End-stage alcoholism is also known as late-stage alcoholism. This is the final stage of a progressive and chronic disease associated with an array of serious physical and mental health conditions. End stage alcoholism has a high fatality rate if untreated.
Today’s guide will outline how to take action and engage with alcohol addiction treatment before it’s too late.
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According to NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse), alcohol use disorder is a chronic and relapsing disease.
A progressive disease, alcoholism has three stages terminating in end-stage alcoholism and potentially life-threatening complications.
Long-term alcohol abuse is implicated in an estimated 95,000 deaths each year in the United States, according to CDC data. This ranks alcohol as the third preventable cause of death in the U.S.
When end-stage alcoholism sets in, drinking becomes central to the person’s life. Alcohol abuse is likely to provoke serious problems in all areas of life, including:
It is inadvisable for anyone to attempt abruptly discontinue use of alcohol during end-stage alcoholism. Several withdrawal symptoms can manifest, such as tremors, hallucinations, and delirium. In the event of DTs (delirium tremens) developing, potentially lethal seizure can occur.
A supervised medical detox can mitigate the risks and complications characteristic of severe alcohol withdrawal.
These are among the main adverse outcomes of end-stage alcoholism:
Chronic alcohol abuse can damage the pancreas without any symptoms presenting for years. This can culminate an acute attack of pancreatitis. An estimated 70% of cases of pancreatitis are linked to alcohol abuse. Symptoms typically include:
The chronic abuse of alcohol can lead to malnutrition. Many alcoholics make poor dietary choices. Alcohol abuse also disrupts the storage, absorption, and metabolism of key nutrients. Malnutrition can trigger anemia.
End-stage alcoholism is linked to. the following heart-related conditions:
Chronic alcohol abuse to the extent of end-stage alcoholism increases the risk of the following types of cancer:
Research indicates that the sustained and chronic abuse of alcohol can cause lasting brain damage.
The most serious adverse outcome is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a memory disorders stemming from a deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine).
End stage alcoholism and internal bleeding is associated with the development of these conditions:
Alcohol abuse can damage and corrode the stomach lining. This can prompt the development of alcoholic gastritis. If this occurs, internal blood will seep from the stomach lining continuously.
The toxic effects of alcohol damage the liver, eventually killing liver cells.
Cirrhosis of the liver is a condition in which fibrous scar tissue forms throughout the liver, leading to a build-up of fluid in the abdomen. When this excess fluid enters the veins, bleeding occurs in the esophagus.
National Library of Medicine reports that alcoholic ketoacidosis can occur if ketone acids accumulate in the blood.
Alcohol adversely affects the GI tract and prevents essential nutrients from penetrating the bloodstream. Resultantly, the body breaks down fatty tissues for sustenance using ketone acids. High levels of these acids can cause internal bleeding.
The most common signs of internal bleeding related to end-stage alcoholism are:
End stage alcoholic liver disease comes about when the liver is no longer able to process alcohol quickly enough, instead returning it to the bloodstream repeatedly. This causes the liver to harden with scarring of the tissue called cirrhosis. This is the last stage of liver disease associated with alcoholism.
While the early stages of liver disease may not cause any symptoms to present, the following signs are often evident after long-term alcohol abuse:
End-stage alcoholism has a high rate of mortality.
The most common fatal outcome is liver disease and the health complications it can cause, particularly cirrhosis. Liver damage can lead to hepatitis and brain damage.
Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can also be deadly for those with end-stage alcoholism. Seizures occur in one in twenty chronic alcoholics during withdrawal. If seizure does not occur during the first 96 hours of alcohol detox, the chance of presentation decreases by 90%.
By quitting drinking during end-stage alcoholism, you will prolong your life.
If you have alcohol use disorder, the condition will become progressively worse if untreated. Engage with treatment programs for alcohol addiction at the following levels of intensity:
Before you begin one of the above treatment programs, you must first detox from alcohol. Choosing our supervised medical detox allows you to purge the toxins from your system in a controlled clinical setting. Medications can streamline the severity of cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
After a week or so of withdrawal, you will be ready to segue into inpatient or outpatient treatment. MAT (medication-assisted treatment) can be effective beyond detox and into ongoing treatment. MAT will be delivered alongside the following interventions at California Detox:
For help from detox to discharge and into ongoing sobriety, call California Detox today at 949.567.8790.
