How Binge Drinking Is Life Threatening

Binge drinking is the process of drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time. This can have some harmful effects on your health. Adults and teenagers are both influenced by this kind of drinking.

The definition of binge drinking varies from one country to another. Usually, five or more drinks in a row for men and four or more drinks for women once every two weeks is considered to be binge drinking. There can also be heavy binge drinking when a person include these kind of episodes for more than three times in two weeks.

How Binge Drinking Is Life Threatening

Teens get caught in drinking because of peer pressure. Liquor companies, pubs and bars try to introduce new ideas to make drinking fun. This can make drinking a part of lifestyle for some teenagers. Some people drink to get rid of stress in life or at work, while others drink just because they are addicted to it.

There are various dangers of binge drinking. The following are a few harmful effects of binge drinking. Take a look.

Alcohol Dependence
When a person frequently takes alcohol for a long period of time, he gets addicted to it. They will always want to drink. There will always be an urge to drink larger quantities of alcohol each time. There can be withdrawal symptoms when a person tries to stop drinking. This can be one of the dangers of binge drinking.

How Binge Drinking Is Life Threatening

Alcohol Poisoning
Binge drinking is so bad for your health that it can be life threatening. The body reflexes are affected by binge drinking. Some of the reflexes that get affected are breathing and pharyngeal reflex. If the pharyngeal reflex is affected, it can cause choking. Serious cases can end up in death.

Short-Term Effects
There are many other short-term dangers of binge drinking. It can lead to muscular co-ordination. The person will develop blurred or double vision and there will be a drop in the body temperature. They will also experience low blood sugar concentration and low blood pressure. There is no doubt that large amount of alcohol intake can impair judgement and may lead people to commit crime.

Long-Term Effects
There are some long-term effects of binge drinking. Frequent and excessive drinking can lead to adverse effects on various organs of the body. These can lead to liver cirrhosis and kidney damage. Stomach cancer and infertility are other effects of binge drinking. Skeletal muscle damage is also inevitable.

How Binge Drinking Is Life Threatening

Other harms
Drinking and driving is very dangerous. It can lead to a lot of major accidents. Alcohol is harmful for pregnant women. It can lead to a lot of problems for the unborn child. Alcohol consumption can lower a person's interest in life and may even lead to depression, reports say.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Story first published: Wednesday, December 24, 2014, 20:21 [IST]
Read more about: alcohol wellness