subject: The Repercussions Of Alcoholism On Women [print this page] Who says that alcoholism only affects men? They are wrong because there are increasing cases of women addicted to alcoholic beverages attributed to the numerous factors such as family life, work pressure, relationship issues and other stressors in their lives. Despite the fact that alcoholism affects men and women, the implications of alcoholism differ significantly in both sexes.
Statistics
At present, there are about 15.1 million alcoholics in the United States and approximately one-third of them are women. According to the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism, approximately 5.3 million women are heavy drinkers, thereby threatening their safety, well-being and health. Studies also show that American women are heavy drinkers compared to African-American women because they have fewer social and personal-related problems.
Reasons alcoholic beverages affect women differently than men
Even though women drink less alcoholic drinks than men, they suffer more than men. Why? The repercussions of alcoholism are totally different in both sexes because women are smaller in height and weight. When women ingest lesser fluid for dilution, fewer enzymes are produced to breakdown the alcohol in their livers, thus the unbroken and potent alcohol drinks are absorbed in their blood and brains. Since women have 10% more fat cells than men, alcohol lasts longer in their bodies. The estrogen level in their bodies also increases the absorption of alcohol. Since their estrogen levels increase 2 weeks before their menstruation period, alcohol is easily absorbed during this time. Because of the huge impact of alcoholism in women, different types of alcohol treatment centers and alcoholism programs are developed like rehabilitation program, inpatient alcohol treatment center, holistic alcoholism program, all-natural alcoholism treatment program and many more.
Effects of alcoholism in women
Although men consume more alcoholic beverages compared to women, they surpass men in terms of alcoholism side effects. Alcoholism can result to premature menopause in women. If women ingest alcoholic drinks heavily, their menopausal periods can be shortened to 5 years and they will have severe effects like frequent sleepiness and hot flashes.
According to studies, heavy drinkers have fifty percent risk of having breast cancer after their menopause. They are also prone to different kinds of health risks like heart disease, malnutrition, anemia, memory loss, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, reproductive problems, brain shrinkage and fetal alcohol syndrome. Researchers also discovered that women have higher risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis than men. Moreover, the combination of alcohol and estrogen in their bodies put them at higher risks of dying from liver damage and suicide.
Lastly, alcohol rehab facilities play vital roles in treating alcoholic women. These alcohol rehab centers and programs they create help alcoholic women regain their lives again and limit the frequency of drinking alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic women also need the support of their peers, members of the family, doctors and counselors to achieve easy and smooth transition to healthier and better lives!
by: Joey Young
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