Time for Alcohol Rehab

Not to be confused with a sneezy rhinoceros, allergic rhinitis is inflammation of the nasal passages. That stuffy, itching, sneezing, burning feeling in your eyes, nose, ears, throat, and sinuses that usually happens in response to pollen, mold, or animal dander. Some people just call it allergies, or hay fever.

An estimated 40 percent of the world’s population suffers with this upper respiratory infection, with rates continuing to climb in first world, westernized nations. Usual treatments range from nasal sprays, to decongestants/antihistamines, to weekly allergy shots, which can all help clear up the infection. If the stimulus is still in your environment, however, symptoms will return after treatment ends.

What the Research Says About Alcohol Abuse and Rhinitis

So what does all this have to do with drinking too much alcohol? Plenty, according to a new study published in the Clinical and Experimental Allergy journal. Danish researchers monitored 5,870 women who were symptom-free at the start of the study. After nearly a decade, 1,354 had developed respiratory infections such as rhinitis and hayfever. They also found that the risk for developing the infections increased around 3 percent for every alcoholic drink consumed during a week.

The Significance of the Relationship Between Alcohol Abuse and Rhinitis

Individuals with eczema and asthma typically have more frequent bouts with rhinitis, and those who suffer from hives can find themselves with frequent outbreaks relating to alcohol use. While alcohol has long been recognized as a trigger for hypersensitive reactions, previous studies indicated suppressed immune responses leading to serious bacterial infections. Rhinitis, on the other hand, is thought to be a response from the body’s overactive immune system, stimulating it to act on everyday intruders as if they were life threatening.

The Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse-Related Rhinitis

Symptoms of rhinitis often include runny nose (rhinorrhea), frequent sneezing, post-nasal drip, congestion, coughing, wheezing, headache, and fatigue. While it won’t kill you, it certainly makes life miserable for a while and it’s yet another way that alcohol can mess with your life, mess up your head and just make you feel terrible in general.

Is it worth it? Are you ready to stop? Are you stopping because of the negative physical health effects? Tell us about it: what made you face your battle with alcoholism and get treatment at an alcohol rehab center and how you are staying clean and sober every day.

Alcohol Addiction

Most of the time, when we talk about the effects of alcohol, we tend to focus on the emotional and biological responses of the addict. But for every person addicted to alcohol, there are countless more who have been directly harmed by the user while under the influence.

Excuses, Excuses

When someone you love starts acting strange, it’s normal to try and find a plausible reason for their behavior. “He had a bad day.” “She really took it hard after the divorce.” “Grandpa’s just been so lonely since Grandma died.” You hope it will pass, and you try to get on with the day, not realizing that you’re actually contributing to the problem. In time, the alcoholic comes to rely on these supportive statements and may become defensive or hostile when your approval is withheld.

Men Versus Women and Alcohol Abuse

Managing emotions is a different game for different genders. The depressant effects of alcohol typically elicit physical, confrontational reactions in men, and emotional, provocative responses in women. In other words: men, because of their higher testosterone levels, tend to act out while women, because of their higher estrogen levels, tend to cry out.

Both become rooted in maladaptive patterns and relationships where men are predominantly the abusers and women are the proverbial victims, and it doesn’t seem to matter who is actually struggling with the alcohol addiction.

Startling Statistics on Alcohol Addiction

Close to half of all violent crimes are committed while the attacker is intoxicated:

* 37 percent of assaults
* 57 percent of domestic violence incidents
* 60 percent of sexual crimes
* 86 percent of murders

The law doesn’t make excuses for inebriated acts, and neither should you. Places like Al Anon can help you learn strategies for a good offense, and connect to other people who have loved ones that are either active or recovering alcoholics. Many groups now have online chat rooms and meetings if there aren’t any local services in your area. Learn how to stand up for yourself and step out of the abusive cycle with the dignity you deserve.

Does This Sound Like You?

Or someone you know? Have you found that you are more violent when you drink rather than sedated, like you may have hoped? The number of problematic scenarios that become possible when you drink to excess are too many to count. Violent behavior is just one of them. Get help at an alcohol rehab before it’s too late.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment

Naltrexone (Vivitrol) continues to make news among recovering alcoholics for its effectiveness in curbing alcohol dependence and consumption, but even bad publicity is good publicity. Since the drug was approved for use in 2006, there have been 70,000 doses shipped to medical clinics and rehab facilities around the country. While no one knows for certain how many doses have been administered, 196 reports of serious, adverse reactions at the site of injection have been submitted to the FDA.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment Drug Not Without Side Effects

The Vivitrol website advises both patients and doctors alike on the correct procedure for giving the drug. They warn:

“Once a month, a healthcare professional will inject Vivitrol into the upper outer portion of your buttocks, alternating sides each month. As with any intramuscular injection, some patients may feel pain or tenderness at, or after, the time of the injection. In addition, you might feel itching, swelling, a lump, or other discomfort at the injection site…. The most common adverse events associated with Vivitrol in clinical trials were injection site reactions, nausea, headache, fatigue, dizziness, vomiting, decreased appetite, painful joints and muscle cramps.”

