Beware! Alcoholics Are More Likely to Contract Tuberculosis
Beware! Alcoholics Are More Likely to Contract Tuberculosis
Heavy drinkers not only damage their stomach and liver but also suffer severe harm to their respiratory system from frequent drinking, increasing the risk of respiratory infections, particularly tuberculosis.
Healthy individuals possess a well-functioning respiratory defense system that maintains lung health. Chronic heavy drinking damages the respiratory mucosa, weakens ciliary movement, reduces self-cleaning ability of airways, and impairs alveolar ventilation. Alcohol also suppresses macrophage function, allowing pathogens to thrive. Furthermore, about 5% of alcohol ingested remains unoxidized and must be excreted via the lungs, thus irritating the respiratory tract and weakening its defenses. Statistical data show that the incidence of tuberculosis among regular drinkers is nine times higher than among non-drinkers. German researchers report that among tuberculosis patients in Central Europe, alcoholics account for 20% to 50%, and in North America, they make up 50% of new cases. Among hospitalized patients, alcoholics represent 40% in Central Europe and 10% to 90% in the United States.
Research shows that chronic alcohol consumption severely impairs cellular immunity. The gastrointestinal mucosa is frequently irritated by alcohol, leading to inflammation and impairing digestion and absorption of nutrients. Alcohol damages liver cells, preventing normal synthesis and detoxification functions.
Clinical observations indicate that alcoholics who contract tuberculosis often experience more severe illness, with faster lesion spread, making treatment difficult. Especially for tuberculosis patients requiring anti-tuberculosis drugs, drinking alcohol exacerbates toxic side effects. For example, consuming isoniazid while drinking alcohol may lead to dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, shortness of breath, and even hypertensive crisis, myocardial infarction, or cerebral hemorrhage, endangering life. Taking rifampicin without quitting alcohol worsens liver damage. Alcohol also enhances the neurotoxicity of cycloserine and can trigger epileptic seizures, interfering with treatment and recovery.
Long-term heavy drinking also increases the risk of bronchiectasis. Experts have observed that drunk individuals are prone to snoring. During snoring, the tongue falls back, causing relaxation of the pharyngeal walls and soft palate, allowing food debris and bacteria from the mouth and pharynx to be inhaled into the respiratory tract. Alcohol reduces smooth muscle tone in the trachea and bronchi, decreasing sensitivity of the airway mucosa to sputum and foreign particles, thus weakening the protective cough reflex. This makes it difficult to clear sputum and pathogens, leading to bronchial and pulmonary infections.