When it’s time to call it quits

From the very second you take your first sip, alcohol begins to affect your body and soul. Alcohol was mostly regarded as a man’s duo but as far as we are all concerned, women too have answered that call. And this is affecting them equally. However, before you get to know the effects of booze on your body you need to know whether or not, you are already having too much of it.

Thursday, July 19, 2012
Alcohol consumption is harmful to the body. Net photo.

From the very second you take your first sip, alcohol begins to affect your body and soul. Alcohol was mostly regarded as a man’s duo but as far as we are all concerned, women too have answered that call. And this is affecting them equally. However, before you get to know the effects of booze on your body you need to know whether or not, you are already having too much of it. The following will indicate you status, addicted not addicted.When your drinking habit is affecting your daily work schedule. If you went drinking the previous night and failed to report for work or arrived late the following day, then you’re getting addicted.When you shift to drinking stronger liquors. If you have been comfortably taking beers and then have shifted to consuming spirits, whisky and strong cocktails, then they you are  becoming addicted.When your whole family and friends are getting too concerned about your drinking habits. This comes about when people close to you are always complaining and commenting on your drinking ways.A Doctor’s take on alcohol’s effects on libido Dr. Pius, a private health Practioner, says drinking heavily destroys sexual appetite for males and affects women’s sex drive the opposite way."Too much booze reduces sperm count. Sperm and the testosterone production will get affected leading to impotence and infertility, eventually. Heavy liquor intake causes erectile dysfunctions. Booze will reduce the blood supply to the penis leading to an improper erection and the failure to sustain an erection for a second,” Dr. Pius says. He further explains that too much of booze in the body system will lead to impaired judgment that may lead to contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases, as a result of carelessness.When it comes to women’s bodies, alcohol is processed differently, according to the doctor. "Generally, alcohol can’t be processed since the average woman weighs less than the average man, meaning that they have less tissue to absorb liquor. Women have more tissue fat compared to men, the reason why they are less able to dilute alcohol within the body,” he explains.Dr. Pius adds that it’s thought that women generally have lower levels of Alcohol Dehydrogenase (AHD) activity in their livers, so the booze stays longer in the system before metabolism occurs hence, causing greater effects. A recent survey showed that one in six women have had unsafe sex after drinking excessively. Additionally, excessive drinking among pregnant mothers is the leading cause of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome where patterns of mental and physical defects develop with the fetus normally around the first eight to 12 weeks of pregnancy.In addition, breastfeeding mothers who drink alcohol risk their baby’s health as it is passed on to the them through breast milk. Breast milk smells differently with traces of alcohol in it and this affects their feeding, digestion and sleeping habits.