Coping with COVID-19: Alcohol Isn’t the Answer

The term alcohol use disorder refers to a condition in which a person has a strong and compulsive desire to consume alcohol despite the presence of negative consequences or impact on their life. The exact reason for someone to get an alcohol use disorder is not completely understood.

Although you may experience some enjoyable effects from alcohol, you are likely aware of the potential harm over-consumption can do to your body. We have long heard about how alcohol can impair our motor skills, judgment, state of consciousness, and, of course, our liver.

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But you know, you bring up a good point if, if, if we’re being as does alcohol weaken your immune systemy as we can be, that’s gonna enable us to help, um, care for others should the need arise or, you know, we’re being, we’re all in this together. But given what we’ve talked about so far, I really want to reemphasize again the detrimental effect that even a small amount of alcohol can have on your health, especially I’m 78 so I’m in that super high risk category. You may decide that you’re not going to drink at all during this period, or are you going to cut down or you’re just going to try other things and keep drinking. A weakened immune system makes it more difficult for your body to fight off infection. As a result, if you are exposed to certain infections, you are more likely to get sick. For example, if you are immunodeficient, you are more likely to be affected by food poisoning , pneumonia, post-surgery complications, and respiratory conditions.

These adaptive responses are helpful due to their long-lived memories and the ability to adapt to new types of infections. Ria Health offers several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder. When combined with counseling, this approach is proven highly effective.

Health Essentials

However, it’s best to limit your alcohol intake as much as possible. If you find it challenging to limit or stop your alcohol intake, it may be time to seek help for alcohol addiction. However, women who drink more than two drinks on one occasion and men who drink more than three drinks on one occasion may experience more health complications due to their excessive alcohol consumption.

• Ensure that you are not in a position that makes you more susceptible to catching COVID-19, worse, further addiction problems.
• You may even uncover some unwelcome illnesses and personality changes if you do.
• Heavy drinkers often report more frequent cases of pneumonia due to the immune system’s inability to fight off infections within the lungs.
• NIAAA also includes a category for binge drinking — drinking a very large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time.

Although not directly correlated, the https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of mental illnesses that are provoked by excessive alcohol use can contribute to a low-functioning immune system. What this entails is a lifestyle change free of alcohol, smoking and unhealthy foods.