The Negative Impact of Alcohol Consumption: How Excessive Drinking Harms Our Body

If you’re a drinker, you’re probably familiar with the various effects of alcohol consumption, from the pleasant, quick buzz to the less pleasant, all-day headache that follows. The short duration of those effects may make you less concerned regarding them, particularly if you don’t drink frequently.

Many people wrongly believe that drinking a beer or glass of wine with a meal or on special occasions is harmless. However, there are risks involved with consuming any amount of alcohol. While the negative health effects of alcohol may be more noticeable in heavy or habitual drinkers, even social drinkers are not safe.

Short-term effects of alcohol consumption include reduced inhibitions, and longer-term effects include immune system suppression. Though the effects of alcohol on the body may not become immediately apparent, they do begin at the moment of ingestion.

How much of a drink is too much?

Moderate drinking is defined by the most recent CDC guidelines;

For women, the recommended daily limit is 1 drink.

For men, Drinking no more than 2 drinks is recommended per day

Previous advice regarding alcohol use has suggested that drinking alcohol once per day is relatively safe and may even have some health benefits. check out our much-appreciated blog on this very debatable topic that people often have a very biased notion about alcohol consumption. Read here.

Newer studies, however, show that even moderate drinking has negative effects on brain health, so there is no “safe” amount. Any person’s physical and mental health can be negatively affected by alcohol consumption. If you drink frequently and have more than one or two drinks each time, you may experience more severe and noticeable effects.

Moderate drinking is defined as consuming up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. A standard drink is typically defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits (such as whiskey or vodka). It’s important to note that these guidelines are for healthy adults who are not taking any medications that interact with alcohol.

On the other hand, drinking too much alcohol can have harmful effects on your health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define binge drinking as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on a single occasion. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men.

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of a number of health problems, including liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and mental health problems. It can also lead to accidents, injuries, and alcohol use disorders.

It’s important to remember that the guidelines for moderate drinking are just that – guidelines. Some people may be more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and should consume less, while others may be able to tolerate more. It’s always best to talk to your healthcare provider about what is a safe and appropriate amount of alcohol for you to consume.

The adverse effect of alcohol consumption on your body

Drinking too much alcohol can have a number of harmful effects on your body. Some of the immediate effects can include:

1. Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it causes you to urinate more frequently. This can lead to dehydration, which can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.
2. Impaired judgment and coordination: Alcohol affects the parts of the brain that control judgment and coordination, which can lead to slurred speech, difficulty walking, and poor decision-making.
3. Nausea and vomiting: Alcohol can irritate the lining of your stomach, which can cause nausea and vomiting.
4. Memory loss: Drinking too much alcohol can lead to blackouts, where you may not remember what happened during a certain period of time.
5. Increased risk of accidents: Alcohol can impair your judgment and coordination, which can increase your risk of accidents and injuries.

In the long term, drinking too much alcohol can have more serious effects on your body, including:

1. Liver damage: Drinking too much alcohol can damage your liver, leading to conditions such as cirrhosis.
2. High blood pressure: Alcohol can raise your blood pressure, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
3. Mental health problems: Alcohol can contribute to depression and anxiety, and can also increase your risk of developing alcohol use disorder.
4. Cancer: Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as breast and liver cancer.
5. Other health problems: Drinking too much alcohol can also lead to a number of other health problems, including digestive issues, a weakened immune system, and sexual dysfunction.

It’s important to remember that the effects of alcohol can vary depending on a number of factors, including the amount and frequency of drinking, age, gender, weight, and overall health. It’s always best to drink alcohol in moderation or avoid it altogether to minimize the potential harm to your body.

alcohol consumption Worst Effects on the Body’s organs

Alcohol has differential effects on various body systems. However, while alcohol can severely damage some organs, it has less of an impact on others. It is possible to make healthier decisions about alcohol consumption and spot the first signs of damage by learning which organs are most vulnerable to its effects. There are many organs that alcohol can negatively impact, but some of the most notable ones are:

Heart

It’s common knowledge that red wine is beneficial to your cardiovascular system. Actually, there may be some advantages to drinking red wine in moderation due to the antioxidants it contains. However, there are other, less harmful ways to get your antioxidants.

Consuming alcohol in large quantities is detrimental to heart health and has been linked to an increased risk of a variety of heart-related conditions.

• Chronic hypertension
• The failure of the heart
• Stroke
• Cardiomyopathy

If you choose to drink, do so responsibly. It’s for the sake of your heart’s future health.

Brain

The effects of alcohol on the brain are numerous, including slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and slurred speech. Because alcohol enters the bloodstream and is carried to the brain when one drinks, this is what happens. When drinking moderately, one can expect these effects to last anywhere from six to twelve hours after stopping.

But chronic brain damage from alcoholism is a real risk for heavy drinkers. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is a form of brain damage that causes long-term cognitive impairment, including amnesia, forgetfulness, and problems with vision and balance.

Disorders of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum (FASD)

 FASD is a spectrum of disabilities caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Among the many brain-related issues that FASD can cause are:

• Dismal recall
• Time lag in speech
• Disorganized effort
• Disabilities of the Mind
• Liver

One of the organs that alcohol primarily damages is the liver. One’s liver is responsible for the breakdown of alcoholic beverages. Since it can only process so much booze at once, the liver stores away the rest. Possible consequences of this include:

Fatty liver disease.