If symptoms haven’t disappeared after two weeks, have grown increasingly worse, or you experience other symptoms that haven’t been listed, call your doctor for an immediate consultation. Sixteen patients have had to undergo surgical procedures as a result of abscessed tissue and necrosis. Yikes!

Take Charge of Your Alcohol Addiction Recovery

As with any drug or medication, it is vitally important that you are aware of how much, how often, and where the injections are supposed to be given. Have the nurse or doctor double check the label to make sure they are giving you the drug you are supposed to be getting. Observe any reactions. Keep tabs on yourself afterwards, or have a friend or family member keep an eye on you for a day or so. Most importantly, trust your instincts, even if your gut disagrees with what your doctor tells you.

Tell us: Have you ever been on Vivitrol? What was your experience?

What do you think of the use of medications to fight cravings during and after drug and alcohol treatment? Is it worth the risks?

Alcoholism in the Workplace

There’s a new study out that looks at government data concerning the alcohol habits of people working in a number of industries. Is it a surprise that the hospitality industry tops out with 15 percent of its employees suffering from serious alcohol addiction issues?

What the Research Says About Alcohol Abuse in the Workplace

Andrew Webber is the president and CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health. He says, “The impact of alcohol problems in the workplace is a tremendous hidden challenge — in part because very few people with an alcohol problem are ever identified. In the past, employers have led the way to doing more for people with chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It’s time for American industry to do the same for people with alcohol problems.”

There’s more than just a personal expense when someone abuses alcohol and drugs. It is estimated that about 9 percent of employees in the United States abuse alcohol to the point that it means lost money for their employer in terms of missed work days, higher health care costs and lost productivity.

Men and Women and Alcohol Abuse Stats

It’s not just about the industry you work in. The Ensuring Solutions analysis of data shows that alcoholism rates are gender-related, too. For example, in both the hospitality and construction industries, men are 50 percent more likely to be alcoholics than women in the same industry.

Age Matters in Alcohol Abuse Numbers

It gets even more specific. It turns out that age makes a difference in the numbers as well. Those between 18 and 25 are more likely to have an alcohol problem than those over the age of 26.

If you want to crunch a few numbers on your own, figure out how much alcoholism is costing your business (and how much you can save by offering access to alcohol rehab) by using the Ensuring Solutions calculator.

Check out the percentages of alcohol abuse among different industries as computed by this study:

• * Hospitality: Male – 17.4% Female – 12.6% Overall – 15.0%
• * Construction: Male – 15.2% Female – 10.0% Overall – 14.7%
• * Wholesale Trade: Male – 14.6% Female – 5.3% Overall – 11.9%
• * Professional: Male – 13.3% Female – 7.1% Overall – 10.6%
• * Retail Trade: Male – 13.4%/TD> Female – 6.2% Overall – 9.7%’
• * Finance & Real Estate: Male – 11.2% Female -7.6% Overall – 9.2%
• * Manufacturing: Male – 9.5% Female – 6.5% Overall – 8.6%
• * Transportation/Utilities: Male – 9.1% Female – 4.8% Overall – 8.2%
• * Information/Communication: Male – 12.7% Female – 4.8% Overall – 8.1%
• * Agriculture: Male – 8.7% Female – 1.9% Overall – 7.2%
• * Other Services: Male – 8.9% Female – 3.8% Overall – 6.4%
• * Education/Social Services: Male – 9.4% Female – 4.3% Overall – 5.4%
• * Public Administration: Male – 6.4% Female – 4.1% Overall – 5.3%

For more information about alcohol abuse in different industries, check out the Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems website or Medical News Today.

The other day I posted about a study that said cocaine use during pregnancy actually changed the structure of DNA in the baby’s brain. That makes sense, right? The fetus is developing and when drugs are present, it’s logical that how things developed would be affected. But you’re safe once your born, right? Especially once you’ve reached adulthood?

Wrong. It turns out that alcoholism can do the same thing to an adult’s DNA, change its very structure.

Alcoholism Withdrawal and DNA

In the simplest terms, chronic alcohol use reshapes your DNA without affecting the coded sequence or what you’ll pass along to your children. What it does affect is how your genes express themselves in your brain, especially in terms of the anxiety that is so prevalent when you try and stop drinking. These changes are called “epigenetic,” minor changes that specifically affect the chemical chromatin.

Dr. Subhash C. Pandey is a professor and director of neuroscience alcoholism research at the UIC College of Medicine and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, the lead author of the study. She says,

“This is the first time anyone has looked for epigenetic changes related to chromatin remodeling in the brain during alcohol addiction. Our findings suggest that HDAC inhibitors may have potential as therapeutic agents in treating alcoholism. We need new strategies to treat alcoholism that are directed toward the prevention of withdrawal symptoms. Anxiety associated with withdrawal from alcohol abuse is a key factor in the maintenance of alcohol addiction.”

