How can a weekend of binge drinking harm me?

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Binge drinking, as defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), is when men consume 5 or more drinks and women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours. It brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level to 0.08 g/dL or above. 

Numerous studies have proven the havoc that binge drinking can cause, including unruly fights, accidental deaths, major accidents, and mental and physical instability. Apart from the individual financial losses, the country also suffers losses from reduced productivity at workplace, health care expenditures, criminal justice costs, and other expenses.  Read more

Effects of alcohol, HIV, and hepatitis C on immune system activation

Effects of alcohol, HIV, and hepatitis C on immune system activation

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It is a well-established fact that alcohol can exacerbate other diseases making them debilitating. It increases the recovery time, especially after burns, injury, or trauma. Additionally, it also dysregulates the anti-viral immune response, particularly in the liver, including response against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). According to a recent study published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, excessive alcohol consumption by people with HIV or people living with HIV (PLWH) aggravates immune system activation and infection, especially amongst those who are also infected with HCV. Read more

10 surefire ways to stay away from alcohol

10 surefire ways to stay away from alcohol

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Quitting alcohol is never easy, and for some people, it might be a lifelong struggle owing to the painful withdrawal symptoms. However, it is important to understand that alcohol addiction can cause extreme distress and complications in one’s life. Therefore, one must be determined in his/her resolve to quit alcohol. Read more

Why people with alcohol use disorder love drinking

Why people with alcohol use disorder love drinking

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Alcoholism refers to chronic consumption of alcoholic beverages, or developing a dependence on alcohol to such an extent that it impairs control over drinking, often leading to a loss of control over one’s life. Alcoholism does not comprise a single factor, rather a result of numerous genetic, psychological, environmental, and social factors.

Some people view alcohol as a way of relieving themselves from quotidian distress. They feel that it helps them deal with the various stressors of life, such as work pressure, academic issues, relationship hassles, financial stress, etc. Whereas, there are many who drink to deal with a subtle peer pressure, a sense of inadequacy driving them to project themselves as ‘in vogue’ and not the odd one out. Another reason people drink alcohol is to satiate their curiosity. Read more

How to avoid picking alcohol during grocery shopping in recovery

How to avoid picking alcohol during grocery shopping in recovery

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Britney was on her way to home from work. Listening to her favorite country music while stuck in a traffic jam, she was extremely happy that through her strict resolve, she had finally completed two months of sobriety, without smelling a drop of alcohol. Today, it was her daughter’s birthday and she had planned an elaborate dinner but since her husband was expected to reach late, she had taken the responsibility of doing groceries. Read more

Women worried about breast cancer should stay away from alcohol, says study

Women worried about breast cancer should stay away from alcohol, says study

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Drinking alcohol is widely accepted in most cultures and no celebration is deemed complete without a toast or two. Men and women, alike, drink to rejoice or relieve stress. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), around 5.3 million women, aged 18 or older (amounting to 4.2 percent women) and 325,000 females aged 12–17 years (2.7 percent of females in the age group) had alcohol use disorder (AUD). In the light of the findings, it is important to educate women about the risks of alcohol consumption. Read more

Coping with post-acute withdrawal symptoms

Coping with post-acute withdrawal symptoms

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The journey from addiction to recovery is not easy. When people try to recover from alcohol abuse or from an addiction to narcotic drugs like heroin, they might find it difficult to deal with the cravings long after they have become sober. Alterations in the brain developed after years of abuse cause an individual to experience symptoms of withdrawal long after he or she had undergone a drug addiction treatment program. Read more

There is nothing like ‘moderate drinking’ when it comes to health

There is nothing like ‘moderate drinking’ when it comes to health

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It is a wake-up call for all those who have been serving themselves generous doses of alcohol in the name of health, as a study has questioned the so-called benefits of moderate drinking. Many studies link moderate drinking with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The benefits are known to be enjoyed alike by those who have no known heart-related ailment and those who have high risk of developing a heart attack or stroke. People living with type 2 diabetes, those with existing cardiovascular disease or gallstones could also get benefited from moderate drinking. Read more

Quitting alcohol cold turkey may be detrimental to health

Quitting alcohol cold turkey may be detrimental to health

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According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), about 86.4 percent of American adults in the age group of 18 and above have admitted consuming alcohol, one of the most commonly abused substances, in their lifetime. Moreover, alcohol has emerged as the fifth leading risk factor responsible for premature death and disabilities, contributing to nearly 25 percent of deaths in the age group 20 to 39 years, highlights the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).   Read more

Alcohol at the friendly neighborhood store: A new menace

Alcohol at the friendly neighborhood store: A new menace

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It is an accepted truth that alcohol consumption is detrimental to health and well-being. However, the number of people indulging in drinking has grown so dramatically that drinking alcohol is not considered a taboo anymore. One of the reasons for the increased prevalence of drinking is the availability of alcohol at commonplaces, such as bookstores, amusement parks and, of course, shopping malls. Read more