A drug is any substance that alters the chemical balance of the body and includes alcohol by definition.
Alcohol has existed for many years with numerous mentions in the Bible, historical documents, literature and folklore. It can be simply made from any organic substance as evidenced by the wide variety of alcohols available for sale in any liquor store.
All alcohol is fermented and falls into three main groups. The first category is simple juices, which ferment using their own natural sugars under the right conditions. These include wine, which is simply fermented grape juice.
The Egyptians were known to add bread to aid fermentation to grain, our second category, creating beer, which is carbonated and now started with yeast. The final category is distillations whereby fermented juices are heated in a still to remove water and make them more potent (a variation in very cold climates is to bury the fermented juice thus freezing the water for the same effect).
Distilled drinks are relatively modern, requiring relatively sophisticated equipment, and many researchers feel that we don't know exactly what distilled alcohols do to the body. Distilled alcohols can be made from wine (port, brandy), oranges (Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, Blue Curacao), apples (Calvados), grain (whiskey, gin), potatoes (vodka, potein), and sugar cane (rum). There are no doubt other ingredients that may be used to make your local brand of moonshine, which you can hunt down by yourself.
While most people can recognize the symptoms of drunkenness, many drinkers would be hard pressed to describe the exact effects of alcohol on the body.
No results found. Click here for amazon.com
Alcohol is a tranquilizer or relaxant. After entering the bloodstream it works to dull the reactions of the brain and the cortex of the brain's central nervous systemAn intricate network of structures that runs extensively throughout the body and activates, coordinates and controls all functions of the body.
The nervous system consists of two parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes the cranial nerves and spinal nerves.
Afferent fibers carry sensory impulses to the central nervous system. Efferent fibers carry motor impulses in the form of electrical energy from the central nervous system to the muscles and other organs.
Somatic fibers are those associated with the bones, muscles and the skin. Visceral fibers are those associated with the internal organs, blood vessels and mucus membrane. All of the functions are coordinated by a network of tiny structures including neurons, axons, dendrites and ganglia.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions.. It also works as a vasodilator, opening blood vessels that gives the skin a red tinge.
Alcohol dehydratesExcessive loss of water from the body tissues. When the body becomes dehydrated, the natural balance of chemicals including sodium, potassium and chloride become disturbed. Dehydration may be caused by prolonged fever, diarrhea, vomitting or any other condition where the body's fluid is rapidly lost. It is important to maintain fluid levels in children and infants where the the levels of chemicals are not yet fully stabilized. Signs of dehydration include dry skin, irritability and confusion.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. the body because it is a diureticOne of a series of drugs which are used to promote urination in the patient. They are given to reduce the volume of non-cellular fluids, usually in the treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure and edema.
Whether the drug falls into the category of thiazides, mercurials, loop diuretics, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, thiazide-like diuretics or potassium-sparing diuretics will depend on the condition of the patient.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions.; the reason why drinking while travelling by commercial airliner may cause bodily discomfort. Alcohol is hypoglycemicA condition in which the amount of glucose in the bloodstream falls below normal levels. It can be caused by excessive administration of insulin, either naturally or medically, or by dietary deficiency.
Treatment includes the intake of glucose, either in orange juice if the patient is concious, or by intravenous drip if unconcious.
It is sometimes found in babies who have experienced a difficult delivery, are preterm, or born of diabetic mothers. It can be artificially induced in labor if the mother is administered glucose promoting the release of insulin which breaks the sugar down. The baby may need to be given extra sugar.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. and heavy drinking reduces the body's blood sugar level leading to a craving for food, preferably sugar.
This is part of the reason many alcoholics are overweight. In the long run, malnutritionA term used to describe any nutrition based disorder. Unbalanced, insufficient or excessive diet are all causes as are the body's ability to absorb or process nutrition.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions., inflammation of the stomach and cirrhosis of the liver can further reduce appetite. When the liver tissue is damaged it is replaced by scar tissue further reducing its effectiveness.
The job of the liver is to detoxify the body. Studies suggest that a constant and controlled intake of alcohol, about one drink per hour, can avoid intoxication. However this is an unusually high workload for the liver, and after several hours the liver can lose its efficiency and overall effectiveness.
Alcohol has the effect of increasing sexual desire in men and women, but because of the effect on the central nervous systemAn intricate network of structures that runs extensively throughout the body and activates, coordinates and controls all functions of the body.
The nervous system consists of two parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes the cranial nerves and spinal nerves.
Afferent fibers carry sensory impulses to the central nervous system. Efferent fibers carry motor impulses in the form of electrical energy from the central nervous system to the muscles and other organs.
Somatic fibers are those associated with the bones, muscles and the skin. Visceral fibers are those associated with the internal organs, blood vessels and mucus membrane. All of the functions are coordinated by a network of tiny structures including neurons, axons, dendrites and ganglia.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. it becomes harder for men to maintain an errection.
The Bible says "Behold, thou shalt conceive , and bear a son, and now drink no wine or strong drink…" (Judges 13:7). Historians have noted that the Romans forbade the drinking of alcohol on the wedding night because of the possible effects on conception. In 1736 the Royal College of Physicians in London published a report stating that the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy would lead to "weak, feeble and distempered children."
Recent research has confirmed that alcohol crosses the placentaThe placenta is a large disk shaped membrane responsible for providing nourishment to the fetus during pregnancy. It consists of three parts, the fetal part made up from the chorion membrane surrounding the fetus, the maternal part, formed from the decidua basalis layer of the uterine lining, and the intervillous space between the two plates. It is connected to the fetus by the umbilical cord and consists of tissue from both the mother and the embryo.
Its function is complex. It has been described as a simple organ that combines the functions of a kidney-dialysis machine, heart and lung machine and intravenous drip. It consists of enormous numbers of blood vessel branches that permit the exchange of nutrition and oxygen, from the mother's bloodstream to the fetus and the removal of wastes to the mother to be excreted. The placenta's remarkable quality is that it does so without the blood of the mother mixing with that of the baby.
It also is responsible for the production of vital hormones including, estrogen, progesterone, and human chorionic gonadotropin. After birth, the placenta is delivered, and is sometimes referred to as the afterbirth.
Visit our comprehensive glossary for more pregnancy terms and definitions. directly and is measured in the same concentration in your baby's bloodstream as in your own. Current statistics put the rate of fetal alcohol syndrome at 0.19% (nearly 2 in 1,000) and it is a leading cause of mental retardation. Although the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome is rising, some researchers suggest that doctors are now better able to diagnose the condition.
Evidence suggests that a miscarriage is twice as likely if you drink only one ounce of absolute alcohol per week, that's roughly equivalent to four glasses of wine. Women who drink six glasses of wine each day will dramatically increase their risk of premature labor or postterm pregnancy.
Some researchers even believe that heavy alcohol consumption by the father prior to conception is responsible for some cases of fetal alcohol syndrome, FAS, and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).
No results found. Click here for amazon.com
If you are looking to omit alcohol entirely from your diet while you are pregnant, be warned that many over the counter cough and cold remedies contain high concentrations.
There are a number of symptoms in a newborn which are collectively called fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS. These babies are usually born to women who drink six or more glasses of alcohol each day. Fetal alcohol syndrome results in low birth weight and size and poor coordination. FAS babies are usually hyperactive and suffer from mental retardation and impaired speech and use of joints and muscles and other congential malformations.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that binge drinking before the pregnancy is confirmed will have an adverse affect on the baby. Studies even show that moderate daily consumption of less than two glasses of wine will not adversely affect the development of the fetus, although the risk of miscarriage will double. Recent research indicates that about twenty percent (1 in 5) women drink two drinks or more each week during their pregnancy and four percent (1 in 25) women drink daily. Two thirds of all women admit to having a drink at some point in their pregnancy although the earlier in the pregnancy the drinking occurs the higher the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. Drinking later in the pregnancy will not increase the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome but it does increase the risk of delivering a premature or low birth-weight baby.
No results found. Click here for amazon.com
