Alcohol Abuse and Women Health

There are hundreds of discussions on alcohol and its abuse, but this one is specially aimed at effects on women health caused due to the consumption of alcohol. Considering the variety of diseases and the resultant condition due to alcohol consumption in women prompted me to post a specific article on this topic.

Alcohol abuse may it be in men or women is definitely causing health hazards. Certain conditions like impaired driving, domestic violence and sexual assault are nothing but ugly faces of alcohol abuse. It just doesn’t stop with deteriorating ones health but also tries to harm other due to the uncontrolled behavior, a result of excessive drinking.

The following paragraphs highlight the health hazards caused due to excessive drinking especially in women. Consumption of alcohol causes different effects in men and women. Even if we were to compare drinking in men and women of the same build, height and weight, still results show lot of difference in their reactions to alcohol. And, even among individuals in the same gender, the reactions never match.

So what is that as women you should be aware of?

Alcohol Abuse and Health Hazard in Women

While both men and women suffer from health related issues, the nature of health complications faced are completely different.

* Alcohol during Pregnancy – Women who consume alcohol during pregnancy run the risk of contracting Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in their children. Though the risk of contracting the disease is a concern when the person is involved in heavy alcohol consumption, the effects of moderate drinking is not ruled out. Children affected by FAS normally suffer out of mental and physical handicap. This is completely preventable and subjecting a child to such trouble is no less than child abuse.
* Alcohol invites Cancer - While alcohol consumption triggers the chances of a mouth cancer, esophagus, pharynx, larynx and liver in men, contracting breast cancer is one of the dominant features of consuming alcohol in women. Research reveals that the chances of a woman under of the age of 25 contracting this disease in 1 in 15,000. With age the chances of getting cancer with alcohol become more.
* Diabetes and Alcohol – Close to 16 million in the US suffer from type 2 diabetes. Consuming alcohol in moderation is said to reduce the chances of developing diabetes in women. With a research conducted on 16,330 women in the age group of 49 to 70 years, women who consumed alcohol in moderate showed less chances of developing diabetes.
* Heart disease and Alcohol – While the discussion here is about alcohol abuse, you might wonder about the positive facts about alcohol presented here for your reference. It is to make clear that alcohol also helps in curing the disease when consumed in minimal quantities. Again, beware any time crossing limit is surely going to lead to health complications. Women who consume moderate quantities of alcohol ran lower chances of contracting a coronary heart disease (CHD) than women who abstained from consuming alcohol. Alcohol also helps women from hypertension. Research conducted over 7000 women over a period of 8 years in the age group of 20 to 40 years reveals that women who drank about half a glass every day had 15% lower chances of contracting the disease. Again, consuming more than 1.5 drinks per day increased the chances of developing hypertension.
* Alcohol and Sexual Assault - More than 30% of sexual assault takes place when the perpetrator is under the influence of alcohol and there are many such cases where the victim is also intoxicated. Alcohol makes people loose control over their senses and is also one of the excuses quoted by the accused.
* Alcohol and Memory Loss - Drinking alcohol in moderation actually helps in better concentration and performance in women and deterioration begins once the dosage increases where alcohol literally destroys brain cells. Alcohol abuse increases the threat of dementia in elderly women.
* Alcohol and Osteoporosis – Consuming alcohol reduces the chance of developing osteoporosis in women, again only in moderation.

These days, it seems women have more health concerns than ever. Perhaps they are greater in number than ever before or perhaps we are just more aware of women's issues as women are more comfortable having them brought to the forefront.

One issue that continually does get the attention it deserves is breast cancer. The breast cancer statistics are alarming, and almost everyone you know has a sister or mother who has suffered from this deadly disease. If caught early enough, it does not have to be deadly. In fact, there are things you can do so that you don't get it at all. Every woman (young and old) should be checking their breasts monthly to detect for any strange lumps or any unusual signs. This can be done in the shower, with one arm raised and the other performing the checking task. Any doctor can show you the specifics on how to do this. If you do sense something suspicious, make an appointment with your doctor right away to have it looked at. The other thing you can do is be a conscious consumer; every day the FDA is coming out with new information as to what may be potential carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), from food additives to plastics to environmental hazards. Becoming aware and taking the time to be educated can make all the difference in the world.

Another major health concern for women is heart disease. This continues to be the number one killer of women, actually, and it doesn't just happen to those you would suspect. When people think of heart disease, most people think of the severely obese. However, women can suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, and clogged arteries from poor food choices, lack of exercise, and stress. Believe it or not, if you eat fast food on a regular basis and skip the gym in favor of drinks after a very stressful work day that ends at 7:00 p.m. instead of 5:00 p.m., you may be in a higher risk category than your friend who remains calm, eats a lot of healthy food choices, and practices yoga a couple times a week. If you know you are in the first group, the best thing you can do for yourself is to start making small changes. If you can't get away from a stressful job or career, make sure to step away each hour and do deep breathing exercises, and stretch your body while at work. Go to the ladies room to do it if necessary! Try to make smarter food choices, even if it means just eliminating one of your ‘junk food meals' a week. If you're not big on exercise, start with a simple walk a couple times a week and go from there. The sooner you make these changes, the healthier you will be and the less at risk for heart disease.

