Women and Alcohol

One of the major issues which affect most women is drinking. Did you know that women get affected by alcohol more than men even if consumed in a lesser quantity? In a woman’s body the body fat is much higher while there is less water compared to the body of a man where it is just the opposite.

So, even if a woman consumes alcohol which has been diluted considerably, the effect it has on her will be much stronger than when compared to men consuming the same diluted alcohol. That is why when a woman consumes alcohol she gets drunk much faster than most men who consume the same quantity.

Studies have proven that when a man and a woman of the same height and weight take the same amount of alcohol, the blood alcohol level in the woman’s body was much higher than that in the man’s body. As a matter of fact the blood alcohol level in a woman’s body rose to three times the level in a man’s body and also it took three times longer for a woman to have the alcohol content in her blood to be eliminated from her body.

In a human body it is the liver which works finally to break down the alcohol and eliminate it from the blood. While in a man’s body the liver works extra hard and takes about an hour to have one drink processed it takes much longer for the liver in a woman’s body to do the same job.

Women take to drinking for many reasons. This is because women have to deal with a whole lot of issues in their life at different periods. Stress, diet, exercise, hormonal problems especially when they are passing through the menopausal stage and coping with other health related issues like cancer etc is driving many women to consume alcohol. Also drinking behaviour among women differs according to their age, the marital status of the woman and their role in life.

Though it has been found that women who tend to drink actually consume less amount of alcohol than men, the number of women who are among the heaviest drinkers is much higher. Also it is the younger women of the age group 18-34 who have more drink related problems compared to older women but it is women who are aged between 35-49 who are more dependent on alcohol to a greater extent.

Women who are holding multiple roles like those married women who work, are less addicted to alcohol than women who do not have multiple roles to pay in life. In fact only when a woman looses a role to play in life that she is often found abusing alcohol.

This has been found in many cases where a woman has never got married or has been divorced or separated recently. These women were seen drinking heavily and have always ended up with alcohol related problems than women who have lost their husbands or those who are married.

It is important that women know how much to drink if at all that have to drink. It is a known fact that a woman should have only one drink per day while for a man it has to be restricted to two per day. This is called moderate drinking. If a woman has more than one drink per day than it can be risky and lead to car crashes, high blood pressure, stroke, violent behaviour, suicidal tendency and can cause even certain types of cancer.

A woman who is below 21 years of age should not be drinking at all. Women who intend to get pregnant or who are pregnant should avoid alcohol totally. Women who are under prescription medication for some illness should also avoid taking any alcohol as it can interfere with their medication and lead to other complications as far as their health is concerned.

Lower levels of alcohol are recommended for women because it is women who are at a greater risk than men when it comes to problems arising out of alcohol. This is because the alcohol which passes through the digestive system gets dispersed in the water which is present in the body. But the water content in the body of a woman is much less than that of a man who is of the same weight and height.

Since there is less water available the alcohol does not get diluted that easily and because of this the woman’s brain and other organs present in the body get more exposed to the toxicity of the alcohol and it’s by products.

Even if women take up to moderate drinking they should be aware that they are prone to have much short and medium term health effects which can be both positive and negative. Though drinking moderately has health benefits like prevention of heart disease.

Studies have found that a woman who is over 55 years and who drinks moderately has lesser chances of getting coronary heart disease. But drinking heavily has actually known to cause massive heart attacks.

The risks involved in drinking are alcohol can cause car crashes if the woman has too much to drink. This is because even after one drink the woman’s ability to drive gets impaired at a faster rate which causes car crashes. Alcohol when taken with medication can also increase or decrease the effects of the medication.

Alcohols when taken with medicines which tend to cause drowsiness have been known to increase the sedative effects of the medication and this could prove fatal to the woman who consumes it. Those women with a history of breast cancer in their family are at a higher risk to also get breast cancer if they take to drinking even if it is moderate drinking.

Research studies have proven that even one drink a day can lead to women contracting breast cancer. When a woman who is pregnant consumes alcohol even if it be one drink a day can cause what is known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In this Fetal alcohol Syndrome the pregnant woman’s drinking can lead to birth defects in her unborn baby.

