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Could You Have a Drinking Problem?
An occasional drink can be enjoyable and may
even be good for your heart. But overdoing it is
dangerous — especially for women. Typically,
women develop alcohol-related diseases sooner than men.
Why does drinking affect women and men differently?
First, women tend to be smaller than men. But even a
woman who weighs the same as a man typically has less
water in her body to dilute the alcohol. Plus, women generally
have less of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol
before it enters the bloodstream.
Excessive drinking can boost your risk for:
- Liver disease
- Early menopause
- High blood pressure
- Head and neck, breast and digestive cancers
- Heart disease
Women should drink no
more than one drink a day.
That’s a 5-ounce glass of
wine, one 12-ounce bottle of
beer or wine cooler, or 1.5
ounces of 80-proof liquor.
One or more of the following
behaviors could point to a
drinking problem:
- Acting differently while
drinking
- Drinking solely to get
drunk
- Occasionally drinking
excessively or binging
- Regularly consuming more
alcohol than you intended
- Drinking when you’re
angry or sad
A woman with a drinking
problem may develop
alcoholism. She may drink increasing amounts over time
and find it impossible to stop drinking to excess. Without
alcohol, she might experience withdrawal symptoms, such
as nausea, sweating or shaking.
If you think you have a drinking problem or are an
alcoholic, call the memorial hermann prevention and
recovery center at 713-578-3100 for guidance.
Memorial Hermann
Prevention and Recovery
Center provides comprehensive
alcohol and
drug abuse treatment
programs, including the
innovative PROMETA™
treatment protocol.
call 713-578-3100
for more information.
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