Definition-
Alcoholism is described as a pattern of drinking which is harmful to the individual or to his/her family.

Types: -

1. Acute     Alcoholism
2. Chronic  Alcoholism

Clinical Features:-

1. Talkativeness, felling of wellbeing Inebriation.
2. Slurred speech incardination emotional instability, loss of sensory Perception.
3. Intoxication: - Blurred vision, loss of sensory perception, muscular in-coordination, ataxia, slurred speech.
4.  Severe Intoxication: - severe ataxia blurred vision or double vision, coma convulsion.
5. Very severe intoxication: - coma, hypo-reflexia, hypothermia, respiratory depression, poor airway protection.

  Aetiology:-

• Genetic     Factor
• Cultural    factor

Systems Affected in Chronic Alcoholism:-

1.       Gastrointestinal tract:-

• Nonspecific Symptoms:-Nausea & retching, anorexia, diarrhoea.
• Mouth & pharynx: - Parotidis, pharyngeal cancer, heartburn, bleeding from oesophagitis.
• Stomach & duodenum: - Acute haemorrhagic gastritis causing hematemesis.
• Small intestine: - Diarrhoea, bacterial, colonisation, mal-absorption.
• Large Intestine: - Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) & rectal cancer.

1.   Hepatobiliary & pancreatic:-

• Hepatomegaly: - Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis & fibrosis.
• Cirrhosis & hepato-cellular carcinoma.
• Acute & chronic relapsing pancreatitis

C N S :-

• Nutritional deficiencies live- pellagra, tobacco- alcohol amblyopia. 
• Cerebral dementia
  
• Demyelinating syndromes: - Cerebral protein myelinolysis, Marchiafara-Bignami syndrome, associated with electrolyte- disturbances.
•  Fetal alcohol syndrome- mental impairment attention deficit & hyperkinetic disorders.
  
• Specific learning difficulties.
• Sensory, motor & mixed neuropathy
• Autonomic neuropathy