So it is wise that any woman who is thinking of becoming pregnant or is carrying a baby should be wise enough to stay away from anything which may have alcohol in it.

Drinking alcohol is also known to cause harm to the bones in a woman’s body as women will not be able to gain the much needed calcium which is so vital for the strength of their bones. When women drink heavily their bones get damaged permanently.

Many women claim that their sexual experience increase after the consume alcohol. But contrary to what these women claim studies have shown that it is the belief that alcohol improves sex that makes all the difference than the alcohol itself.

Women who drink heavily cannot get aroused that easily and it takes a lot longer for them to get aroused and have orgasms. But when young women drink heavily, these women tend to have early sexual experiences and are known to have multiple partners after drinking and also unprotected sex.

When a woman drinks heavily she is known to become a victim of violence and sexual assault. Also the health problems which a woman who drinks heavily experiences are much more.

Some of the health problems which may result due to heavy drinking by women are Alcoholic Liver disease, brain disease, Cancer, and Heart Disease. More women who drink heavily are known to die from cirrhosis because of the development of alcoholic hepatitis which is liver inflammation.

Abuse of alcohol is known to cause loss in brain function, reducing the size of the brain, causing changes in the development and function of brain cells. And it is women who are found to be more vulnerable to diseases of the brain more than men due to alcohol.

Many studies and research have shown that alcohol consumption on a regular basis can cause breast cancer and cancer which is related to the digestive tract, head and neck. This becomes much more when women who drink also smoke. Heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases are likely to affect women who drink heavily.

Women should realize what drinking could do to their lives and thus stay away from alcohol as far as possible. Any woman who drinks more or rather heavily will find that her problems at home, work, with friends and relatives and even with strangers get magnified.

This is because when under the influence of alcohol the woman would be more prone to have arguments with spouse or family members even on small issues, the relations between co workers at her office would become strained.

After a night of drinking she would turn up late for work which could later turn into a regular habit and result in her dismissal. She could also become a victim to violence and sexual assault because of her drinking habits.

Women who are above 55 years of age should be wary of their drinking habits if they have any. Many older women do not drink because of the fear of being labelled an alcoholic.

Women as they age also begin to use different types of medication for their various problems and drinking alcohol could react with their medication and this could lead to more severe health problems. Many older women take medication which can affect mood and thought like when they exhibit symptoms for anxiety and depression.

Alcohol when consumed with these medications can lead to serious problems and can be very harmful. Another factor that older women should take into consideration when they take a drink is their age.

Older people tend to reach higher levels of alcohol in their blood much faster than younger people and this is because as we age the amount of water in the body gets reduced to a greater level and the alcohol which is consumed gets more concentrated.

This is why when older people consume alcohol they will feel the effects much faster. Older people with long term drinking problems tend to react to treatment much slower than people who are short term drinkers.

What do you think are the reasons as to why women take to drinking? Well here are a few reasons which research studies have found. A woman tends to drink heavily if her parents or siblings are also heavy drinkers and have problems with alcohol.

If the spouse or partner of the woman tends to drink heavily than she would also resort to drinking. If she has a history of depression she would be found to be a regular at a bar or pub. If she had been physically or sexually abused as a child then also she would resort to drinking to forget all that has happened to her.

Any woman who has alcohol related problems should seek medical help immediately as it could affect your personal relationships with family, at your work place, cause health problems and also with the law. Depending on the severity of the drinking problem a woman should undergo treatment.

Most women who are not alcohol dependent or who do not have any problems arising out of alcohol will find that they can reduce or stop their alcohol consumption much easily with less help.

Women who have severe drinking problems or who are habitual drinkers should make regular visits to their physicians or doctors and seek help. They should discuss their problems with their doctors and take timely help.

There are many health care providers who would make the woman see what alcohol can do to their lives and all the bad effects it can cause in the long run and why it is safer to stay away from it. These health care advisors would give ample advice so that women who are even moderate drinkers would slowly stop their drinking