It's no secret that ethyl alcohol can significantly worsen the he alth of any person. But the rare use of alcohol in small quantities does not lead to the development of irreversible changes in tissues. Constant feasts cause dangerous diseases that pose a threat not only to he alth, but also to life. In addition, the use of alcoholic beverages often leads to the fact that a person develops tolerance to alcohol. And this aggravates the situation even more.
Concept
Tolerance to alcoholic beverages is the body's ability to process alcohol. But only in a certain amount. It has been established that for a he althy person who drinks extremely rarely, 150 ml of even the strongest drink will not harm. But, as practice shows, there are very few people who drink alcohol in such a dosage and only on the most important holidays.
The development of tolerance is accompanied by a weakening of the effect of ethyl alcohol on the body. In this regard, in order for the state of intoxication to occur, a person needs to constantly increase the dosage. At the same time, as tolerance to alcohol develops, a significant weakening of special mechanisms occurs. The task of the latter is to protect tissues from the negative effects of both ethyl alcohol and its decay products.
Types
It is customary to distinguish between several types of alcohol tolerance. She happens:
- Functional. When ethyl alcohol enters the body, the brain makes attempts to compensate for the harm caused by alcohol to the body. This is expressed not only in behavioral changes, but also in violation of the functioning of internal organs. A prime example is an alcoholic who regularly consumes alcoholic beverages and does not get drunk at all.
- Spicy. This type of tolerance to alcohol develops only after the first binge in life. In the first few days, the degree of sensitivity to ethyl alcohol is still high, in the next day it decreases. This is what forces a person to consume even more alcohol-containing drinks.
- Metabolic. With a high rate of metabolic processes, alcohol is very quickly processed in the body and excreted from it. On the one hand, this feature prevents the development of a pronounced intoxication process. Withthe other is that the active components of medicines prescribed for the treatment of chronic alcoholism are quickly excreted from the body.
- Behavioral. In other words, tolerance is formed under the influence of a person's environment. He gets used to frequent drinking much faster if it happens in the same environment every time.
It is important to understand that the development of resistance to ethanol is a warning sign. It is a symptom of the initial stage of alcoholism.
Tolerance increase/decrease
The development of dependence on ethyl alcohol has its own characteristics. At an early stage of alcoholism, tolerance increases by about 5 times. That is, a person needs to drink more so that a state of intoxication occurs. The peak of pathology is characterized by an increase in the degree of resistance up to 10 times. During this period, an alcoholic can easily drink 1 liter of vodka and feel neither disgust nor signs of intoxication.
After a while, alcohol resistance decreases. This is a sign of progressive alcoholism. During this period, a minimum amount of ethyl alcohol is enough for a person, he is simply not able to drink more.
Thus, an increase in resistance followed by a decrease in it are two specific signs of alcoholism that cannot be ignored. This is due to the fact that irreversible changes occur in the body at this time, which often lead to death.
Factors affecting alcohol tolerance:
- Age. Young people need much less ethyl alcohol to get drunk.
- Weight. The greater the body weight, the lower the concentration of alcohol in the blood.
- Gender. Women need 2 times less alcohol to get drunk.
It is known that children whose parents are alcoholics have a high degree of tolerance initially.
The effect of ethyl alcohol on the human body
It has been proven that people suffering from addiction live 10-15 years less than people who drink minimal amounts of alcohol and only on important holidays.
Ethyl alcohol and its decay products are highly toxic. At the same time, the absorption of harmful compounds occurs very quickly.
Negative effects of ethyl alcohol on the body:
- Brain cells are destroyed. In the future, they are not restored.
- Nerve cells die, which leads to mental disorders, in particular, to delirium tremens, which can be fatal.
- The work of the organs of the digestive system is disturbed. The following diseases most often develop: stomach ulcer, gastritis, colitis, pancreatitis.
- The heart muscle is affected. At best, coronary heart disease occurs, at worst, death occurs.
- The work of the respiratory system is disturbed. Alcoholics are often diagnosed with tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer.
- The liver cells are destroyed. In severe cases, there iscirrhosis.
- Kidneys affected.
- The gonads are atrophying. The result is erectile dysfunction.
Regarding how much alcohol is lethal. In ppm, this figure is 5.0. Lethal outcome in adults can occur with a single use of 0.5-1.5 liters of pure alcohol.
Quitting alcohol: changes in the body
It is important to understand that they are exclusively positive. The first improvements are felt after a few days.
In the first 2 days after giving up alcohol, a person does not like changes in the body. Hangover syndrome, migraines, aching muscles - this is just an incomplete list of symptoms that indicate a restructuring. After a few days, the general condition of the former alcoholic improves significantly.
Already after 2 weeks, the functioning of internal organs improves, the skin becomes he althy. A month later, the psycho-emotional state normalizes, potency returns in men. According to research, the body is almost completely restored in a year.
In closing
Alcohol tolerance is the body's ability to process certain doses of ethyl alcohol. It has several types. But one thing is known - the development of tolerance is a sign of alcoholism.
