Rational Insanity
By Bryan Mari Argos

Alcohol: The price to pay

At first it is just a whimsical attempt to blend into the barkada. We often go out for gimmicks and get ourselves drunk even at a very tender age because of the permissiveness of this generation. Alcohol is the brew of choice for most of us; it comes in many forms and its most common form is beer. For the fashionista or the yuppie, a cocktail or a shot of some hard liquor would take beer's place. It is therefore, imperative, that as alcohol drinkers, we are familiar with what the bitter brew can do to our bodies.

Most doctors all over the world would say that a controlled amount of the substance everyday is good for blood circulation, because of the vasodilating properties of alcohol. Take for instance in countries were wine is a staple – very few people suffer from heart disease. Locally, about one to two bottles of beer every evening will give us the same therapeutic vasodilating effects. If we opt for more than just the ritual 1-2 bottles then we are definitely in for an unexpected surprise.

Consumption of alcohol in very copious amounts on a regular basis can be very dangerous. In people who have a faulty alcohol regulating mechanism in their bodies, death from acute alcohol intoxication will definitely be the way to go. When we feel that we have consumed too much alcohol, more than we can bare, we should stop drinking, otherwise we just might end up in a coma on a sanitarily clean hospital bed. Save for this, we should also look out for alcohol hypersensitivity or allergy. If we break out in a rash or find that we can't breath easily after drinking any alcoholic drink, we better find an antihistaminic.

We vomit when we are drunk because aside from the whirling and dizzy feeling that we get when alcohol in our bloodstream reaches our brain and distorts normal perception, vomiting is a natural reaction of the body when anything in excess is contained in the stomach or anything that does not jive with our natural body processes is in there. However, we must make sure that after a bout of continuous vomiting from alcohol, we have to drink huge amounts of water to replace the fluid loss in the body. If we do not replace the water lost through vomiting, we can suffer from hypovolemic shock secondary to dehydration.

Dehydration is the reason we feel really thirsty the following day after a night of alcohol bingeing. Our body tells us that we need to replace the fluid that we lost the previous night. Even without vomiting, alcohol dehydrates our tissues because of its effects.

The organ in the body most affected by alcohol is the liver. There is a condition known as “hepatomegaly” in the medical field. This condition happens when the liver is too fatty and it becomes large. The condition therefore, in layman's terms, is the abnormal enlargement of the liver. Hepatomegaly can occur due to various other causes, but excessive alcohol consumption is one of the most common causes. Remember, we only have one liver, once it is damaged, there is no other way to get it back other than the very expensive and risky liver transplant. Other diseases associated with excessive alcohol consumption are hepatitis B and cirrhosis of the liver.

There are certain things we should remember when going out drinking with our friends. The more expensive brands of liquor and beer are the safest for our liver. The reason for this is the processing involved in the production of such drinks. The cheaper drinks have more preservatives and toxic materials compared to the costlier brands. The more expensive brands are more natural than the cheaper brands hence, these are easier for our body to metabolize. We should not take any form of alcohol when we are taking any form of antibiotic; this can seriously damage our liver. As much as possible, if we have to have “sumsuman” or something to eat while drinking with our friends, opt for “pulutan” that contains the least fat, otherwise, you will double-work your liver.

Alcohol consumption can also cause clinical depression in most people. Since it is a depressant, it can illicit a prolonged state of depression even when the person is already sober. Be careful with your alcohol intake, drink moderately. The signs of alcoholism are an increased sense of anxiety and restlessness in the absence of alcohol. If you crave for alcohol like you have never done before, as in you cannot spend at least three days, sober, then you better see a doctor, you might be on your way to ‘alcoholics anonymous'. The best tip I can give to you guys when drinking with your friends is know your limit, when you reach that limit, indi na magpasikat, accept that you are drunk and spend your night safely back on your bed, find someone to drive you home if need be, if there's no one there, sleep where you are; save your life – a bottle of beer is never worth the memories of existence.

Be rational; be insane…every once in a while!TTFT!

Next week naman greetings ha! Love you all! Byers! Txt me at 09209254269, email me at prague@eudoramail.com , or leave a comment at the TNT online guestbook at www.thenewstoday.info.