousness disorders.
On the basis of Wernicky's encephalopathy, simultaneously with apparent
broad changes in limbic system, there might develop Korsakov's psychosis,
mentioned above and broader described in the part devoted to psychical
changes in the course of alcohol addiction. Much less frequent are other
types of encephalopathy; Morel's (lamella atrophy of cortex) Marchiafav's -
Bignami (primary degeneration of corpus callosum) as well as Adams's,
Victor's i Mancall's and Joliffe's (alcohol endemic erythema).
In autonomous nervous system, as a result if alcohol's activity might appear
neuropathy of vagus nerve, the affection of which causes palatal palsy, as
well as paralysis of throat and larynx.
Digestive
system
Muccouses
The most frequent changes in digestive system are chronic inflammations of mucous membrane in the mouth, gullet, stomach and duodenum, peristaltic movement and intestines' disturbance, leading to malnutrition. Not rarely at inflammations it comes to peliosis, erosions and bleeding caused by splitting mucous membrane.
Alcohol causes the weakening of constrictor of a gullet which results in reflux from stomach to a gullet, Barrett's gullet, traumatic splitting of a gullet and Mallory's - Weiss's syndrome.
A liver
At approximately 20-30% of people drinking over 3 standard portions of alcohol (1 portion contains approx. 10 g of pure alcohol) have increased value of GGT. This level, after giving up drinking should return to normal (the norm is 8-54 IU/L) within 3 months.
A liver, which metabolises most of alcohol consumed, reacts to its exceeded volume by: steatosis (at 90% persons drinking extensively), inflammation (at 40% or according to other authors at 10-15%), fibrosis and finally cirrhosis (15-30% or according to other authors at 8-10%). Fatty degeneration of a liver consists in excessive cholesterolosis in liver cells and this process is to a broad Extent a reversible one, after giving up drinking. The symptoms of degeneration include pains under right ribs, with observable swelling of a liver. Alcoholic inflammation of a liver is a next stage of its destruction and its symptoms and pains are more intensive than in fatty degeneration. When a person with alcoholic degeneration of a liver drinks on, in approx. 80 percent of cases develops fibrosis transferred into cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis of a liver is a state when flesh of a liver (hepatocyte) is exchanged with fibrous connective tissue which is useless from the perspective of functioning of a liver at the same time it hinders the blood circulation in a liver. The symptoms of cirrhosis include: general weakness, loosing weight, presence of a liquid in the abdominal cavity, swelling, jaundice and varicose veins in the gallup, which may cause haemorrhages. According to some researchers, the risk of raising changes in the liver appears at daily consumption of 60-80 g of alcohol by men and above 20 g by women. The primary cancer of liver in 75% of cases (according to other authors at 15-20%) develops on the basis of liver cirrhosis. Among theses attempting to explain the development of alcoholic cirrhosis of liver, the influence of alcohol on cell membrane and lipoid metabolism as well as a high density of acetaldehyde and malnutrition are mentioned.
Although alcohol (especially produced in a liver by alcohol dehydrogenesis ADH and approx. 30 times more toxic product of its transformation - acetaldehyde) is assumed to be the extremely toxic factor for the liver, a very important role in pathogenesis of post-alcoholic liver's damage play malnutrition.
A curiosity is that among alcoholics, who had the liver transplant due to drinking, it was observed a very low, only 10% frequency of returning to the addiction. As a result of multi-center research conducted in the USA it is concluded that surviving a liver transplant among Chosen cases of alcoholics is equal to this in a group of patients avoiding excessive use of alcohol.
Most of the centres require at least 6 months before the surgery a patient went through controlled abstinence period and abstinence after the surgery. Drinking alcohol is not so much important as complying with the orders of taking specific medicines necessary after such a therapy.
Pancreas
The majority (i.e. approx. 65% severe and chronic inflammations of pancreas) and connected with them damages of gland tissue are based on excessive consumption of alcohol. Alcohol causes congestion and precipitating of protein substance in pancreas tubules (protein plugs). As a result of blocking of these tubules one may suffer from inflammation frequently connected with self-digestion of pancreas. Another mechanism consists In alcohol's causing excessive secreting by the pancreas resulting In inflammation and cramp of duodenum and pancreas' canal which complicates secreting the digestive enzymes from pancreas to duodenum.
