What kind of diseases can be caused by alcohol?

Some illnesses, such as alcoholic cirrhosis or alcohol use disorder, are directly linked to alcohol. This means that drinking is the exact cause. Some, such as cancer and heart disease, are indirectly linked. This means alcohol raises your overall risk, in combination with other factors.

What are the health risks of drinking alcohol?

Long-term alcohol abuse may raise your chances for epilepsy. And alcohol withdrawal after heavy drinking can cause seizures. This form of arthritis results from painful buildup of uric acid in the joints.

What are the long-term effects of alcohol use?

Long-Term Health Risks. Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.6,16. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon.6,17.

How does drinking alcohol lead to liver disease?

As alcohol initially passes through the gastrointestinal tract, it begins to exert its toxic effects. 11 Damage to the digestive system can also lead to dangerous internal bleeding from enlarged veins in the esophagus related to chronic liver disease. Alcohol interferes with gastric acid secretion.

Why you should think of alcoholism as a disease?

Alcoholism is considered a brain disease because it affects the way the brain operates, causing symptoms such as compulsive behavior and intense cravings. It disrupts a person’s ability to think critically, make rational decisions and function normally.

Should alcoholism be considered a disease?

Accordingly, based on scientific evidence, alcoholism is a disease because it has major long-term effects on the brain, it is an addiction, and it is treated medically. The first major reason alcoholism should be considered disease is the long-lasting effects it has on the brain.

What does dying from alcoholism look like?

Dying from alcoholism looks like dying from any chronic disease. It’s almost always awful. It can look like liver failure, jaundiced, and bloated. It can look like heart failure, blue and collapsed. It can look like bleeding from esophageal varicies, vomiting copious amounts of blood and being found lying in it.

Is alcoholism a curable disease?

In other words, there is no cure for alcoholism. However, alcoholism can be managed through treatment. Many diseases and disorders do not have cures; however, treatments have been devised that can help people to live long, healthy lives in recovery, which means that these individuals have the condition under control.