Posts Tagged ‘Alcoholism physical symptoms’
Help avoid teen drinking during the New Years Eve Celebrations.
With all the New Years Eve celebrations that are planned for Thursday, I think it is a good time to be reminded and aware of teen drinking.
Many teens get their first exposure to alcohol from parties or convincing adults to purchase alcohol for them. It is importance to stress to parents and other adults that they need to be taking a role in protecting their teenager from the dangers of drinking.
Here are some tips for adults that can help stop teen drinking during this New Years Eve and throughout the year for that matter.
- Talk to your teen about what happens and the dangers of underage drinking.
- Dispose of any alcohol that is not consumed at your own parties.
- Don’t leave your drinks unattended during these parties that have teenager present.
- Lock any alcohol in a cabinet.
- Know what you have in your cabinets and keep track of the amount in the bottles.
- Any guest at your house should know not to let anyone under the age of 21 drink alcohol.
Binge drinking on New Years Eve can be fatal.
New Year’s Eve is around the corner and this provides the perfect excuse to party and celebrate. About 90 percent of the alcohol consumed during this time will be in the form of binge drinking.
This kind of drinking can result in alcohol poisoning. It is said and defined by consuming alcohol in rapid succession (about five drinks for men and four drinks for women). The National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above.
Alcohol poisoning symptoms to look for are confusion or stupor, vomiting, seizures, slow or irregular breathing, blue-tinged skin or pale skin, low body temperature, and unconsciousness. Alcohol poisoning can lead to coma and death. Long term effects may include stomach ulcers, liver problems, cardiovascular disease, sexual dysfunction, and neurological damage.
Alcohol is also a major factor in vehicular accidents and deaths, unintended pregnancies, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
A person with alcohol poisoning needs emergency treatment immediately. Even when someone has stopped drinking, alcohol continues to be released into the bloodstream and the level of alcohol continues to rise. Do not encourage the person to vomit the alcohol. If they are suffering from alcohol poisoning, their gag reflex is impaired, and they may choke or inhale their own vomit which could cause a lung injury.
Alcohol’s Effects on The Brain
I’d like to share with you some information on the effects of alcohol on the brain that I’ve learned in an alcohol education class.
After two or more drinks the effects on the brain will be difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, and impair memory. Alcohol destroys brain cells and unlike many other types of cells in the body, brain cells do not regenerate. Alcohol acts as a sedative on the central nervous system, depressing the nerve cells in the brain, dulling, altering and damaging their ability to respond appropriately. Excessive drinking over a prolonged period of time can cause serious problems with cognition and memory.
Alcoholism physical symptoms and how they effect a person is different for everyone:
