June 9, 2008
The Deadly Combination of Smoking and Alcohol Part 9
It is because alcohol affects the brain as much as smoking that excessive drinkers can also fall into neurological problems like stroke, dementia, and neuropathy that often show up in later years. My mom, though not a smoker or drinker, is constantly at risk of stroke because of hypertension. Having a stroke is serious, and if you can avoid it by choosing to stop smoking and stop drinking, I highly recommend you make that decision.
Alcoholics are also at risk of facing psychiatric problems like depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies since the substance itself is known as a depressant.
Alcohol increases the risks of acquiring cardiovascular diseases like atrial fibrillation, myocardial infaction, and cardiomyopathy. Among the health problems that alcohol abuse can result in are the leading causes of death like hypertension, cancer, and diabetes (since alcohol content in the blood raises blood glucose above normal).
Alcoholism coupled with smoking doubles the risks of developing mouth, esophagus, throat, prostate, liver, and breast cancers (for women). In short, the risk of cancer increases with the increasing consumption of alcohol.
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