Insomnia Treatment and Health Care

Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol’

- Slow reflexes and reduced coordination.
- Unclear language and pronunciation errors.
- Sense of confidence and freedom (deshinibidor).
- Less able to concentrate on one subject.
- Alterations in perception: visual hallucinations, auditory and tactile.
- Distortion of emotions: extreme changes in mood that can range from joy to tears or aggression.
- Difficulty in assessing situations: denial of the disease.

Effects of long-term alcohol
- Gastrointestinal distress.
- Loss of appetite.
- Skin problems.
- Alterations in memory “blackouts.”
- Sexual impotence.
- Liver damage (cirrhosis).

Symptoms presented by individuals with alcohol problems
Causes changes in the heart, lungs, blood, etc..
Obsessive-compulsive disorder: a fixed and recurring thoughts. General anxiety: everything revolves around the substance.
Use alcohol to “escape” from reality, or “solve” problems that require “clarity” and thinking skills to make decisions.
Present work problems, school and society: his personality is dishonest, manipulative, intolerant, irresponsible and immature.
Persecutory delusions of grandeur, of jealousy (excessive jealousy, etc.)., Produced by the effects of alcohol.
It features high tolerance to alcohol: need more numbers to the desired effect.
Family and friends are concerned excessively with his drinking: co-dependency is established.
Alcohol is often the “gateway” to other drugs.

For some time we know the harmful effects of alcohol on the developing fetal brain. It is now known that during the third period of pregnancy, this causes the death of neurons and also induces aberrant connections of some remaining.
It is known that alcohol intake during pregnancy causes defects in the newborn. However, despite this, an Institute of Medicine, United States (1996) indicates that 20% of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy continue to do so. As a result, one in every 1,000 newborns has the “FAS” with facial deformities, stunted growth and subsequent problems in learning and memory (low doses of alcohol on the fetal brain stem damage) . Currently new research clarifies how alcohol can cause some of this damage (Science, February 2000, vol. 287, pg. 1056).

John Olney, neuroscientist at the Medical School at Washington University in St. Louis, and colleagues, using rats as experimental animals, they find that alcohol works through the brain cell receptors for two neurotransmitters, the glutamate and GABA. As a result of induction of neuron death.

For two weeks after birth, the animals were exposed to high levels of blood alcohol. This period corresponds roughly to the stages of human brain development that occur during the third trimester of pregnancy (in the rat brain development is greatest after birth). Read the rest of this entry »

Alcohol impedes the normal development by inhibiting the production of retinoic acid. Under normal conditions, levels of retinoic acid, produced in different areas of the embryo, the cells provide the necessary information on its location and appropriate destination.

The researchers now show that the toxic effects of alcohol lead to a detoxification response which accounts for production of retinoic acid molecules. The consequence of this is a cell disorientation during a critical period of development.

Retinoic acid is necessary for the correct placement of the cells in the developing embryos, and to prevent normal use of this acid, the alcohol makes the cells go to occupy their proper positions and to ripen properly.

Researchers at the Hebrew University in Israel, found that disabling a molecule needed to produce retinoic acid, called RALDH2, increased the sensitivity of the developing embryos to low doses of alcohol. Conversely, a greater amount of the molecule RALDH2 protected the embryos from the adverse effects of alcohol. This provides evidence that alcohol “steals” RALDH2 molecules, preventing them from performing their important role in the synthesis of the indicators of position and maturation during development.

Abuse of alcohol become a bigger problem for Pacific people compared with the narcotic, according to Australian reports, which link drinking with domestic violence and widespread health problems. Survey of the Burnet Institute, led by the Australian National Council on Drugs, found that alcohol is a major component of concern in the Pacific, the remoteness of some communities are among the poorest in the world.

“It clearly identifies alcohol as the main ingredient of concern in the Pacific region and to show cannabis is the main drug of most concern in the region,” said co-author of the study, Robert Power, this weekend.

“This is the first time we get a much clearer picture about the dangers of the spread in many countries that have become our neighbors. Alcohol is seen as a major factor contributing to the number of health problems affecting people in the Pacific,”  The report called for beverage makers in Australia and New Zealand, which their products are used widely in the Pacific, to help eliminate the problem. Recommendations include the provision of treatment programs and increased data collection.

Alcohol generally

• Isopropyl alcohol (sec-propyl alcohol, propan-2-ol, 2-propanol) H3C-CH (OH)-CH3, or rubbing alcohol
• Ethylene glycol (ethane-1 ,2-diol) HO-CH2-CH2-OH, which is a major component in antifreeze
• Glycerin (or glycerol, propane-1 ,2,3-triol) HO-CH2-CH (OH)-CH2-OH bound in natural oils and fats, namely triglycerides (triacylglycerol)
• Phenol is an alcohol group attached to the benzene ring hidroksilnya

Alcohol is widely used in industry and science as reagents, solvents, and fuel. There is another alcohol that is used freely, that is known in the community as methylated. Originally used freely alcohol as fuel. However, to prevent its misuse for food or beverages, the alcohol is denatured. denaturated alcohol called methylated spirit, which is why the alcohol is known as methylated.

There are over 100 sleep disorders have been identified and insomnia is without doubt one of the most common problems.

The episodes of insomnia can be short or long term (chronic) and the participation of difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and waking up very early. Some reasons why you suffer with insomnia are anxiety, stress, depression, caffeine, alcohol, drugs and medicines, disease, naps during the day, and about the influences (too much noise or light).

Some sleep disorders are:

* Insomnia due to dependency or cessation of stimulants
* Delayed sleep phase syndrome (the person believes s / he sleeps better from morning to afternoon
* Insomnia due to cessation or the construction of tolerance to sleep medications, known as Hypnotic dependent sleep disorder and
* Pyschophysiological insomnia, known as learned insomnia

Before looking for ways to stop insomnia, let’s first look at the problems that can cause insomnia. When you do not get enough sleep, you may feel weak, depressed or irritable. You may also suffer from a lack of concentration. There are many causes of insomnia, as too much stress, too much caffeine, depression, change of work shifts and pain if you have any health condition such as arthritis.

Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep each night (or day if you are a shift worker). If you feel tired when you’re at work or school, you are getting enough sleep.

You may ask to see a doctor to stop insomnia? First, your doctor will ask lots of questions like “What time you go to bed, would take the medicine and do you consume caffeine and alcohol. You may also be asked if you smoke cigarettes. In addition, your doctor may ask how long you have suffered from insomnia, if you are suffering from pain, and if you snore while asleep. You may also be asked about his personal life, and if it is causing stress keeps you awake.

A common thing many people do and stop treating insomnia is taking sleeping pills. This is not recommended. The relief they provide is only temporary, and insomnia quickly appear. Only use sleeping pills occasionally. In addition, if you have certain health problems, sleeping pills can be unsafe. Consult your doctor before using sleeping pills. Read the rest of this entry »

• Alcohol : alcohol, contrary to what most people think – does not help you sleep well. Quite the contrary. Taking too much alcohol at night, not just sleep worse but runs the risk of mixing with fatigue hangover the next day.

• Nightmare : the fear of recurring nightmares may prevent sleep achieved.

• Depression : people who suffer depression or other psychological disorders such as anxiety, panic attacks etc.. may experience greater difficulty sleeping at night.

• Family reasons : some babies do not sleep at night and therefore their parents either. And once that has managed to calm a crying baby at night, parents often have difficulty returning to sleep.

• Read the rest of this entry »