Fatty liver disease affects the vast majority of heavy drinkers. An abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver is the root cause of fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease can cause cirrhosis (liver scarring) and liver cancer, but early symptoms are often absent. If you decide to give up alcohol, you may be able to reverse fatty liver disease.

Acute Alcoholic Cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis occurs in 10% to 20% of heavy drinkers. Liver cirrhosis occurs when scar tissue replaces healthy liver cells to the point where the liver no longer functions. Without treatment, cirrhosis can progress to liver failure and cancer, both of which are fatal.

Hepatitis due to Alcohol Consumption

Damage to the liver’s cells and inflammation of the liver are symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis. Here are some of the signs of alcoholic hepatitis:

Body aches and fever

Acute alcoholic hepatitis symptoms include jaundice, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. If the patient continues to drink, liver failure may occur.

Pancreas

Positioned just behind the stomach, the pancreas is a relatively unassuming organ with a crucial role to play. The pancreas is an essential organ in digestion and aids in the breakdown of food.

The pancreas can also be harmed by alcohol. Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas that can be fatal if left untreated. In addition, research suggests that drinking to excess may raise your risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer has a dismal five-year survival rate, between 5 and 10%.

Kidneys

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs that sit just below your rib cage on either side of your spine. Urine is the byproduct of the kidneys’ work to remove waste and excess water from the blood. The effects of alcohol on the kidneys can be quite serious. Chronic heavy drinking has been linked to kidney inflammation and disease.

Other health problems that can arise from excessive alcohol consumption are:

Ureteral stones:

Excessive alcohol consumption can have the increased risk of developing ureteral stones. Ureteral stones are small, hard deposits that form in the kidneys and can cause severe pain as they pass through the urinary tract. Alcohol can contribute to the development of these stones by causing dehydration and altering the balance of minerals in our bodies, which can lead to the formation of kidney stones. In addition, alcohol can irritate the lining of our urinary tract, making it more susceptible to infections and inflammation.

Bacterial infections of the urinary tract:

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to bacterial infections of the urinary tract. This is because alcohol can weaken the immune system, making it more difficult for the body to fight off infections. In addition, alcohol can irritate the bladder, causing inflammation and making it easier for bacteria to enter and cause an infection.

Symptoms of a urinary tract infection can include pain or burning during urination, frequent urination, and lower abdominal pain. It’s important to seek medical attention if you suspect you have a urinary tract infection, as untreated infections can lead to more serious complications.

Interstitial nephritis:

The kidneys become inflamed and unable to function correctly due to a condition known as interstitial nephritis.

It’s the kidneys’ job to flush the booze and other toxins out of your system, and they have to work extra hard when you’ve been imbibing. Dehydration from alcohol consumption has been linked to kidney stones and UTIs. Drinking alcohol necessitates that you up your water intake to protect your kidneys and overall health.

Blood Sugar

The pancreas plays a role in controlling the body’s insulin production and glucose response. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, can occur if the pancreas and liver aren’t working properly due to pancreatitis or liver disease. If your pancreas is damaged, your body won’t be able to make enough insulin to process sugar. This may cause hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Increased diabetes-related complications and side effects may occur if your body is unable to control and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes or hypoglycemia, it’s best to limit your alcohol intake.

Effects on hormones:

Executive functions like abstract reasoning, decision-making, social behavior, and performance are all governed by the frontal lobe of the brain, which can be negatively impacted by chronic alcohol abuse. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a brain disorder that affects memory, is one result of chronic heavy drinking.

The Digestive Process

It may not be obvious that drinking alcohol can negatively affect your digestive system. In many cases, people don’t feel the ill effects until after the fact. If you continue drinking, your symptoms may get even worse.

Consuming alcoholic beverages can impair digestion and the absorption of vital nutrients by damaging the tissues lining the digestive tract. Malnutrition can develop as a result of this damage over time.

Consuming alcohol in large quantities is also associated with:

• An uncomfortable fullness in the stomach caused by gas
• Painful stools or diarrhea
• Bleeding or sores (due to dehydration and constipation)
• Internal bleeding from an ulcer is a medical emergency that requires prompt medical attention.
• Physiology of the heart and blood vessels

If you have a drinking problem, you may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and other lung problems.

Issues with the circulatory system can include:

• hypertensive crisis
• abnormal heart rhythms impaired blood circulation high blood pressure
• a cardiac arrest
• Ailments of the Heart
• fatigue and anemia

Fatigue and anemia (a condition characterized by a low red blood cell count) are two symptoms that can result from poor vitamin and mineral absorption from the food you eat.

Health issues relating to reproduction

Since alcohol has been shown to lower inhibitions, one might assume that it would increase sexual excitement.

Heavy drinking, however, can cause these problems:

• suppression of sperm and egg production
• reduced libido, an inability to get or keep an erection
• difficulty having an orgasmic experience
• Suppression of euphoria and sexual urge
• Lack of sensation on the glans penis

Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to menstrual cycle irregularities and an increased risk of infertility in women.

Disclaimer: The author’s views are his or her own. The facts and opinions in the article have been taken from various articles and political commentaries available in the online media and Eastside Writers does not take any responsibility or obligation for them.

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