Is it OK to Drink While Pregnant?

Is it OK to Drink While Pregnant?

is it OK to drink while pregnant

Risky Behavior: Drinking While Pregnant

If you were to ask any John Q. Public: is it OK to drink while pregnant? Most if not all people would respond with a resounding No! But this wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t until the 1970s that the medical profession began to recognize what was to be called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). There followed a widespread social awareness of what was to become thought of as a major public health risk.

But has this issue been over-exaggerated? More recently, people have begun to question the issue of whether or not it is safe to drink while pregnant.

A Distinction About Drinking While Pregnant

We are not talking about heavy drinking or binge drinking. For decades, researchers have known that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects. But the potential effects of small amounts of alcohol on a developing baby are not well understood.

Although heavy drinking during pregnancy can obviously be harmful, the risks of light and moderate drinking aren’t as clear.

Also, it is known that drinking any amount of alcohol within the first trimester of pregnancy is not safe to do – we’re not talking about binge drinking; what we’re discussing is light or moderate drinking, that is, 1 – 2 drinks in a given day with no more than 2 days in a week where alcohol is consumed and only after the first trimester.

Things to Consider Prior to Drinking While Pregnant

The problem with drinking alcohol during your pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe. Also, other factors must be considered such as individual’s body make-up and chemistry. For example, some women have higher levels of the enzyme that is needed to break down alcohol, therefore, if a pregnant woman with low levels of this enzyme drinks, her baby may be more susceptible to harm because the alcohol will be in her system for a longer period of time.

The Flip-side of the Argument: Ok to Drink While Pregnant

According to a British study, children born to mothers who drank moderately while pregnant did not show signs of balance problems when they were 10; trouble with balance is a good indicator of problems with brain development in utero. And a study conducted in Denmark reported that light to moderate drinking early in pregnancy was not associated with declines in intelligence, attention or self-control in children at age 5.

Trends: Women Choose to Drink While Pregnant

Given the uncertainty of how much is too much and how little is okay, some moms-to-be choose to not drink while pregnant altogether.  But a recent CDC study found that about one in eight pregnant women in the U.S. report that they had a drink while pregnant in the past month. For whatever their reasoning, more and more pregnant women are choosing to drink alcohol.

Possible Benefits to Drink While Pregnant

The relaxing properties of a glass of wine, as well as the health benefits of red wine itself, is what is leading some pregnant women to indulge in a glass here and there. Many of these moms-to-be said that their doctors actually advised them to have a drink, especially late in their third trimester, for the relaxing qualities alcohol has. When weighing the risks of maternal stress to the baby with light to moderate drinking, some doctors are saying a little is OK.

A study asked more than 12,000 new moms if they drank during pregnancy and how much. The study followed the children through their early years in order to assess their behavior. The result was a finding that the children of moms who drank moderately during pregnancy actually had fewer behavior and cognitive problems than the kids of the moms who didn’t drink at all.

 

 

Sources:

http://www.slate.com/

http://www.webmd.com/

http://healthland.time.com/

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alcohol and IBS

Alcohol and IBS

Drinking a lot of alcohol can cause a lot of problems including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Even if alcohol is only consumed occasionally it could end up doing damage to internal organs. It is a widely known fact that the ill effects of alcohol can be avoided by avoiding alcohol all together or by staying way below the recommended levels of alcohol intake. Although, someone who has irritable bowel syndrome may find that they are better off not drinking at all because even one drink could cause their symptoms to flare up.

What is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?

IBS is a functional disorder that is in the intestines. IBS doesn’t cause actual damage to the bowels but the symptoms can be really unpleasant and can also interfere with a person’s ability to enjoy life normally. Those people with IBS may have to deal with pain and/or discomfort in the abdominal area. They might also have to deal with frequent episodes of diarrhea or constipation. It is believed that about 20 percent of the US population will have to deal with the symptoms of IBS at some point in their life.

What is the cause of IBS?

