Health : Women and alcoholism

Use of alcohol is one of the most common vices all over the world since ancient times. Alcohol is the fermented juice of various fruits and grains mixed with various flavours. Use of alcohol over a period of time leads to physical and mental dependence and various social and health related problems. Alcoholism is a chronic disease where the individual taking alcohol, continues to do so in spite of facing health related and social and financial problems. He or she finds it difficult to give up. As per statistics from America, one fourth of all hospital emergency cases are alcohol related problems. These statistics are only to highlight the fact that in a place like America where medical facilities are far advanced in expertise and technology, some people become very sick due to alcohol use. Alcohol is harmful for the overall health of all, but it is more harmful to women as their body is not able to metabolize it as efficiently as in men. It is said that 70 per cent of women start taking alcohol from their homes. The habit starts when some family member or members drink alcohol in the home regularly. Among young women, some women start drinking under peer pressure. Some consider taking alcohol as a mark of being modern or liberated and start drinking regularly. Few women take up this habit under depression or stress due to any problem. They find alcohol as an escape from their misery. Whatever may be the reason for starting drinking, once they start drinking, they find it difficult to give it up after sometime. They also start suffering from the health hazards of alcohol. Toxicity to the brain, liver, blood vessels and peripheral nerves comes early in women and in more severe form as compared to men. Malnutrition induced by alcohol is also more severe in women. Studies have shown that women who drink alcohol are more prone to develop breast cancer. Menstrual cycles are disturbed due to hormonal disturbances caused by alcohol. This can result in infertility which is a big stigma for a woman anywhere in the world. If pregnancy is continued till term, the baby may be grossly underweight or may have birth defects. There are other hazards of alcohol in women. Women are known to suffer from physical injury and rape under influence of alcohol. Sometimes unscrupulous people take advantage of their inebriated state and involve them in sexual activity. Later as the effect of alcohol wears off, these women have lost their dignity and honour and have nothing at hand. Unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are yet another consequence of alcoholism in women. Alcoholic women are known to be apathetic towards their family. Extreme cases are also seen where women have abandoned their families for the sake of alcohol. It has been aptly said that if a man drinks, he suffers alone, but in case of a woman drinking, the entire family suffers. In some cases they have been shunted out of homes due to this habit. Whatever way it may be but after being separated from their families, these women start drinking more due to the loneliness they face. In spite of developing problems, regular drinkers among women like men also find it difficult to quit alcohol because of the withdrawal syndrome. Once the body becomes physically habituated to alcohol, a person suffers from restlessness, tremors, hallucinations and agitation if the body is deprived of it for more than 12 hours. Women develop dependence on alcohol early as compared to men and hence have more severe withdrawal syndrome. To overcome this they drink more alcohol and become sicker. Thus considering the severe harmful effects of alcohol in women, it is desirable that if any lady has started to drink, this habit should be nipped in the bud. If she is already an alcoholic, she needs mental, physical and nutritional support to help overcome this habit. In advanced cases help can be taken from professional counselors and alcohol de addiction centers. When women get off alcohol, they need to be kept busy and under observation to prevent relapse of the habit. rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk