Addiction and dependence on alcohol cause major damage if not checked in time. Alcoholism or addiction to alcohol is simply a condition whereby an individual consumes too much of alcoholic drinks most of the time. The urge to drink is uncontrollable and this causes the individual to drink too much. Addiction to alcohol severely damages the body system over time and may lead to other diseases, below are some scary reasons why you should avoid alcohol addiction:
- It affects the CNS: Addiction to alcohol affects and influences the normal biological functioning of the central nervous system. It interferes with normal speech production, coordination and balance thereby affecting the ability to walk and talk properly. Too much alcohol consumption also influences impulse control and may tamper with memory. Research has also shown that long-term addiction to alcohol can shrink the frontal lobes of the brain.
- It interferes with the circulatory system: Heavy drinking can spell trouble for the heart and the general circulatory system. Alcohol addiction can result in the poisoning of the muscle cells in the heart, irregular heartbeat, stroke, high blood pressure and even heart attacks and must be avoided to prevent poisoning and other complications of the circulatory system.
- It influences sexual and reproductive health: Consuming too much alcohol may cause infertility in males and increase the risk of breast cancer in females. Also, excessive drinking has been found to cause women to stop menstruating and become infertile, it can also induce premature delivery, stillbirth and miscarriages. These facts should be good enough to discourage alcohol addiction either in men or women.
- It weakens the immune system: The immune system serves as soldiers of the body that fight and guard against infections and diseases that may affect the body. Drinking too much alcohol considerably lessens the effectiveness of the immune system in guarding the body. Once the immune system of an individual is down, he becomes more exposed and susceptible to incoming infections. Alcohol addiction, in other words, can serve as a gateway for other diseases to invade the body system.
If you’re already battling with an addiction, it is advisable to seek professional help for alcohol treatment and recovery.