It is no secret that ethyl alcohol can significantly worsen the health status of any person. But the rare use of alcohol in small quantities does not lead to the development of irreversible changes in the tissues. Constant feasts become the cause of dangerous diseases that pose a threat not only to health but also to life. In addition, the use of alcohol-containing drinks often leads to the fact that a person develops tolerance to alcohol. And this exacerbates the situation even more.
The concept
Tolerance to alcohol-containing drinks is the body's ability to process alcohol. But only in a certain amount. It has been established that 150 ml of even the strongest drink will not be harmful to a healthy person who drinks extremely rarely. But, as practice shows, there are very few people who drink alcohol at this dosage and only on the most significant holidays.
The development of tolerance is accompanied by a weakening of the action of ethyl alcohol on the body. In this regard, in order for a state of intoxication to occur, a person must 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 several types of tolerance to alcohol. It happens:
- Functional. When ethyl alcohol enters the body, the brain attempts to compensate for the harm caused by alcohol to the body. This is expressed not only in behavioral changes, but also in disruption of the functioning of internal organs. A vivid example is an alcoholic who regularly uses alcohol-containing drinks and does not get drunk at all.
- Sharp. This type of alcohol tolerance develops only after the first binge in life. In the first few days, the degree of sensitivity to ethyl alcohol is still high, the next day it decreases. This is what forces a person to consume an even greater amount of alcohol-containing drinks.
- Metabolic. At a high rate of metabolic processes, alcohol is very quickly processed in the body and removed from it. On the one hand, this feature prevents the development of a pronounced intoxication process. On the other hand, the active components of drugs prescribed for the treatment of chronic alcoholism are also rapidly excreted from the body.
- Behavioral. In other words, tolerance is formed under the influence of the human environment. He gets used to drinking alcohol much more quickly if this happens every time in the same environment.
It is important to understand that the development of resistance to ethyl alcohol is an alarming sign. It is a symptom of the initial stage of alcoholism.
Increase / decrease tolerance
The development of dependence on ethyl alcohol has its own characteristics. In the early stages of alcoholism, tolerance increases by about 5 times. That is, a person needs to drink more to get intoxicated. The peak pathology is characterized by an increase in the degree of resistance up to 10 times. During this period, the alcoholic is able to easily drink 1 liter of vodka and not feel any disgust or signs of intoxication.
After some time, resistance to alcohol decreases. This is a sign of progressive alcoholism. During this period, a minimum amount of ethyl alcohol is sufficient for a person; he is simply not able to drink more.
Thus, increased resistance with its subsequent decrease is two specific signs of alcoholism, which are unacceptable to ignore. This is due to the fact that irreversible changes occur in the body at this time, which often lead to death.
Factors affecting the degree of tolerance to alcohol:
- Age. Young people need much less ethyl alcohol to get intoxicated.
- Weight. The more body weight, the lower the concentration of alcohol in the blood.
- Floor. Women need 2 times less alcohol for the onset of intoxication.
It is known that in children whose parents are alcoholics, the degree of tolerance is initially high.
The effect of ethyl alcohol on the human body
It is proved that people suffering from addiction live 10-15 years less than people who consume the minimum amount of alcohol and only on important holidays.
Both ethyl alcohol and its decomposition products are highly toxic. In this case, the absorption of harmful compounds occurs very quickly.
The negative effects of ethyl alcohol on the body:
- Brain cells are destroyed. They are not restored in the future.
- Nerve cells die, which leads to mental disorders, in particular, delirium tremens, which can be fatal.
- The digestive system is disturbed. Most often, the following diseases develop: stomach ulcer, gastritis, colitis, pancreatitis.
- The heart muscle is affected. In the best case, IHD occurs; in the worst, a lethal outcome occurs.
- The work of the respiratory system is disrupted. Alcoholics are often diagnosed with tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer.
- Liver cells are destroyed. In severe cases, cirrhosis occurs.
- The kidneys are affected.
- The sex glands atrophy. The consequence is erectile dysfunction.
Regarding what dose of alcohol is lethal. In ppm, this indicator is 5.0. A fatal 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 in a few days.
In the first 2 days after giving up alcohol, a person does not like changes in the body. Hangover syndrome, migraine, aching muscle pain - this is only an incomplete list of symptoms indicating restructuring. After a few days, the general condition of the former alcoholic improves significantly.
After 2 weeks, the functioning of internal organs improves, the skin becomes healthy. After a month, the psycho-emotional state is normalized, in men, potency returns. According to research, the body is almost completely restored in a year.
Finally
Tolerance to alcohol 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.