Dangers Of Alcohol Abuse Among Women

By | April 8, 2020

While it is true that women and alcohol abuse is not a common thing, but it exists, and one out of every twelve women is currently suffering from alcoholism. Moreover, the abuse of alcohol is increasing among women as well. Let’s look at it in details.

How Common is Alcohol Abuse in Women?

Men may be at risk for alcohol complications, but women face higher risks for various side effects of alcohol abuse. Before diving into the risks, you need to understand the ratio for alcohol abuse in women.

Alcoholism in women is not a rare thing. Although men are more inclined to consume alcohol, yet higher doses of alcohol can make way for severe complications in female anatomy. Variations in gender and biological composition and chemistry allow women to ingest more alcohol and take longer to break it down and expel it from their bodies after metabolization.

So, if men and women consume the same amount of alcohol, women will have higher level of alcohol in their blood, will feel the effects quicker than men, and the alcohol will stay in their bodies for longer.

According to a recent study, around 12% of women have testified to binge drinking three times a month. This means that they consume five drinks per binge session three times a month. These numbers are slowly increasing and getting closer to those of men.

What Are the Risks for Them?

On average, women weigh less than men, so they face higher risks when consuming the same levels of alcohol as men. Moreover, the adverse effects of alcohol abuse start to show sooner and harsher in females.

One of the most common risks is the elevated levels of anxiety among drinking women. Consuming alcohol to take the edge off will result in a negative impact on their neurological pathways and will ultimately lead towards chronic depression, anxiety disorders, and general anxiety disorders.

What Severe Dangers May Female Alcoholics Face?

Since women face a higher risk of developing negative side-effects and complications due to alcohol abuse, they need to be aware of what alcohol abuse brings to the table. Here are the topmost severe dangers that female alcoholics may face during the course of alcoholism:

  • Liver Damage
  • Chronic Depression
  • GAD (General Anxiety Disorder)
  • AUD (Alcohol Use Disorder)
  • Heart Disease
  • Brain Damage
  • Breast Cancer
  • Pregnancy Complications

On average, female drinkers face a higher risk of cirrhosis and related liver diseases than men. Moreover, brain shrinkage and memory loss episodes are also quite a severe side-effect that happens quickly for female drinkers than for male drinkers. Logical decision-making capabilities are also influenced and destroyed in the process.

With the higher amounts of alcohol, comes a higher risk for the cancer of mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast. Therefore, it is advised that women should only consume as advised by their doctors, or as much is safe for them. Signs of binge drinking and alcohol abuse will start impacting their bodies negatively sooner than it will impact their male counterparts.