The actual known cause of IBS is unknown but it could be due to many factors including:

  • Having a sensitive colon
  • High and long lasting stress
  • Bacterial infections
  • A more mild form of celiac disease (celiac disease causes damage to the small intestine and make it hard for the body to absorb certain foods)
  • High levels of serotonin in the gastrointestinal tract which can interfere with normal bowel movements and increase the sensitivity of pain receptors
  • An effect of taking antibiotics because the medication may kill harmless bacteria in the intestines that are used for normal bowel function
  • An alteration or change to normal bowel function which can leads to strong spasms or temporary suspension of bowel function
  • Over activity in the gut can also cause IBS

What are the symptoms IBS?

  • Abdominal pain
  • Bloating
  • Cramping with bowel movements
  • Constipation
  • The need to strain when passing stool
  • Diarrhea
  • Urgent need to open bowels
  • Loss of appetite
  • Belching
  • Tiredness
  • Nausea

 Alcohol and IBS

Alcohol and IBS do not mix well. Alcohol increases the severity of IBS symptoms. Even just one alcoholic drink can be enough to cause an attack of IBS. Because alcohol is a poison or toxic substance that irritates the bowel it is extremely common for IBS to have their symptoms flare up after drinking. Some alcoholic drinks are less likely to cause a flare up of IBS symptoms. It is known that beer can make symptoms of IBS much worse. Many people with IBS report their symptoms for IBS getting significantly better after they stopped drinking all together. It may be best for someone with IBS to stop drinking to see if it gets any better.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Will urinalyzers cut down on DUI’s?

Will urinalyzers cut down on DUI’s?

We all know how and why breathalyzers work. You blow into a tube and it can accurately detect your blood alcohol content (BAC). If you have ever seen a breathalyzer hopefully it was because you owned one that you used to keep an eye on your own BAC and it wasn’t because you are drunk driving. If it was because you were drunk driving, at least you and the rest of the people on the road are safe. Drunk driving is dangerous and causes thousands of accidents a year. Many people needlessly die due to drunk driving and law enforcement as well as groups such as MADD; have been trying to combat it for years now. Finally there may be an answer to the drunk driving epidemic: urinalyzers.  

Few people actually have the extra cash to spend on a portable breathalyzer and even fewer people who have a portable breathalyzer with them, actually use it. The drunker people get the less responsible, shall we say, they get. This is where the urine-analyzer rightly dubbed the “urinalyzer”) comes in. A urinalyzers is a new device which measures your BAC when you go to the bathroom after a few drinks, a lot of drinks, or you can’t even walk to the bathroom in a straight line amount of drinks. These urinalyzers are the newest thing in nightclub technology created by a marketing agency DDB and Zouk, a popular night club in Singapore.

The urinalyzer is a creative and clever device that is meant to stop drunks before they ever become drivers. Therefore the urinalyzer is meant to stop drunk drivers. So how does a urinalyzer work?

  • First off, when you enter the nightclub you hand over your car keys in exchange for a special RFID card from the valet.
  • Second, you have a few drinks.
  • Third, you go to relieve yourself and the card will pair with the urine analyzer which then provides instant feedback on a screen above your urinal. 

If you have gone above the limit and don’t listen to the warning that you just got from your urinal, the RFID card will warn the valet pretty much not to let you drive. The valet will then offer you many other ways to get home that don’t involve you getting behind the wheel of a car. They may offer to call you a cab or pitch to you their own drive-home service.

The urinalyzer is a new proactive technology so it has plenty of room to develop and fix any minor inconveniences or problems; the biggest one right now being the fact that women don’t use urinals. It won’t be surprising if eventually the urinalyzer finds its way into the women’s restroom too. But in the meantime the urinalyzer has stopped 573 people over the legal limit; in only two weeks. The sad news about that is only 342 took the valet up on the cab or drive-home service but those numbers could improve and include every person over the limit with police involvement.