Pancreas inflammation may be also caused by continuation as a result o fan earlier stomach's and duodenum's inflammation or as a result of relocating the content of pancreas' channel to duodenum. In more advanced cases, an imbroglio of pancreas' inflammation is diabetes, because the Langerhans' isles, producing insuline which regulates a proper course of sachharides' transformation, are destroyed.
chronic, returning inflammations of pancreas are more often connected with alcoholism than severe pancreas inflammations. Research conducted in the USA shows that oper 75% of patients suffering from chronic pancreas inflammations had an experience of excessive alkohol consumption and the disease occureed usually within 5 to 10 years after such practice. Severe pancreas inflammations are connected with 5% risk of death, In 10-20% cases its reason is alcoholism.
Circulatory system
Although there is evidence that reasonable alcohol consumption decreases the risk of death resulting from coronary disease, still more researches show that excessive drinking causes other types of diseases of circulatory system and hart-vessel system such as hypertension, cardiomiopathy, arythmia and strokes.
Hypertension
The popularity of hypertension among men excessively drinking alcohol appears between 10 to 30%. Researches show that hypertension may be connected, on the one hand, with abstinence syndrome and lowering the level of alcohol In blond, on the other, the responsibility for such a condition may bear biochemical mechanism, which is yet unknown.
The hypertension is the main factor of a risk of brain haemorrhage or stroke and heart attack. Numerous researches show that frequent consumption of alcohol is closely connected with a higher tendency to hypertension. It was proved that different complications connected with hypertension, including deaths, rise together with increase of alcohol consumption. The researches show simultaneously that together with giving up drinking the hypertension may be partly reversible.
Cardiomiopathy
Among people chronically drinking may develop alcoholic cardiomiopathy caused by weakening of shrinkability of a hart muscle, which are constituted by pathologic changes in fibres of a heart muscle or fattening and growing of heart, substantial weakening of the power of cramps etc.) which leads to malfunctions of heart activity and inefficiency of circulatory system. The mechanism of these changes has not been well diagnosed yet It is suspected that a part In it may play handicaptions of absorbtion of Ca and peroxidation of lipoids, together with creation of fre radicals and producing acetaldehyde. Both cardiomiopathy as well as below described disturbances of a rhythm are caused by direct influence of alcohol activity and the products of its digestion onto the heart muscle and heart conduction system.
It is estimated that 20-30 % of cases of cardiomiopathy In the USA may be connected with alcohol consumption. Research conducted in the USA shows that almost half of people suffering from cardiomiopathy of a difficult reason to be diagnosed showed symptoms of alcohol addiction. A the same time at about 30 % of patients the symptoms disappeared after giving up drinking. The remaining 70% may need heart transplant.
Dysfunction of rythm
Both severe alcoholic intoxication as well as its chronic consumption may cause non-metric or dysfunctional heart rhythm. To the vestibule dysfunctions of rhythm connected with chronic consumption of alcohol belong atrial fibrillation (approx. 15-20% of idiopadic fibrillations) and auricular fluttering. Sudden deaths In the population of alcohol addicts are explained party by arythmia. Alcohol disturbs automatic activity of sinoatrial node and may prolong impulse transfer and it may also cause tachycardia.
Coronary disease
There is no proof for the view being popular In the previous century that alkohol improves circulation In coronary vessels and this way decreases the coronary pain (symptom of angina pectoris). Subjective improvement after alkohol consumption is not the result of broadening coronary vessels but tranquilising and anaesthetic influence of alcohol's activity. The heart muscle remains still not enough oxygated.
Indeed, as I mentioned above, some researchers claim that consumption of small doses of alcohol decreases the risk of coronary disease, at the same time they notice increased frequency of cirrhosis of liver, cancer and hypertension among these people drinking alcohol. On the other hand, there are many researches showing that the risk of coronary disease and its fatality increases in cases of excessive drinking.
Haematologic disturbance
Among people being addicted to alcohol, morphologic changes in marrow are often met, which unable correct functioning of haematopoietic system. Alcohol influence directly all morphotic elements of blood and their development. The influence on blood cells erithrocites is constituted by lowering the level of foil acid and stopping the synthesy of DNA. It was also observed that the toxic activity of alcohol affects megakriocytes and destroys trombocites in spleen. The number of trombocites may return to normal within a few days of abstinence.
Brain vessels diseases
The result of brain vessels diseases are, among others, strokes. They are caused owing to the affected blood circulation by these vessels or extracting of blood out the vessel. An increased risk of a stroke or haemorrhage is connected with restrained by alcohol, trombogenic activity of trombocites, an increased tendency of vessel shrinking and hypertension mentioned above.
