Alcohol detoxification, also known as alcohol withdrawal, is the experience of physiological and psychological discomfort that occurs when an individual who drinks alcohol excessively and chronically, suddenly stops. Medline Plus explains that alcohol detox usually begins 5 to 10 hours after the person stops consuming alcohol, although may take days for symptoms to manifest. Alcohol detox should ideally be done under the guidance of a medical professional and may include administration of medications to ease the symptoms. Additionally,...
Chronic alcohol abuse can cause nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin B-12 deficiency. B-12 may be administered to individuals detoxing from alcohol to address health problems caused by alcoholism-induced B-12 deficiency ...
Researchers analyzed the eating habits of 15,000 Americans in a study reported in the April 2010 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association." They found high alcohol consumption led to poor food choices. Recover...
Alcoholics who suddenly quit drinking go through physical withdrawal as alcohol leaves the body. The detoxification process may include shakiness, headaches, nausea, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia. Doctors may prescribe medicati...
Symptoms of withdrawal may range from mild to severe. Mild symptoms include headache and tremor, while severe symptoms such as delerium tremens and seizures, may become life threatening. Often patients experiencing severe withd...
If not properly treated, this condition can be fatal.
Common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include "the shakes," which are comprised of uncontrollable tremors, insomnia, irritability, delusions, nausea/vomiting, high blood pr...
Alcoholics undergo detoxification, or detox, followed by rehabilitation programs as part of the necessary treatment to successfully recover from alcohol addiction. Treatment begins when alcoholics admit to a drinking problem. S...
Treatment of alcoholism begins with detoxification, also called detox, which usually takes from four to seven days to complete, according to MayoClinic.com. In rare cases, alcohol detox can last weeks. Detox results in withdraw...
Alcohol detoxification, or alcohol detox, is a medical program that is used to treat alcoholic patients who are undergoing symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, according to a February 2005 article in the "American Family Physician."...
Mild withdrawal symptoms are common. Severe ones are less common, but because of the possibility of developing life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, it's often advisable to undergo detox in a hospital, under medical supervision.
Some of these symptoms can be life-threatening for individuals with severe alcohol addiction. Those wishing to become sober permanently should contact a doctor or substance abuse counselor to learn the safest and most effective...
Alcohol has a negative impact on multiple organs, including but not limited to the liver, heart and brain. Despite this, alcohol addiction is difficult to overcome and detoxification requires medical supervision and medications.
Alcohol inhibits receptors in the brain. When alcohol consumption halts, the brain experiences hyperexcitability which results in the manifestation of alcohol craving and withdrawal. The American Academy of Family Physicians ex...
Because alcoholism can cause nutritional deficiencies, your diet while detoxing is crucial to your overall health. Work with your doctor or a registered dietitian while you're following an alcohol-detox diet.
However, when alcohol is abused and used in large quantities, it can have harmful effects. According to MedlinePlus, alcohol withdrawal occurs within five to 10 hours after the last drink. The more a person drinks, the worse th...
The University of Maryland Medical Center says that benzodiazepines such as Xanax are used for short-term treatment of alcohol withdrawal to reduce the risk of seizure and relieve symptoms of confusion, anxiety and hallucinatio...
In severe cases, alcohol withdrawal can be extremely unpleasant, dangerous and even life-threatening. It is not recommended for a heavy daily drinker to abruptly stop consuming alcohol without a detox plan in place.
For var...
According to the Mayo Clinic, if you can control your alcohol consumption, you may just need to cut back to solve the problems you may be encountering. If however, you've become dependent on the drug, then you must eliminate it...
Alcoholism is caused by chronic drinking. The chemical alcohol contains ethanol, which comes from grapes and fruits and can be found in beer, liquors and wine. Classified as a depressant, alcohol slows the brain’s activit...
Four criteria identify alcohol dependence, and more than 17 million Americans meet these criteria, according to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH--a strong need to drink; the inability to quit drinking once you've begun...
Only 2.4 million got help at a medical facility. The purpose of alcohol detoxification is to gradually wean the body away from dependence on alcohol, a physically addictive drug. Detox involves medical monitoring, medication ad...
A person who drinks heavily and regularly can have serious withdrawal symptoms. Many different types of facilities offer detox programs, intended to care for the patient during the initial phase of alcohol cessation.
Alcohol detox can be dangerous and even deadly. Individuals who drink regularly may experience withdrawal symptoms after a period of abstinence. These symptoms vary in severity depending on how long a person has been a drinker,...
It is important to understand that the process involves dealing with discomfort emotionally and physically, but also has an end with healthier results. Alcohol detox involves withdrawal from the substance on a physiological and...
Alcohol detoxification is the process during which patients with an addiction to alcohol have time to get the alcohol out of their system. Because alcohol abuse can lead to dependence, many patients going through an alcohol det...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 6.9 percent of Americans were heavy drinkers of alcohol in 2008. There can be health dangers during the detoxification ("detox") period after heaving drinking. Dur...
Detoxification from alcohol can cause a range of withdrawal symptoms, all of which depend on how long the alcoholic has been addicted and how severe the addiction is. Detox symptoms can be as mild as nausea and tremors or life-...
Detox is the first step to recovery from alcohol. Although inpatient treatment is recommended for some patients, only about 5 percent of people recovering from alcohol addiction suffer from tremors, convulsions or other serious...
In some instances, a person can quit drinking and never start back up again. In most cases, the alcoholic needs help in order to regain control of his life. Many people benefit from getting professional help from a variety of s...
It is a good idea to quit drinking, especially when it endangers your health and life. But the proper precautions have to be taken when the drinking stops and the detoxification process begins. Detox is what happens to the body...
Most people going through detox from alcohol do not need hospitalization or inpatient treatment. But they do need to take precautions. If they decide to detox at home, they should consult a physician beforehand. They will also ...
Alcohol detoxification is a term used when an alcoholic decides to rid his body of the effects of alcoholism. While an alcoholic is generally always labeled as one, he can go into rehabilitation and learn to reprogram his body ...
Helping a friend or loved one detox from alcohol can be difficult, report counselors at the Mount Regis Center in Virginia, a drug and alcohol treatment center. Many people addicted to alcohol are in denial about the severity o...
Other people, whose drinking is not so severe, may suffer from mild symptoms and can manage through a self-detox process with guidance from a professional. You have to know yourself and your body's reactions. Mild alcohol withd...
The best way to detoxify from alcohol is with medical professionals at your side. Alcoholics with severe withdrawal symptoms should be in a treatment center. Those people with mild or moderate symptoms can feel secure and comfo...
Alcohol abuse can also lead to tolerance to the effects of alcohol, requiring the patient to drink more and more to achieve the desired effect. Detoxification from alcohol abuse is one aspect of treating alcoholism.
Once the urge hits, an alcoholic must drink. Once dependence has been determined, Mayo Clinic doctors say you must shoot for complete abstinence to avoid becoming addicted again and having to go through the detoxification (deto...
When attempting to detoxify your system from the effects of alcohol, there are some physical problems you should be aware of. Long-term alcohol abuse not only has mental and social repercussions, but can have all manner of detr...
Problem drinkers or alcoholics who quit drinking will likely experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms to some degree. The symptoms need to be dealt with as a first step in abstaining from alcohol for life. Symptoms can be mild to...
