Finally, people who regularly associate with alcoholics are also considered to be at higher risk of developing alcohol addiction.
Symptoms
The immediate effects are due to a high absorption of alcohol, in quantities greater than the body’s ability to dispose of, and occur within minutes of taking. Symptoms (and their extent) of symptoms vary in proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed, but may also depend on factors such as the subject’s body weight.
Drinking habits
Among the most common symptoms may appear (quantities expressed in relation to the amount of alcohol in the blood):
- From 20 to 50 mg \ dl: sense of tranquility, mild drowsiness, impaired motor coordination; driving ability is already impaired.
- 50 to 100 mg \ dl: impaired judgment and further impairment of motor coordination.
- From 100 to 150 mg \ dl: difficulty in articulating speech, loss of inhibitory brakes, impaired walking ability, memory disturbances.
- 150 to 200 mg \ dl: onset of delusions and possible lethargy.
- 300 to 400 mg \ dl: possible loss of consciousness.
Greater than or equal to 400 mg \ dl: probably fatal dose; death can occur, especially if the amount of alcohol consumed is consumed rapidly, due to cardiac arrhythmias and breathing difficulties.
- They may also appear: vomiting (also as an attempt by the body to eliminate the toxic substance),
- hypoglycemia,
- low blood pressure.
Long-term effects
In the long term, the symptoms mainly concern chronic consumers, with damage to the liver, but also to many other organs:Alcoholic liver disease: inflammatory disease affecting the liver, caused by the prolonged abuse of alcohol over time, which is often accompanied by a hepatic accumulation of triglycerides (steatosis).
Affected subjects may experience a real scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and a greater risk of kidney failure.
Furthermore, since the ability of the liver to purify the body of any toxic substances is reduced, hepatic encephalopathy can occur, a condition of intoxication of the central nervous system, with possible fatal consequences.
- Cirrhosis of the liver: a condition of subversion of the internal architecture of the liver; normal liver tissue is replaced by non-functioning scar tissue.
- Symptoms, when present, include: loss of appetite, weight loss, general malaise.
- The presence of scar tissue also causes increased pressure in the blood vessels surrounding the liver (portal hypertension), with swelling of the blood vessels in the stomach and esophagus (varices), which can rupture and cause bleeding.