Either way it seems more than hopeful that yes, urinalyzers will cut down on DUI’s.

http://www.thefix.com/content/urinalyzers-tag-drunk-clubgoers91941

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources

Addiction is known as a “family disease”. This is because it doesn’t just affect the addict or alcoholic. Loved ones of the addict/alcoholic are often caught up in the destruction as well. Luckily there are groups that address the family members of an alcoholic or addict specifically. Alateen and Al-Anon resources can be very helpful to the families of recovering alcoholics.

The family group idea is nearly as old as Alcoholics Anonymous. Early AA members and their wives visited AA groups around the country. The visiting wives often told the mates of the newer members of Alcoholics Anonymous about how they benefited from trying to live by AA’s Twelve Steps, and how it had helped to improve family relationships that often remained difficult after the alcoholic had become sober. Al-anon was founded in 1951, and the Twelve Steps were adopted as guiding principles.

Teenage children in the families of alcoholics soon realized that their problems differed from those of adult members. In 1957, Alateen grew out of this need. There are now over 1,700 Alateen groups worldwide.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: On the Web

Local Alateen and Al-Anon resources can be found through the website at http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/. The website can tell you about group meetings, what you can expect, and where to find a meeting in your area. Group members share their experience, strength, and hope with each other. Anyone who has been affected by another person’s drinking or drug use is welcome to join. There are no dues or fees in Alateen and Al-Anon meetings.

There are also a number of on-line meetings that can be used to supplement attendance at regular face-to-face meetings.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: On the phone

Alateen and Al-Anon meetings can also be found by calling the hotline at 888-4AL-ANON (888-425-2666) from 8 am to 8pm ET, Monday through Friday. There are also phone meetings which, like the online meetings, can be used to supplement regular face-to-face Alateen and Al-Anon meetings.

Alateen and Al-Anon Resources: Starting your own group

If there is no Alateen or Al-Anon group in your community, you may want to start one, along with one or two other people who need and want help. Any two or more relatives or friends of alcoholics who meet to solve their common problems may call themselves and Al-Anon or Alateen group, provided they have no other affiliation is a group.

You must decide on a group meeting place, day, and time. Then contact the World Service Office at Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. announcing your decision to start a group. You will be given registration information and instructions on how to complete it. The form can be downloaded from the website. When your group is registered, a group number is assigned and a packet containing introductory materials will be sent to the group’s current mailing address. After the registration process is completed the group contacts the local district or Al-Anon Information Service (AIS) to be included in the local meeting directory and the area web site.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Consequences of a DUI

Consequences of a DUI

Consequences of a DUI

Driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI), is a serious criminal offense. A DUI can cost you money, your driving privileges, even your freedom. But there are other consequences of a DUI as well. Besides the legal repercussions, a DUI can have emotional, social, and even relationship consequences.

Consequences of a DUI: Legal

The penalties and requirements for drunken driving vary somewhat from state to state. However, due to the effort of advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, all 50 states have passes laws intended to crack down on drunk driving by increasing penalties and consequences of a DUI.

You are still innocent until proven guilty in this country, but if you took a breath or blood test that recorded your blood alcohol content at 0.08 or above, you will be convicted of drunk driving. It does not matter if you did not appear intoxicated, if you have a BAC of above 0.08, you can be convicted under the “per se” laws in all 50 states.

Once you are convicted of drunk driving in court, you will be ordered to pay a fine, court costs, and will have your driver’s license revoked for a period of time. In some states, you will face jail time. From state to state, the amount of fine and the length of license revocation and the jail time will vary. However, in every state, the consequences of a DUI include a fine and license revocation.

Consequences of a DUI: Social

The consequences of a DUI also include social consequences. Your revoked license can cause you to have difficulties getting to work or school or to social events. Your peers may judge or ostracize you for getting a DUI. You may not get a job, be passed up for career advances, or be denied admission to the school you want to attend.  A DUI will increase your insurance rates and it may increase your mortgage or other loan rates.

