- How alcohol affects the condition of the skin?
- Diseases
Alcohol abuse is reflected in the condition of the skin and has many negative effects on health. Skin problems to which it leads, are often a reflection of more serious problems with internal organs.
The abuse usually say when the systematic use of alcohol begins to have a negative effect on work, school, family life, when a person because of alcohol have problems with health and / or the law. Most of these people, in spite of this, continues to drink alcohol. But even if a person has not yet appeared above problems, abuse can speak his inability to unwind and relax without alcohol - usually it is the first "bell", foretells that in the near future, alcohol can become a pressing issue. Female body is destroyed under the influence of alcohol faster than men, especially excessive use of alcohol is reflected in the appearance.
Alcohol and health problems
Alcohol intoxication. Its implications are as follows:
- Since the cardiovascular system: reduction of heart rate, irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure;
- On the part of the central nervous system: headaches, confusion, memory loss, disorientation, impaired motor coordination, emotional lability;
- From the gastrointestinal tract: nausea and vomiting;
- On the part of the respiratory system: asthma, slow or difficult breathing.
Chronic alcohol abuse or alcoholism has the following consequences:
- Cardio-vascular system: high blood pressure, heart failure, irregular heartbeat;
- On the part of the hemostatic system: blood clotting by reducing platelet aggregation, lowering and thromboplastin;
- From endocrine system: reduction of testosterone with loss of libido, testicular atrophy, deterioration of fertility, increased levels of estrogen
Estrogen - the key to bone health
and gynecomastia
Gynecomastia - known since ancient times
, Changes in distribution of fat and hair loss on the body;
- From the gastrointestinal tract: ulcer, hepatitis
Hepatitis - the scourge of our time
Cirrhosis, gallstones, cancer;
- On the part of the central nervous system: dementia, incoordination syndrome, Wernicke - Korsakov (vitamin B1 deficiency, which leads to mental disorders and eye problems);
- Immune system: direct toxic effects on the bone marrow, leading to a decrease in the number of T-cells and impaired of their functioning, as well as to lower the level of immunoglobulins.
The impact of alcohol on the small vessels
- Permanent redness of the skin
One of the earliest signs of alcohol abuse is a reddening of the skin, usually on the face. This is due to expansion of the small superficial blood vessels (telangiectasia). Vessels dilate due to the fact that regular alcohol abuse the brain ceases to control their contraction.
Strong temporary redness is a common side effect of alcohol, which is most often seen in people who consume alcohol in large doses. It is believed that this reaction is acetaldehyde, stimulating histamine release. Approximately 40% of the natives of North-East Asia in the use of even small amounts of alcohol increases the heart rate, and there is a temporary reddening of the skin that is caused by the accumulation of acetaldehyde. It is assumed that this is the result of mutation acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) - an enzyme that converts acetaldehyde to acetate.
Skin problems associated with the impact of alcohol on the liver
This disorder gets its name from the appearance: legs spider (blood vessels) in different directions from the center of the vessel (papules). Pressing spider angioma pale; some patients may pulsate. Most often they occur on the face, neck, chest, arms and abdomen. A large number of spider angioma is associated with cirrhosis of the liver, caused by increased levels of estrogen. The study, which involved 82 patients with cirrhosis showed that in alcoholic cirrhosis formed usually angiomas significantly more than with cirrhosis having other causes. This is probably due to vascular lesions which are caused by the abuse of alcohol.
Healthy adults and children occasionally also appear agniomy spiders - in most cases, very few. They are especially common in pregnant women - experts attribute this to the influence of estrogen.
Chronic diseases caused by abuse of alcohol, can lead to redness of palms. Palmar erythema may also develop under the influence of estrogen in pregnant women.
High pressure within the venous system of the liver leads to increased pressure in the veins of the whole body, including those located in the navel (umbilical vein). Disorders in which these veins dilate, called Medusa head (caput Medusae) - because of the resemblance with protruding veins writhing snakes, which grew out of his head instead of hair known character of Greek myth.
People with liver disease develop on the background of alcoholism, skin and sclera (the protein shell of the eye) may acquire a yellowish tint - a violation is called jaundice. Such color skin and sclera gain due bilirubin - one cleavage product of hemoglobin. In acute and chronic diseases of the liver metabolism of bilirubin is broken. Skin color is normalized for as liver function is restored.
Hyperpigmentation of the skin around the eyes, mouth, and the skin on the feet can be associated with chronic liver disease. Why it happens is still unclear.
Itching can be caused by the accumulation of poorly recycled substances that stimulate the skin located on the nerve endings. Among these substances can be salts of bile acids, histamine, corticosteroids and opioids.
Problems with nails
Problems with the nails are nonspecific symptoms of some diseases of the liver caused by alcohol abuse. However, they are often accompanied by changes in the various states of the skin.
- Nail clubbing. So is the state in which the terminal phalanges considerably thickened, which makes them similar to the drumsticks; patients also observed deformation of the nail plate - they become very prominent. Such symptoms may be present in many diseases, including liver disease, developing on the background of alcoholism.
- Koilonychia. This violation of the nails become concave in shape resembling a spoon. Koilonychia often associated with iron deficiency, which can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
- Nails Terry. Two-thirds of the surface of the nail are white, and only about 2 mm of the nail plate - pink. This is due to the restriction of blood flow to the nail bed.
- Nails Muerke. On the nail bed white lines appear parallel to the hole, and between them - a strip of normal pink color typical of healthy nails
14 tips for strong and healthy nails
. It is a sign of low level of proteins in the blood (hypoalbuminemia).
Redness nail holes can be caused by increased blood flow to the nail bed and vasodilation.
