The MAG Vietnam Vol 2 Oct 2016 | Page 32

Medical Opinion
Local idendity-“ Dr John” providing medical adive and facts with the help of WebMD. John is a retired SOS Clinic Manager, Registered RN ICU and a long time resident of Vung Tau, many locals seek his pearls of wisdom.
THE TRUTH ABOUT ALCOHOL
FUN QUIZ THAT MAY SURPRISE YOU
Heavy drinking is bad for a lot more than just your liver. But what is considered“ heavy”?
Can you enjoy the benefits of alcohol without the risks? 1. Which of the following is a benefit of moderate and heavy drinking? a Lower cholesterol c Lower risk of cancer b Lower blood pressure d None of the above
ANSWER: None of the above There are no benefits to heavy drinking. It causes you to put on weight, lessens your mental focus, and makes you more likely to get cancer. It also boosts your odds of injury by accident or violence. One way or another, it plays a part in some 88,000 deaths a year in the U. S.
2. How many drinks per week make a woman a“ heavy drinker?” a 7 b 14 c 18 d 21
ANSWER: 7 Toss back more than 3 drinks on any single day or more than 7 a week and you could be labeled a heavy drinker. The numbers for men are higher: 4 drinks a day or more than 14 per week. What’ s a drink? Just 0.6 ounces of alcohol-- roughly the amount in 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.
3. Name a risk of heavy drinking. a Diabetes c Cancer b Cirrhosis d All of the above
ANSWER: All of the above There’ s a long list of bad things too much alcohol can do to your health. You could be more likely to get diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, and high blood pressure, or have a stroke. Quite a few types of cancer are tied to overdoing it as well. These include mouth, larynx, and esophageal cancers, breast cancer, plus cancers of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, and colon.
4. Heavy drinking can shrink your brain a True b False
ANSWER: True Long-term heavy drinking can shrink both the overall brain and the size of the brain’ s cells. The result: problems with learning, memory and problem solving. The longer and harder you drink, the more likely you’ ll have trouble with sleep, mood, and motor skills. If you avoid alcohol, you might reverse some of the damage.
5. A few drinks could be good for your heart. aTrue bFalse
ANSWER: True There’ s some evidence that a bit of alcohol could make you less likely to get heart disease. It’ s possible that alcohol raises levels of“ good” cholesterol. However, the key word here is“ moderation.” Long-term heavy drinking weakens the heart muscle and can contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, and, heart failure.
6. Middle-aged and older drinkers will outlive their teetotaler friends. a True b False
ANSWER: True Doctors aren’ t sure why, but once you hit middle age, there’ s a link between an occasional drink and staying alive. It could be the protective effects of moderate drinking against heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
7. If you don’ t drink, start. It’ s good for your heart. a True b False
ANSWER: False If you don’ t drink, keep it that way. Health benefits aside, even a small amount of alcohol can make you more likely to get a disease or have an accident.
8. A glass or two of red wine can make you less likely to get:
a Heart disease
b Breast cancer
c Both of the above
d Neither of the above
ANSWER: Both of the above Everyone thought that resveratrol, an ingredient in red wine, improved health. But new research shows it does not prevent heart disease or cancer, and it doesn’ t help you live longer.( This quiz is from WebMD but I think this answer is wrong. It should be D according to their explanation)
9. How much of all the alcohol Americans drink each year goes during binge drinking sessions? a 15 % b 30 % c 50 % d 75 %
ANSWER: 75 % Binge drinkers- that’ s women who have 4 or more drinks on one occasion or men who have 5- guzzle down more than half of all the alcohol we drink in the U. S. Binges accounts for 90 % of all alcohol use for the under 21 crowd. Binges are linked to many health problems, from high blood pressure and heart attacks to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. Injury, violence, and suicide also go hand-in-hand with bingeing.
32 The MAG Vung Tau