The Effects of Alcohol Abuse on Men in Their Forties

Alcohol abuse can be a serious health hazard to middle-aged men. If you are in your 40s and decide to drink, you should always monitor the levels of your alcohol consumption as well as your blood alcohol content. Though you may benefit from moderate drinking, you also are exposed to serious health risks.
  1. Alcoholic Cardiomyopathy

    • Consuming alcohol for a long time may cause dilated cardiomyopathy, especially when you consume alcohol at 11 glasses per day for more than five years. This condition exposes you to the risks of heart failure because of alcohol's toxic effects. Consequently, the heart will not be able to pump blood efficiently, causing stroke. This makes you more vulnerable to this disease if you are between 40 and 50 years of age.

    Alcohol Pancreatitis

    • Long-term drinking of alcohol can cause alcohol pancreatitis, especially if you are in your 40s. This condition is a serious inflammation of the pancreas caused by destruction of pancreatic membrane by the alcohol metabolism byproducts. It has symptoms of poor pancreatic function, vomiting or mild abdominal pains at the abdomen, which can be relieved when you lean forward. If left untreated, it can cause malnutrition, steatorrhea (fats in feces) or diabetes. The pain may last for two to three days. However, if the pain persists for two to three weeks, risk of death may rise to about 30 percent. In the UK alone, 500 deaths are reported from alcohol pancreatitis annually.

    Oral Cancer

    • According to Cancer Research UK, an alarming rise in the rate of oral cancers among men in their 40s is largely blamed on alcohol. Also known as cancer of the mouth, it begins as ulcers, sores or as white or red patches in the mouth that persist for about three weeks. It then affects the tissues of the tongue or lips, the lining of the cheek, gums and the roof of your mouth or sometimes the floor of your mouth. Approximately 18,000 people die from oral cancer annually and 5,000 new cases are reported each year in the UK.

    Cirrhosis

    • Men in their 40s are at risk of developing cirrhosis once they abuse alcohol. Cirrhosis is a condition where liver tissues are destroyed, after which they are replaced by a fibrous scar tissue. This condition is irreversible, and once the liver is damaged, it fails to carry out functions like processing digested food, combating infections controlling glucose, fats or amino acid levels in blood, and destroying toxins in the blood. Cirrhosis causes approximately 3,000 deaths annually in the UK. This mostly comprises adults between 45 and 65.

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