Women and alcohol

Before making some remarks regarding alcohol intake, it is important to determine the parameters to consider how much a person drinks. This is because the concept “I don’t drink too much” takes on a different meaning depending on who says it.

A drink is considered “a beverage” if it contains 12 grams of alcohol. As an idea, this is the amount of alcohol contained in a small bottle of beer (12 ounces), a 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor. You may be a light drinker if you have (on average) less than 1 drink per day; a moderate drinker if you have 1 or 2 drinks per day; and a heavy drinker if you have more than 2 drinks per day.

You should keep in mind that the frequency with which you drink alcoholic beverages is as important as the amount you drink. You may not drink frequently, but when you do drink heavily, it is still a problem.

Mild to moderate drinking rarely causes major health problems, but severe drinking can cause major liver damage (cirrhosis). This can lead to liver failure and death. Alcohol is associated with: 50% of fatal motor vehicle accidents, 33% of drownings, 50% of fires, 50% of severe falls, violence (including domestic violence), and damage to the fetus and newborn that will last for the rest of their lives.

It is important for women to know that alcohol can have direct consequences in some circumstances that are very exclusive to the female sex: There is an increased risk for certain types of cancer (breast), osteoporosis, early menopause, irregular menstrual periods, infertility, miscarriages and having a baby with the “alcoholic fetus syndrome”.

It should be remembered that the amount of alcohol capable of producing a drinking problem varies from one person to another. It will depend on body weight, age, health status, and family, medical and emotional history.

Here are some warning signs or indicators that there is already some type of alcohol problem: Drinking alcohol while alone when you feel angry or sad, having a pattern for drinking alcohol (daily at the end of the day or every week on the same day or time), planning activities (excuses) in which in one way or another alcoholic beverages are going to be present, drinking to improve a pain or decrease stress, drinking more (or later) than you told yourself you could no longer continue drinking, drinking until intoxicated, always thinking about alcohol; and finally, if you are one of those people who change personality when they drink.

Dr. Ascanio Bencosme

Gynecology

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