Binge drinking is a lot more common than people think. Many online readers may not even be aware of the dangers that come with binge drinking. If you are one of these individuals, then this blog post will help you see the risks associated with this habit and how it can hurt your health in the long run. Binge drinking is defined as the act of consuming more than five drinks for men or four drinks for women in two hours. It can also be defined as getting drunk after consuming these large amounts of alcohol. This may not sound like a lot, but the effects on your body can be very bad.
Dangers of Binge Drinking
There are many dangers of binge drinking. This is why it needs to be curbed. Some of these dangers include:
Alcohol poisoning.
Binge drinkers are at risk of developing alcohol poisoning. Someone who is drinking too much may need to be taken to the hospital for this condition. It could also lead to making poor decisions about your personal safety, including falling down the stairs or getting into an argument. This is a very serious consequence of drinking too much. Alcohol poisoning can happen when the body has reached the point where it cannot handle any more alcohol. This can cause vomiting, seizures, and comas. It can even lead to death.
Memory Loss
Another danger of binge drinking has memory loss. Alcohol impairs the parts of your brain that control memory and decision-making. This means that you will lose some cognitive functions, including the ability to make good decisions, even when you are not drunk. This can put you at risk of making poor choices or getting yourself into dangerous situations without remembering anything that happened in the past. In some cases, your body may not even be able to repair itself.
Financial Troubles
Binge drinking can also cause financial problems. This happens because it could lead to injuries that result in you missing work or having a low quality of work. During a night of binge drinking, poor decisions could also affect your job performance, leading to losing your position altogether. If this isn’t bad enough, alcohol is very addictive. This means that you might end up spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on booze each month. This could eventually spiral into serious debt, forcing you to file for bankruptcy.
Mental Health Problems
You could develop mental health problems such as depression or anxiety disorders. These conditions are very serious and should be treated by medical professionals. On top of that, prolonged alcohol abuse can cause major health issues, including liver damage and heart disease. This addiction could also develop other diseases or conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and gastritis. All these health problems will require medical treatment that adds up over time.
Effects on the Brain
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to lower birth weights. It can also cause learning disabilities and behavioral problems for children. Binge drinking, in particular, has been linked with neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. This is because it causes oxidative stress that damages cells throughout the brain. Drinking can not only affect older adults; it can also impact children. Children exposed to alcohol before the age of 15 tend to perform worse in school and have issues getting along with others. This is because their brains are still developing, and they may be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than teens who start drinking later in life.
Hepatic Encephalopathy
This is a condition in which liver damage, poor brain function, and cognitive changes occur because the blood cannot flow through the organ as easily as normal. This can manifest as mental confusion or coma. It can potentially cause a lot of health problems for those who have other underlying medical conditions. The only effective treatment for hepatic encephalopathy is a liver transplant, but it can be difficult to get one.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Binge drinking can cause pregnant women to give birth to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) children. FASD causes defects and developmental issues, such as the inability to focus or pay attention. This condition causes a wide range of physical, behavioral, and cognitive problems in children exposed to alcohol before birth. Some of the issues that might occur include learning disabilities, facial abnormalities, heart defects, small head size, and delayed development. The dangers of binge drinking are numerous and can have a long-term effect on your life. Alcohol poisoning, memory loss, mental health problems, impact on the brain, hepatic encephalopathy, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder are just some of these short-term consequences you may experience if you drink too much in one sitting.
If you know someone who may need help with their binge-drinking habits, please contact us. We offer support and advice as well as treatment options for those looking to change their unhealthy lifestyle. Contact us today at 844-639-8371.