Alcohol Related Health Risks for Women
Women process alcohol differently than men. Women who are alcoholics or even occasionally drink too much alcohol face much greater health risks than men who drink the same amounts. Women who drink will get drunk faster than men get and become addicted to alcohol faster than men become. Although men are more likely to drink alcohol and drink in larger amounts, gender differences in body structure and chemistry cause women to absorb more alcohol, and take longer to break it down and remove. In other words, upon drinking equal amounts, women have higher alcohol levels in their blood than men, and the immediate effects occur more quickly and last longer. These differences also make women more vulnerable to alcohol’s long-term effects on their health.
Research has shown that they also suffer the consequences of abuse-related illnesses a lot quicker than men do. The effects on the liver are more severe for women than for men and women have a higher risk of having alcohol-related liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. Proportionately, more women die of alcohol related cirrhosis than men do.
Some alcohol-related illnesses that female alcoholics are at risk for include heart disease, ulcers, reproductive problems, pancreatitis, memory loss, and osteoporosis. In the late stages of alcoholism, women can develop hypertension, anemia, and malnutrition faster than men according to the Centers for Disease Control. Several recent research projects have determined that excessive alcohol consumption in women can result in breast cancer and different cancers of the digestive tract. A recent study showed that women who drink two to five alcoholic drinks per day have a 41 percent increase in their risk of getting breast cancer. Research has shown that excessive drinking in women actually causes the brain to shrink.
There are consequences of excessive alcohol use that are not illness related but are also specific to women. Women who drink in excess or binge drink are more likely to have unprotected sex with multiple or unknown partners which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy. Binge drinking also puts women at risk for sexual assault and rape. This is a bigger problem on college campuses.
Menstrual disorders and fertility problems can be caused from heavy drinking. Even occasional drinking can cause infertility and make otherwise fertile women unable to become pregnant. Once pregnant, heavy drinking can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and birth defects in the infant called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Research has shown that women who drink during pregnancy are more likely to have a baby die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Excessive intake of alcohol causes severe health consequences in both men and women but studies have shown that it takes less alcohol to cause the same ill effects in women. The long-term health risks coupled with the chances of death make alcoholism and binge drinking in women an activity with absolutely no benefits. Occasional drinking on holidays or special occasions is shown to be acceptable but women should take extra care to control their alcohol intake so they do not become addicted and they should never binge drink.
Recommended Reading
- Women Fighting Against The Consequences Of Alcoholism
- A brief summary regarding the condition known as Alcoholism
- The College Environment And Alcoholism
- Avoiding Alcohol Related Arguments
