Doctor advises on how to prevent harmful effects of alcohol

This article is expertly consulted by Master, Doctor Bui Ngoc Phuong Hoa - General Internal Medicine - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

The consequences of drinking alcohol are incalculable. Therefore, the prevention of harmful effects of alcohol is extremely necessary for everyone. To do this, it is first necessary to know "say no" to alcohol.

When it comes to the harmful effects of alcohol and beer, people often think of traffic accidents and mental disorders. In reality, however, the consequences of drinking are much more varied and complex.
According to WHO statistics, out of a total of 549,000 deaths in 2016 from all causes, there were about 39,000 deaths due to alcohol, beer (leading to cardiovascular diseases, cirrhosis, cancer, accidents, etc.) traffic and mental disorders).
The harmful effects of alcohol are caused by alcohol (ethanol), through 3 main direct mechanisms including:
Alcohol in alcohol causes chronic toxicity: When people drink in small doses and slowly, Alcohol has caused chronic toxicity to organs and tissues in the body, gradually leading to cell damage and consequent chronic diseases, affecting human physical and mental development. Alcohol causes acute intoxication: The impact on the structure and transmitters of the central nervous system will lead to the consequences of coordination disorders, decreased alertness, impaired awareness, thereby affecting behavior. vi should cause consequences for the drinker and people around. For example, causing injuries, traffic accidents, violence... Alcohol causes dependence: As a psychotropic substance, alcohol in alcohol can cause drinkers to increase the dose as well as reuse. Thereby making people dependent on it, leading to alcohol-induced psychosis and increasing the risk of chronic disease, causing immediate and long-term consequences. * In addition, alcohol can interact badly with other chemicals in the body, exacerbating existing physical and mental damage.

In fact, there is no standard as to how much alcohol is harmful to drink, because tolerance and risk of drinking vary from person to person, depending on age, sex, other biological properties.
There is no safe level of alcohol consumption because even very small amounts of alcohol can cause certain health risks and consequences. Some studies have shown that drinking alcohol at any level increases the risk of cancer, especially oral cavity cancer, larynx cancer, throat cancer, and esophagus cancer. , colorectal cancer , liver cancer and breast cancer .
The dysfunction of the body will appear right from drinking a very small amount of alcohol. Specifically, if a person has a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01g/dl, it is equivalent to just drinking a sip of wine or 1⁄4 cans of beer and starting to have disorders such as:
Drinker alcohol will reduce the function of the central brain; Increased excitement, lack of control in all situations; Disorders of coordination of movement should make drinkers unsteady walking, falling, etc. The above disorders of alcohol will affect speed control, direction maintenance or reflexes. braking,... in the process of driving a vehicle, as well as inciting the mood, easily leading to conflict, not being able to control the drinker's own behavior.
Drinking alcohol increases the risk of traffic accidents, unnecessary conflicts and leads to death or severe disability. Therefore, people need to be aware of the harmful effects of alcohol.

To prevent the harmful effects of alcohol, doctors recommend that all organizations and individuals limit alcohol consumption to the maximum because there is no safe threshold.
In case of drinking, there are some important things to note:
Do not drink more than 2 units of alcohol/day for men, 1 unit of alcohol/day for women and no more than 5 days/week. 1 unit of alcohol is equivalent to 3/4 of a 330 ml beer bottle/can (5%); 1 cup of draft beer 330 ml; 1 glass of wine 100 ml (13.5%); or 1 cup of spirits 30 ml (40%).
Try to control the amount of drinking to the lowest risk in 1 drink. Should drink slowly, combine eating and drinking, drinking alternately with filtered water. Must drink wine and beer of clear origin and quality assurance. After drinking, should not participate in outdoor activities or in dangerous and unsafe places because it is easy to fall, collision, injury,... In particular, do not use alcohol in cases of alcohol. Driving a motor vehicle, operating machinery, pregnant or lactating women, patients receiving drug treatment that react to alcohol, have medical conditions where alcohol makes the disease worse.
People who have a habit of drinking alcohol, in addition to gradually quitting, need to have regular health check-ups to screen for alcohol-related diseases effectively. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is implementing a lot of general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a very favorable price policy, including:
Packages General health check-up Work permit- granting work permit Child general health check-up package Standard general health check-up package Special general health check-up package VIP general health check-up package General health check-up package Diamond The advantage of Vinmec's health check-up packages is that customers will be screened and screened by a system of modern equipment such as PET/CT, MRI, CT 640, advanced ultrasound system. The world's leading technology, international standard laboratory system,... After a general examination, if any diseases are detected, customers can use services from other specialties at the hospital with superior quality of treatment.