The narcologist named the first visible signs of alcoholism

Narcologist Ruslan Isaev said on Monday, July 27, that at the initial stages of alcoholism, external changes are often absent, and the symptoms that appear are not specific and may occur in other diseases.

In conversation with Lenta.Ru Isaev noted that in the early stages of alcohol dependence, regular morning puffiness of the face, redness of the skin, vasodilation, swelling of the eyelids and deterioration of the skin condition may appear. As the disease progresses, hand tremors, impaired coordination, gait instability, decreased muscle mass and rapid fatigue often occur.

The specialist noted that with prolonged alcohol abuse, signs of liver damage become noticeable — jaundice of the skin and eyes, vascular "stars", redness of the palms, an increase in the abdomen due to fluid accumulation, pronounced weight loss and exhaustion. Such symptoms indicate serious damage to internal organs and require medical attention.

At the same time, Isaev stressed that none of the external signs in itself confirms alcohol dependence, since many of them may be associated with other diseases, the website writes. kp.ru .

Sobriety Society: alcohol sales have collapsed in Russia

The population began to drink more, but buy less

Narcologist Andrey Tyurin said on July 19 that the earliest and most accurate marker of the development of domestic alcoholism is an increase in tolerance. If a person used to get drunk from 100 grams of vodka or a glass of wine, now he needs twice as much. The doctor added that the constant search for reasons to drink should also be alerted, writes Life.ru . In addition, the problem may be indicated by memory lapses, changes in character, the smell of alcohol on weekdays and withdrawal syndrome, in which a person wakes up with a desire to get drunk, notes 360.ru .

In early July, statistics showed that alcohol consumption in Russia in June dropped to a new low since 1997-1998. Since the beginning of 2026, Russians have reduced alcohol consumption by 0.44 liters to 7.62 liters per person over the past 12 months, NSN said.

In February, narcologist and psychiatrist Vasily Shurov said that the vascular network on the face, swelling and problems with potency may indicate a person's addiction to alcohol. Among such markers, he also highlights a pale, grayish appearance of the skin and digestive problems, writes "Moscow 24".

Prior to this, psychiatrist-narcologist Vitaly Holdin stated that abstaining from alcohol helps restore physical and mental health, improves sleep, increases energy and productivity at work, and stabilizes mood, the Moscow City News agency reports.

In November, Isaev stated that the formation of dependence is a consequence of the loss of quantitative and situational control. According to him, it is possible to conduct a self—check - not to drink alcohol for three to four weeks, RT clarifies.