Sexual dysfunctions
contrary to a common opinion that alcohol and other psychoactive substances positively influence sexual potential, often an opposite result is met. Many of these substances, including alcohol, have "unrestraining" effect (i.e. reducing shame and inhibition) and owing to this mechanism it may indeed increase the level of sexual drive. However, chronic and excessive drinking may result in weakening of sexual potency.
Systematic, sometimes even occasional consumption of alcohol may result in impotence among a group of men. It was proved that increased level of alcohol in blood causes difficulties with erection, delayed ejaculation and weakening of orgasm. According to the research, impotence may happen to 50% of people chronically drinking extensively. Moreover, at many it may result in testicles' atrophy and lowering fertility. The mechanism of this syndrom is complex and most probably it is the result of direct toxic influence of alcohol's activity onto Leydog's cels and disturbance of hypothalmus. the level of testosterone may be lowered, however, the latest research shows that among many men addicted to alcohol the level of sexual hormones is correct.
The influence of alcohol onto sexual potency of women is less known. many from addicted women suffer from weaker sexual drive and smaller secretion of vaginal mucus, and disturbances of menstruation cycle. Frequently may occur disappearance of ovaries and restrained ovulation. According to researches' results women have a lower fertility resulting from less frequent ovulation and more frequent miscarriages. Excessive drinking in adolescence may delay sexual puberty by lowering the growth hormone level in blood and the LH hormone. Among women addicted to alcohol an earlier menopause is more. A separate issue is a fact of appetite disturbance among 10-20 % of alcohol addicted women. Apparent anorexia nervosa or bulimia may decrease sexual potency because such dysfunctions as amenorrhoea, anorexia or losing weight may be associated with appetite dysfunctions and infertility.
Immune system
The immune system is composed of organs adapted to defending the organism against foreign substances (thymus, spleen, lymph node marrow) and specialized cells such as lymphocytes and macrophags. Chronic alcohol consumption restrains the functions of immune system and it manifests by increased sensitivity and being prone to infectious diseases such as pneumonia or even a cancer. Alcohol affects among others the capability of lymphocytes to perform their function (such as producing antybodies against foreign antygenes).and weakens their activity. It also results in lowering the activity of NK cells, which are important factor of defense against cancer metastatis.
Other organs and systems
Apparently often met among people drinking excessively are inflammations of mucous membrane of trachea and bronchial tubes result in increased susceptibility to diseases of respiratory system. Among smokers and drinking alcohol people happens a cancer of mouth, trachea and larynx 10 times more often than in the controlling sample.
Well known are the cases of severe kidney dysfunction resulting from their toxic destruction by alcohol.
Excessive use of alcohol may be accompanied by symptoms of uric acid diathesis (inflammation of joints due to accumulation of uric acid) as well as resulting from accumulation of magnesium in urinal ducts.
Hormonal changes among men are manifested by growing breast and change of hair type, weakening or disappearence of facial hair, and among women - disappearance of ovaries and appearance of facial hair above the upper lip and lowering the voice tone. the immediate consequence of these changes are dysfunctions of potency and menstruation, infertility and earlier menopause.
Skin changes appear indirectly and result from alcohol's influence on digestive system and a liver. The most visible are hyperpigmentations and vascular naevi, (especially on face skin) as well as congestion of face with conjunctivitis and swelling. Not rarely they are accompanied by itching which may precede liver cirrhosis. Another problem connected with excessive use of alcohol is increased risk of venearal diseases and infection of HIV (AIDS).
researches show that excessive use of alcohol is bound with an increased risk of neoplastic changes (especially of liver, gullet, nasal part of a throat, larynx and ). It was also observed that the breast cancer is more frequent among women drinking alcohol and It is bound with weakening of immune system of the organism. Owing to the fact that that toxic influence of alcohol is much more severe to young women, those who drink during pregnancy suffer miscarriages and delayed delivery. The most serious complications after drinking alcohol during pregnancy is so called "alcoholic foetal syndrome" which results in low birth weight and poor general health condition of a newborn baby (including frequent heart defects, deformation of joints), hindered development and presence of multitude of developmental dysfunctions, mostly of joints' and bones' system. These symptoms are associated by different kinds of neurological dysfunctions and mental handicap.
The effect of toxic activity of alcohol upon the organism are also vitamin shortages and loss of trace elements (including magnesium, vanadium and silicon etc.) without which the organism is unable to function correctly. |
