Alcoholism: Why it is bad for your health

You might love sitting up overnight sipping champagne with your friends, but are you also aware about the effects that come with it? Drinking alcohol can be enjoyable and is a socially acceptable activity in many parts of the world, but it can also influence you and your lives.

Like cigarettes, alcohol can also make you an addict and causes various health problems. However, many studies have suggested drinking alcohol in moderation may have some health benefits, especially for your heart.

Below are some reasons why you should stop drinking:

Early death: Excess of alcohol intake can lead to early death and permanent damage to vital organs like brain, liver, etc. Alcohol elevates your blood pressure and ups cancer risk. It drains the nutrients from your body. Heavy drinkers have a weaker immune system thus making them more prone to infections and diseases. Alcohol is also believed to cause impotence and erection problems in men.

Cancer: Long-term use of alcohol is linked with higher risk of developing certain types of cancers such as liver cancer, breast cancer, mouth cancer, throat cancer, larynx cancer and oesophagus cancer.

Obesity: As alcohol is packed with calories, it is often associated with obesity. So, people who want to lose weight and go to gyms, but are heavy drinkers don’t show good results.

Birth defects: Pregnant women have been often advised not to drink because exposing the foetus to alcohol can cause birth defects of the brain, heart and other organs.

Relationships: Usually, an alcoholic person tends to get aggressive at home or work place. Hence, alcoholism can affect your relationships in terms of financial, professional and/or emotional well-being. Also, domestic violence and abusive behaviour is a usual thing for drunkards. Constant alcohol abuse is also linked with psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, and severe sleep disorders.