Women have completely different body compositions and, as a result, metabolise alcohol differently. In general, the alcohol limit for women is different than for men.
Because alcohol remains in body water, females, who have a far higher body water percentage, hold alcohol in their bodies for a longer time.
Women also tend to weigh less. The same amount of alcohol creates a higher blood alcohol content in a woman than a man. Also, it stays in a woman’s system for longer.
Previously, the gender difference was recognised by the Chief Medical Officers safe drinking guidelines and recommended alcohol limit for women of no more than 14 units per week and no more than 21 for men. The guidelines have been reviewed and consequently changed to no more than 14 units in a week, regardless of gender.
Why do women face higher risks and alcohol rehab northern Virginia?
Although statistics show that men are up to twice as likely to drink and consume larger quantities of alcohol, the biochemical structure of the female gender causes most women to absorb more of it into the bloodstream and take longer to process it than it would a man.
This means that the toxins stay in the bloodstream and the system of a woman longer. It is these toxins that cause damage to every internal organ it comes into contact with.
Developing the following alcohol rehab northern Virginia related health risks:
Alcohol-related heart disease – Women are at higher risk of developing heart problems and disease, and over a shorter period of time
Alcohol-related cancers – Women are more vulnerable to developing cancers directly caused by alcohol consumption, even at low levels. These cancers are breast cancer and cancer of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, liver and colon
Liver disease and liver cirrhosis – Females are more susceptible to liver damage from alcohol
Sexual harms – Women are at higher risk of suffering sexual harm related to alcohol consumption, including suffering from sexual violence, abuse, and rape, which are often linked to binge drinking. Women are also at higher risk of unwanted pregnancy whilst heavily intoxicated
Domestic violence – Women are more vulnerable to suffering from domestic violence; again, this has been strongly linked to excessive binge drinking
Alcohol-related brain damage – Alcohol causes shrinkage of the brain by damaging cells, tissues and pathways. This can lead to short term memory loss, cognitive impairment, anxiety and depression. At the worst end of the scale, excessive and prolonged drinking can lead to Wernicke’s encephalopathy and korsakoff’s syndrome.
Pregnant women & drinking
The consequences of women drinking during pregnancy are unique to the female gender and are very real. The government has advised that there is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy.
How today’s pressures on women are adversely affecting the younger generation
Women today have many expectations placed on them, physically, educationally, socially, occupationally and emotionally. Motherhood brings its own set of unique challenges that rarely come ‘naturally’.
Lifestyle, stress, peer pressure and expectations are all reasons women may turn to heavy drinking. When used in moderation, drinking can be a great social lubricant and stress reliever. However, when alcohol is used in excess, the damage is often more profound and happens quicker in a woman than it does in a man.
These stress factors and expectations are being filtered down to the younger generation, those most susceptible to developing a long term problem.
In a study conducted on young people attending Secondary school in England (average age range 11-15) on their drug and alcohol use, girls were found to be more likely to have been drunk in the past four weeks than boys.
If this is any indication to go by, it shows that girls are more likely to be influenced by peers and feel the social pressure to ‘fit in’ or drink to get drunk because they like the effect.
This is very worrying as girls and women are much more vulnerable to suffering from sexual assault and unwanted pregnancy whilst under the influence of alcohol.
