Alcoholism: Definition, Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment

This could be a past trauma, depression, anxiety or any number of challenges that one may encounter in life. These issues can make it challenging to quiet the mind and fall asleep. Needing a drink first thing in the morning physical appearance of an alcoholic — or even in the middle of the night — to stave off nausea or stop the shakes
are signs of dependence and withdrawal. Typical
alcohol withdrawal symptoms include sweating, shaking, nausea, anxiety and insomnia.

• In some cases, alcohol abuse may exacerbate conditions but not cause them.
• As with water retention in the face and body due to the dehydrating effects of alcohol, the feet can also become swollen and discolored due to excessive alcohol abuse.
• The more apt term is alcohol use disorder, which incorporates heavy drinking and binge drinking.
• We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
• The physical signs of an alcoholic, even one that has quit drinking and is in recovery, can often be spotted a mile away.
• As recovering alcoholics ourselves we know how hard it is to find reliable, and free resources to help yourself or a loved one.

[3] Type 1 PCT occurs when porphyrins (part of red blood cells) build-up due to a deficiency in the production of the enzyme uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD), which is used to synthesis haem, a blood protein. The symptoms of PCT include fragile skin, blistering, photosensitivity, crusts, milia (small white bumps), scleroderma (hardened skin), erosions, and hypertrichosis (increased hair growth). Elevated MCV is found in approximately 50 to 60 percent of chronic heavy drinkers. When people quit drinking, their
MCV levels typically return to normal within two to four months. The combination of increased MCV levels and elevated
GGT levels has a 90 percent sensitivity for detecting alcohol abuse, according to a study published in Current Psychiatry. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addressing alcoholism early on leads to better outcomes and can minimize the coinciding health effects.

Signs of Alcohol Addiction

When Annie Grace was drinking glasses, if not bottles, of wine on a daily basis, she’d wake up with purple stains on her teeth. Among people with darker skin tones, it can present as stinging or burning and sensitivity to topical products, as well as “darker or dusky brown patches,” Justine Kluk, a dermatologist, told Refinery29. Alcohol disrupts sleep, too, and poor sleep saps your face of precious time to repair. If you or your loved one are experiencing any of these symptoms, seek treatment immediately. Don’t forget to browse our site for advice on business, products, services, and more.

In severe cases, a person may
develop delirium tremens, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes hallucinations, confusion, seizures and
psychosis. For people with a drinking problem, their faces may start to change noticeably over time. As drinking takes its toll, superficial signs such as wrinkles and paleness begin to emerge first. The most telling of these changes are broken blood vessels and line formations near the eyes.

Other Physical Signs of Alcoholism – Sleep Patterns

The term “alcoholism” is commonly used in American society, but it is a nonclinical descriptor. Unlike laypersons, researchers, doctors, therapists, and a host of other professionals require a consensus on what constitutes the different levels of alcohol use. Alcohol is considered a socially acceptable pastime, but can become damaging to a person’s health when consumed in large amounts. One of the clearest signs that someone is suffering from effects of unmanageable alcohol consumption is an alcoholic face.

We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Take a short quiz of DSM-5 criteria to assess the severity of your alcohol use. Even if you’re not a wine drinker, the acid in alcohol eats away at tooth enamel, allowing any color from beverages to adhere to teeth, Dr. Timothy Chase, of SmilesNY, told Healthline. “It was just not pretty,” Grace said in one of her videos for The 30-Day Alcohol Experiment, her program that helps people reevaluate their relationship with alcohol.