Alcohol Abuse in Men and Women - Essay Example

Epidemiologic evidence suggests that the problem with alcoholism lack the stereotypical features of other substance abuse disorders mainly due to the fact that alcohol drink is considered a socially acceptable beverage, although society does not accept the excess and abuse. That which starts as a social norm may eventually turn out to be an addictive behaviour. Psychiatric manifestations apart, a history of alcoholism provides the explanation of many other health conditions that a nurse may come across, and from that point of view, awareness that many other organ system disorders are secondary to alcohol abuse is an absolute necessity for the nurse who cares for the patient (WHO, 2002).

The effect size and effect count of alcohol abuse on other health conditions appear enormous and numerous, and these patients would require care for these other health issues eventually, and the impact on the nursing management and management plan consequently become numerous (Goldacre et al., 2004). In this literature review, current evidence would be sought as to how alcohol abuse in both the sexes affect the baseline health status of the individual, setting aside the problem of alcoholism per se.

The literatures that would be reviewed would deal with all the parameters of health, such as, pathologic processes involving other organ systems, morbidity, mortality, and quality of life issues for adult men and women. In the short span of this review, it should be admitted that, it is not possible to discuss in detail all the studies to extract the specific health implications (Rehm et al., 2003b); however, it is presumed that it would serve the purpose of an overview so it can generate awareness about alcohol abuse health effects in both the sexes from the angles of impact on care, so the reader can ultimately make an informed decision about the management of such cases from the available evidence from literature.

The common causes of death among persons with the alcohol-related disorders are suicide, cancer, heart disease, and hepatic disease. Apart from these, alcohol abuse has been implicated in many other pathologic processes in the body to contribute to mortality and morbidity of the individuals who misuse alcohol. Current research indicates that drinking level rather than drinking pattern bears the strongest relationships to alcohol-associated problems. At low drinking levels, frequent drinkers would be expected to have highest levels of problems.

There are certain gender differences in relation to health issues between adult men and women. At lower levels of drinking women have a slightly lower drinking frequency and fewer problems than men. Research has shown that the Whites have the highest rate of alcohol use, and men are much more likely than women to be binge drinkers and heavy drinkers. Although alcohol misuse appears to be prevalent in higher socioeconomic classes, alcohol-related disorders appear among persons of all socioeconomic classes.

In the past few decades, alcohol consumption has increased substantially in the population. Expressed as liters of pure alcohol per year per capita, the current