Will a woman's body stay like a marvelous piece of architecture? And will all the credits of toughness and tolerance be bagged by the masculinity? Will women be always recognized as a more vulnerable sex with low resistance and low levels of tolerance? The "biased" Nature has even curtailed a woman's degree of enjoyment in the areas of partying out late at night and enjoying some moments of intoxication. Alcohol use in women has been found to be more harmful in comparison to their male counterparts.
Women and Alcohol
Alcohol presents serious health consequences in women. Studies have shown that alcohol affects women differently than men. Regular use of alcohol even in small amounts might pose serious health issues. In other words, women are at a greater risk of getting affected with alcohol related problems than men.
Women tend to experience a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood in comparison to men. Alcohol passes through the digestive tract and it is then dispersed in the water inside the body. The more water available in the body the more it dilutes the alcohol. The body water content in women is lower than what is present in men. As a result, women tend to experience a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood than men.
The Drinking Habit in Women
A survey conducted in the U.S. showed that 34 percent of women had been reported to drink alcohol on a regular basis in comparison to 56 percent in men. However, the prevalence of alcohol use in India, especially in case of women, is low.
How Much is Too Much?
The dietary guidelines recommend one drink for women and two drinks for men. Most of the countries express alcohol intake in terms of units or standard drink. And it differs from one country to the other. However, a standard drink ranges from 8 grams or 10 milliliters to 14 grams or 18 milliliters. It depends upon the types (beer, wines and distilled spirits) because the alcohol content varies substantially.
Effects of Alcohol on Sleep and Other Health Hazards
Women are more vulnerable to alcohol related health problems. It causes organ damage, trauma and also interpersonal difficulties. It affects major organs like the liver, heart and the brain. Sometimes breast cancer may also be a result of alcohol abuse. Apart from this, alcohol appears to cause serious sleep disorder in women. Although high dose of alcohol will help to fall asleep in the early hours of night but it will actually disrupt sleep later in the night.
A study on alcoholism showed that women who consumed alcohol had fewer hours of sleep. They woke up more frequently at night and had more disturbed sleep than men. On an average a person sleeps for around 7.5 to 8 hours. An alcoholic may sleep for long hours but the duration and sequence of sleep gets disturbed as a result of which the time taken to fall asleep lengthens. Habitual intake of alcohol may also affect the quality of sleep and may cause frequent awakenings. These sleep disturbances actually lay the foundation for insomnia. High alcohol consumption has been found to be associated with increased risk of infertility and endometriosis.
When does a Woman have a High Risk of Turning into an Alcoholic?
Women indulge in alcoholism if she has any of the following:
- Blood relatives such as parents and siblings with alcohol abuse.
- Spouse who drinks heavily.
- The attitude to "hold her liqueur" more than others.
- Depression
- Any physical or sexual abuse.
Prevention
The prevention of alcohol abuse in women will require the following steps:
- Identifying the vulnerable age group.
- Educating the target group about the safe limit.
- Spreading awareness among the alcohol dependents.
- Providing special care, guidance and attention to those who are suffering from depression.
The Treatment
The approach in treating alcoholism differs from individual to individual. It also depends upon the severity of alcohol abuse. Generally, the treatment focuses on helping people to discontinue alcohol, followed by social support in order to help them resist the urge in the future. The following are the methods used in treating alcoholism:
- Detoxification: This procedure involves an abrupt stop in alcohol consumption coupled with substitution of some drugs. It does not actually treat alcoholism but it is the first step towards treating alcoholism.
- Group Therapy or Psychotherapy: Mutual counseling is performed with the individual by taking into consideration his problems and issues.
- Rationing and Moderation: Most alcoholics are unable to resist drinking. So a midway is suggested in which moderate doses of drinks are recommended. Studies have found that this technique can prevent heavy indulgences. This way, it can be a better option than stopping drinking abruptly.
- Medication: There are several types of medications such as Antabuse, Temposil, Naltrexone and Campral that are used in treating alcoholism.
Some Small Steps that Really Make a Diffrence
- Avoid Temptation: Remove all alcoholic beverages from your home and office.
- Set Goals: Let everyone around you know that you are trying to avoid alcohol.
- Avoid Bad Company: Stay away from people who encourage drinking.
- Learn from the Mistakes: Start afresh and don't repeat the same mistakes.
The first step to begin a treatment is to admit the fact that you have alcohol abuse. Come out in the open and accept the reality. And do not hesitate to share your feelings with your friends and family. Which is better- drinking alone in the dark while maintaining secrecy or chatting with friends and enjoying a social drinking session with eyes keeping a close watch on your glasses? It's really nice to submit to people who really care about you.