A third issue for women and one that has been on the rise for quite some time is obesity. The "average" American woman has increased in size to a size 12 or even a size 14, with many women reaching far beyond that size. This can be unhealthy depending on your body fat percentage. While women can take some of the same steps as with heart disease discussed above, people who suffer from obesity may need to take more drastic measures in order to get their weight down. If you are obese, it is definitely time to get your diet in check so that you don't later develop heart disease, or adult diabetes, or a host of other problems from being overweight. Eating a lot of processed, artificially sweetened, or sugar and fat-laden foods is likely a habit, and one that needs to be nipped in the bud. Hand in hand with poor eating habits is exercise habits, and if you don't have any it's time to get some! It will be difficult at first, and you are likely to be winded and tired after a very short time of exertion. However, if you keep pushing through the challenging times you will soon see and feel the difference. You will notice you have more energy, as your workout time may go from ten minutes on the treadmill to fifteen to twenty. As you benefit from this greater energy, it will not only help power you through your workout sessions, but it will put a brighter spin on the rest of your life. You will find you have more energy throughout the day, and chances are you will continue to burn calories because of this. You will probably find an easier time making healthy food choices if you incorporate exercise into your fight against obesity as well.

Women's issues can be the same as men's issues or they can be different. The good news is, women's health concerns get discussed more than they used to, and this gives us greater power in awareness.

Since the 60s, smoking women has continued to grow: the proportion of smokers rose from 10 to 22% in 40 years on the 15 million smokers in USA. The women smoke more and more and earlier. The first cigarette is usually taken between 14 and 16 years. Cigarette smoke passes from the lungs to the brain within 10 seconds, carrying so much faster than would intravenous injection of illicit drugs. Smoking cigarette send some 4 000 chemicals to the body.

Tobacco and gynecological disorders

Smoking decreases the secretion of estrogen. It may therefore be responsible for menstrual disorders with irregularities and pain. There is also often a change of tone of voice, which becomes hoarse, and an increase of hairs. Menopause occurs 1 to 2 years earlier than average among smokers. Hot flashes are more intense and the risk of osteoporosis is increased. Tobacco also promotes the development of precancerous lesions of the cervix.

Tobacco and skin

Due to a lack of oxygenation of the skin, smokers are more often dull complexion and "clouded". The cellular exchanges have slowed and the waste is not eliminated. The skin loose his radiance and elasticity. Wrinkles appear prematurely, with 10 to 20 years ahead, especially at the lips. Smoking stimulates the production of free radicals that damage the elastin and collagen.

Tobacco and pill

35% of women aged 20 to 44 years who take contraceptive smoke, increasing from 4 to 10 times the risk of cardiovascular problems. Combining a contraceptive with cigarettes is a major health hazard, especially past 35 years. Indeed, nicotine promotes deposition of fat in the blood vessels and damages arteries. The blood thickens and the risk of thrombosis, stroke and cerebral vascular accident (stroke) is accentuated. These evils are aggravated by contraceptives.

Smoking and Pregnancy

Cigarette smoking decreases by 50% female fertility: thickens the cervical mucus, preventing sperm progression, lack of estrogen reduces the quality of the uterine wall and restricts blood flow necessary for the implantation of the egg. Smoking increases by 3 the risk of miscarriage, and by 2 ectopic pregnancies and premature births. There is also stunted fetus that is not well oxygenated. Its weight is generally lower than 200 g at birth. In addition, smokers lactating produce 25% less milk than non-smokers.

Tobacco and weight

Smoking reduce the taste and smell. In addition, nicotine stimulates the nervous system that causes a cut-hunger, slows the storage of fat in adipocytes and artificially increases energy expenditure to 200 calories per day compared to non-smoker. The smokers have a weight lower than they would if they do not smoke (around 4 kg). So when you stop smoking, you just go back to your normal weight. No need to worry! However physical activity is still recommended to stabilize the weight. If you start to gain to much weight, try to eat better by cutting in the fat and salt.

It may be a good idea to consult a dietetist to help stabilize your weight while you stop smoking. Consulting a dietetist is a sure way to establish a healthy and balanced diet. Using dangerous product like laxative and purgative are dangerous and not the solution to long lasting weight loss!

In North America, the incidence of Breast Cancer has increase almost three-fold in 40 years, going from 1 in 20 in the 1960’s to 1 in 8 today. From the age of twenty, women should do monthly breast self-examinations. Breast cancers tend to grow significantly faster in younger women under age 50. Despite billions of dollars raised for research to "Find the Cure," the risk of breasts cancer today is greater than ever before. It's critically important for women to take charge of their health through these screenings and to understand that survivability is greatly enhanced when breast cancer is found early.

Because when it comes to breast health, knowledge is more than power–it’s confidence. Women can help with the early detection and treatment of breast cancer by playing an active role in their own health care. While there are some different recommendations from medical organizations on the value of breast self-exams, all women's health organizations agree about the value of annual clinical breast exams, and the importance of regular mammograms after the age of 40. Breast health is more than just luck, genetics, where you live or what you eat.

Staying healthy is a challenge that engages our body, mind, and spirit. No matter what your age or position in life, understanding the connection between a healthy lifestyle and healthy breasts is vitally important. Breast health is on a continuum with normal healthy breast tissue at one end and cancer at the other. You can certainly go from no pathology to cancer and you can slide down the continuum and never develop breast cancer, but not accepting unhealthy changes in your breasts is proactive and may very well prevent cancer. Also, you may lower your risk of breast cancer by living a healthy lifestyle, including eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet and exercising.

Most people are familiar with the antioxidant process, and many include this in there daily routines, but not many are aware that this is just the first step to a healthy body. Antioxidants are beneficial because they affix themselves to free radicals while absorbing the elements before they have the ability to infiltrate healthy normal tissues. It is in everyone's health interests, to include regular daily amountsof the best antioxidants in their diets, in support of healthy lifestyles.

Only 10% of breast health issues are attributed to family genes, the higher percentage due to environmental, dietary or lifestyle issues. Antioxidants are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage -- the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases. Antioxidants are key elements in preventing cancer, because they stabilize highly reactive free radicals that can otherwise damage our DNA and begin the process of cancer development.