Alcoholismo

What Is Alcoholism?

The term "alcoholism" refers to a disease known as alcohol dependence syndrome, the most severe stage of a group of drinking problems which begins with binge drinking and alcohol abuse.
Types of Alcohol Problems
Alcohol problems occur at different levels of severity, from mild and annoying to life-threatening. Although alcohol dependence (alcoholism) is the most severestage, less severe drinking problems can also be dangerous.

Alcoholism
Introduction:
Alcoholism is a chronic, often progressive disease. A person with alcoholism typically craves alcohol and drinks despite repeated alcohol related problems, such as multiple drunk-driving violations, job loss, or relationship problems. Alcoholism involves a physical dependence on alcohol, but other factorsinclude genetic, psychological, and cultural influences.
Alcoholism is characterized by cravings for  alcohol and an inability to stop drinking. It is accompanied by a physical dependence (meaning that the person experiences withdrawal symptoms when not drinking) and an increased tolerance for alcohol (meaning the person needs to drink greater amounts to feel ). Before entering recovery, mostalcoholics will deny they have a problem. People who abuse alcohol but are not dependent on it may have similar symptoms, but they don' t feel the same craving to drink and usually don' t experience withdrawal symptoms.
About 18 million people in the United States abuse alcohol, and estimates suggest that more than 70 million Americans have dealt with alcoholism in their family. Alcohol is involved inalmost half of all traffic deaths in the U.S.
Signs and Symptoms:
Symptoms of alcoholism include:
* Solitary or secretive drinking
* Alcohol cravings
* An inability to control the amount you drink
* Blackouts (not remembering events or conversations)
* Irritability when you can' t get a drink at your regular time
* Legal problems
* Difficulty sustaining a relationshipor a job
* Withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety
* An increased alcohol
* Liver disease
Risk Factors:
If you have a family history of alcohol abuse, you are more likely to develop the condition than someone without a family history. Other factors that may increase your risk include:
* Having 2 or more adverse events duringchildhood
* Beginning to drink early, by age 16 or sooner
* Drinking more than 1 - 2 drinks per day
* Smoking cigarettes (particularly teenagers)
* Being under a lot of stress
* Having a pre-existing psychiatric disorder (such as depression or anxiety)
* Men have higher rates of alcoholism than women
* Broken homes
Diagnosis:
If you have symptoms associated withalcoholism, you should see your doctor. Your doctor can help make a diagnosis and guide you in determining which treatment or combination of therapies will work best. If you suspect that a friend or loved one has alcoholism, you should know that most alcoholics deny they have a problem, and they are often unlikely to seek treatment by themselves. You and other friends and family members may need toconvince them to seek help.
Your doctor will take a history and do a physical exam. Questions that he or she may ask include:
* Have you ever thought that you needed to cut back on the amount of alcohol you drink?
* Has a spouse, friend or coworker ever annoyed you by asking you to drink less?
* Do you ever feel guilty about the amount that you drink?
* Do you ever drink in themorning or early in the day to soothe a hangover, get the day started, or get rid of the shakes?
Blood tests generally aren' t helpful because they only show recent alcohol consumption. Your doctor may order liver function tests to see if there has been damage to your liver from alcohol.
Preventive Care:
If you drink, do so only in moderation -- no more than 2 drinks per day if you are a man and...