Treating Alcoholism

Withdrawal symptoms after a long period of alcohol addiction can be overwhelming. It’s difficult enough to change your life and give up an addictive substance, but when that change comes with painful physical withdrawal, few make it alone. The longer you have been drinking, the more important it is that you get medical help and assistance with your alcohol addiction through alcohol rehab. If you would like to treat your addiction in the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu, California, call The Canyon.
For more information about this study and others, check out the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) website and Medical News Today.

To continue our ongoing discussion on the issues of alcohol abuse and alcoholism — last week we talked about the signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse, the signs and symptoms of alcoholism and the latest addiction to the classifications of alcohol use – so I thought today we’d talk about a detail that we might have missed. Size.

Size Matters Where Alcohol is Concerned

The problem with gauging how much you drink comes with the variance in the amount of alcohol that comes in each drink. A 12-ounce beer has about the same amount of alcohol has a 5-ounce glass of wine or a 1.5 ounce shot of spirits (or a mixed drink made with 1.5 ounces of spirits). But is that beer you ordered at the restaurant really 12 ounces? Is that glass of wine 5 ounces? If you ordered a gin and tonic and it came in a ball glass, then it’s most likely a regularly sized drink. If you got a Long Island Iced Tea, however, you’ve got way more than 1.5 ounces of spirits in your glass.

What Your Liver Can Handle

There are some differing opinions on this, but your most agree that your liver can successfully clear one liquor drink and two glasses of wine or two beers in a day. And no, you can’t ‘save up’ and have 15 drinks over the weekend and cash in on a week’s worth of sobriety. Remember that alcohol is a toxin. Drink too much and your liver can’t process the alcohol, leaving the unprocessed alcohol to damage your liver. But if you think you’re drinking the moderate amount that is safe for your liver but you’re still having problems, check the amount of alcohol that’s in your drinks.

What the Experts Have to Say About Alcohol Content in Drinks

William C. Kerr is a senior scientist with the Alcohol Research Group at the Public Health Institute and first author of a study on alcohol content in drinks served in restaurants. He says:

“There are a number of factors that influence the alcohol content of drinks. These include glass size; percent alcohol by volume (%ABV) of the beer, wine or spirit, for example a 15-percent wine versus an 11-percent wine, or a six-percent beer compared to a 4.2-percent light beer; accidental pour variability; and probably most important, the intentions of management and the bartender.”

Alcohol-content information is not often available in many bars and restaurants, so this study was pretty revealing. Kerr found: “First, the typical wine, beer or mixed spirits drink in bars is larger than a standard drink, often by 50 percent or more. Second, within these beverage types, the alcohol content can vary widely. Third, particular beverage types and drink types vary in average alcohol content and variability.”

The average glass of wine? 43 percent larger than a standard drink. The average draft beer? 22 percent larger than the standard. Drinks mixed with spirits? 42 percent larger than the standard.

What About You?

Do you have a problem with alcohol abuse? Did it start with oversized drinks in the restaurants over dinner with a client? Or too many cocktails over lunch or after work with friends? It doesn’t matter how alcohol abuse begins. What matters is that you stop in time to save your body from irreversible damage. If you have any questions about alcohol abuse and alcoholism, check out the informative articles available at The Canyon.

We know that there’s a difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction. We’ve talked about the 5 symptoms of alcohol abuse and the 3 signs of alcoholism, but now it seems that the powers that be have decided to complicate things a bit: there’s now a new delineation, a new bus stop, if you will on the road between casual drinking and alcoholism. They’re calling it ‘hazardous drinking’ and according to Medical News Today, it is “defined as drinking more than guidelines recommend.”

What the Experts Says About Hazardous Drinking

Mauri Aalto is chief physician at the National Public Health Institute and the corresponding author for the study. He says, “Current tools—the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases: 10—do not allow for a phenomenon like hazardous drinking, when a person drinks too much and is at risk but is not alcohol dependent.”

Aalto continues: “A hazardous drinker may see many other people around him or her drinking as much as him or herself. This, together with not yet experiencing any alcohol-related harm, may lead the individual to wrongly think that there is no need to reduce drinking. However, hazardous drinkers do not include alcohol dependents, who usually drink a lot more. Alcohol-dependent drinkers already have significant alcohol-related harms and it is more difficult for them to change their drinking habits.”

Why It’s Important to Recognize Hazardous Drinking

Aalto says, “I think it is interesting to notice that almost 80 percent of hazardous drinkers in our study were employed. Yet the probability of being divorced or unemployed, which might be inferred as ‘adverse social consequences’ of alcohol use, increases on the continuum from moderate drinking via hazardous drinking to alcohol dependence.

“The important point is that there is such a phenomenon like hazardous drinking and it is quite common.”

Opinions on Hazardous Drinking

If there’s a way to help people diagnose themselves and get help earlier in the addiction process, then I’m all for the new hazardous drinking category. Classifications of disease are harmless and, in fact, helpful when they serve the purpose of serving the people who suffer from the issue at hand.

What do you think? Do you think this is a positive step toward better understanding alcoholism and its mechanisms in the human body? Or do you think that this could pose potential problems for those who suffer from the disease?

For more information on this study check out Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER).