How alcohol affects your health
Alcohol (ethanol) is toxic and can cause dependence. The more you drink, and the more often, the greater the risk. WHO says that no form of drinking is completely risk-free, and that most of the harm comes from heavy drinking, whether in bursts or day after day.
- Liver: fatty liver, inflammation and cirrhosis
- Pancreas: pancreatitis
- Heart and blood vessels: high , heart disease and stroke
- Cancer: breast, mouth and throat, food pipe (oesophagus), liver and bowel
- Mind: depression, anxiety and, over time, memory problems and brain damage
- Safety: road crashes, falls, burns and violence
- Family, work and money
In pregnancy, alcohol can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and lifelong problems in the child (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). The advice is to avoid it completely.
Drinking less
WHO does not give a safe number, because it says no level is risk-free. The NHS in the UK gives a guide for keeping the risk low: no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, for men and women alike, spread over 3 or more days, with several alcohol-free days. One unit is 10 ml (8 g) of pure alcohol. How many units a drink contains depends on its size and its strength, which is the percentage (ABV) printed on the label.
Do
- Keep a note of what you drink each day, so that you know the true amount.
- Plan several alcohol-free days every week.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks, or choose lower-strength drinks.
- Tell family and friends that you are cutting down, and find other things to do.
- Keep away from the places and situations that make you want to drink.
Do not
- Do not save up the week's drinks for one or two days. Heavy bursts of drinking are especially harmful.
- Do not drink at all if you are pregnant.
- Do not drive after drinking. Alcohol leads to many road injuries and deaths.
- Do not stop suddenly if you drink heavily every day. Read the section on withdrawal below first.
Signs that drinking has become dependence
Alcohol dependence is a medical condition, and it can be treated. These are possible signs:
- Drinking more than you meant to, or finding it hard to cut down even though you want to
- Strong cravings, such as needing a drink first thing in the morning
- Needing more alcohol to feel the same effect
- Planning your day around getting and drinking alcohol
- Carrying on drinking despite harm to your health, work or family
- Feeling guilty after drinking, or people close to you being worried
- Shaking, sweating, nausea, anxiety or poor sleep when you cut down or stop
Even one of these is a reason to talk to a doctor. You do not have to be sure that you are dependent to ask for help.
Why stopping suddenly can be dangerous
If you drink heavily and regularly, your body gets used to alcohol. If you stop suddenly, withdrawal can begin within hours and lasts several days. It can cause anxiety, sweating, shaking, nausea and vomiting, a racing heart and trouble sleeping. In severe cases it causes fits (seizures), confusion, and seeing or hearing things that are not there. This severe form is called delirium tremens, and it can be life-threatening.
So talk to a doctor before you stop if you drink heavily every day, have had withdrawal symptoms or fits before, or need a drink to steady your hands. The doctor may arrange for you to stop under medical care, at home or in hospital, with medicines to make withdrawal safer. The Health Ministry's guideline says that delirium tremens should be treated in hospital.
Where to get help
Recognising a problem is the first step, and many people find it hard to cut down alone. Support is available both for cutting down and for stopping.
- A doctor. Start with your family doctor or any hospital doctor, and be honest about how much you drink. Alcohol dependence can be treated in primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals in India, as outpatient or inpatient care.
- Counselling and talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
- Medicines prescribed by a doctor that reduce cravings or help you to stay off alcohol.
- Support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and Al-Anon for families.
If someone close to you drinks too much, speak to them calmly and without blame, and encourage them to see a doctor. Families can also get support for themselves.
Myths and facts
Things people often say about this. Open each one to see what is true.
Myth“A drink or two a day is good for the heart.”What is true?
Fact
WHO says that no form of alcohol is risk-free. Alcohol is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and several cancers, so it is not a way to protect the heart.
Myth“Beer and wine are not as harmful as spirits.”What is true?
Fact
What harms the body is the pure alcohol in the drink, whatever it is. A unit counts the same in beer, wine or spirits, so what matters is how much alcohol you take in over the week.
Myth“If you want to quit, the best way is to stop all at once.”What is true?
Fact
For someone who has been drinking heavily every day this can be dangerous, because withdrawal can cause fits and confusion. Ask a doctor how to stop safely.
Common questions
How much alcohol is safe?
WHO says that no level of drinking is completely free of risk, and the risk rises with the amount. To keep the risk low, the NHS in the UK advises no more than 14 units a week, spread over 3 or more days. If you are pregnant, the advice is not to drink at all.
How do I know if I need a doctor's help?
Talk to a doctor if you find it hard to cut down, crave alcohol, need more to feel the same effect, carry on despite harm to your health or family, or shake and sweat when you try to stop. Even one of these is reason enough.
Can I stop drinking on my own?
If you drink heavily every day, or have had shaking, sweating or fits when you cut down, see a doctor before you stop. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous. A doctor can help you stop safely.
What can I do for a family member who drinks too much?
Talk to them calmly and without blame, and encourage them to see a doctor. Support groups such as Al-Anon are there for families. If they have a fit, severe confusion or see things that are not there after stopping, get emergency care straight away.