Consequences of a DUI: Emotional

Some of the consequences of a DUI are emotional consequences. You may feel sad, angry, or ashamed. Those that get into traffic accidents while under the influence are prone to developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder often includes experiencing flashbacks and unpleasant memories of the crash scene. PTSD can interfere with a person’s thoughts and awareness.

Another of the emotional consequences of a DUI involves being branded a criminal. In the time it takes for someone to be pulled over and arrested, they have gone from viewing themselves as an upstanding member of society to a common criminal. When you get handcuffed, put in the back of a cop car, taken to the police station, have fingerprints and mug shots taken, and put in a cell, it can be devastating emotionally.

Consequences of a DUI: Relationship

You can also experience relationship consequences of a DUI. Most people who are convicted of a DUI don’t even realize that their actions can negatively affect their relationships with other people. Loved ones may feel betrayed, disappointed, worried, or sad.

http://www.myduiattorney.org/dui-tips/emotional-impact-of-dui.html

http://www.wedodui.com/FAQ/Consequences-of-a-DUI.aspx

http://www.duifoundation.org/support/emotional/

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Drink Responsibly: Top 3 Rules to Safe Drinking

Drink Responsibly: Top 3 Rules to Safe Drinking 

We live in a society where having a drink or two is as normal as going for a run, doing yoga, meditating, sleeping, going grocery shopping, or taking a stroll down the block. Drinking has evolved from an option (or recreational activity of sorts) to being a habit; and a bad one at that. We’ve glamorized and portrayed alcohol as a normal part of everyday life. Alcohol has ingrained itself into our society and to inform people on the dangers of alcohol when we’ve be told that it’s “normal” behavior to consume it and “live it up” is not easy. So, we won’t attempt to shove down your throat the perils of drinking alcohol, instead we just want to share our thoughts on how you can drink alcohol safely. Here are our top 3 rules to safe drinking:

  1. Do not engage in underage drinking. The drinking age in America is 21 years old for a reason and even at this age millions of people abuse alcohol by binge drinking or engaging in reckless behavior while intoxicated which puts themselves and others in danger. The human brain is not fully developed until the age of 25. That means that a person is truly not considered an adult until age 25. The brain is still growing and developing until the age of 25 yet people are allowed to ingest alcohol which affects the development of the human brain. We’ll safely blame that on a mixture of societal and governmental doing. Drinking prematurely can affect the development of your brain so it’s crucial that you do not engage in underage drinking. Just wait, it’s not worth the risk of getting caught by your parents, doing poorly in school, becoming sick or getting in trouble with the law. Be smart and be safe, just wait.
  2. Do not drink and drive or operate heavy machinery. When you become 21 and are able to drink, if you choose to drink, do so responsibly. Do not drink and drive or operate heavy machinery. When alcohol enters your body is slows downs your motor skills and thus impairs your ability to operate any type of vehicle. People who are intoxicated can barely walk straight so imagine how it’d be if they tried to drive a car. It just doesn’t sound too smart, does it?
  3. Do not binge drink or consume more than 1 alcoholic drink per hour. Alcohol like everything else should be consumed in moderation. Our bodies are not never-ending vessels that can handle large amounts of alcohol. Think about it, if we overeat we will get sick and/or throw up. Our bodies have limits when it comes to what we put in it. The body only needs enough food and liquids to keep it alive. Alcohol, though it has some benefits, can do us more harm than good if taken in large amounts, especially over a long period of time. When we ingest alcohol it goes into our blood stream, pumps into our brain throughout the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and the limbic system.  In the brain, alcohol latches onto the membrane of cells. It affects the neurotransmitters sent between different cells. These messages control what a person thinks, does and feels. By inhibiting some messages, and encouraging others, alcohol changes behaviors and thoughts.

This article is for informational purposes only. We’re not trying to tell anyone what to do but we just want to spread information on how to make the best choices when deciding to drink any alcoholic beverages; even those labeled non-alcoholic. Oh, yeah they do have alcohol in it so be careful.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.