- Judith Akatugba
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Although the effects of alcohol on your body may not be immediately apparent, they begin the moment you drink even a small amount.
The consequences of alcohol, such as the warm buzz, the unpleasant wine headache, and the next-day hangover, are likely familiar to anyone who drinks. You might not give them much thought if you don’t drink frequently because they don’t linger for long.
It is often believed that having a beer or glass of wine with a meal or on a special occasion is not too unhealthy. However, negative health effects may occur with even moderate alcohol consumption.
While heavy drinkers and binge eaters may feel the health effects of alcohol more quickly, even moderate drinkers aren’t immune to the dangers.
Over time, alcohol usage can start to negatively impact anyone’s mental and physical health. If you drink frequently and often have more than one or two drinks, you may experience more severe and noticeable effects.
Here you can discover information about the physical, mental, and emotional effects of alcohol, as well as suggestions for where to look for help if you are thinking about cutting back on your consumption.
Alcohol’s immediate impacts
Some of the short-term effects of alcohol consumption include:
A lack of inhibitions, altered mood, impulsivity, slurred or slowed speech, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, changes to your vision, hearing, and perception, lack of coordination, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, and even loss of consciousness or memory gaps (sometimes referred to as a blackout).
After as little as one drink, you may begin to feel some of these effects, such as a more relaxed mood or less inhibitions. A few drinks may bring on others, such as drowsiness or even unconsciousness.
Symptoms of dehydration, such as nausea, headache, and vertigo, may not manifest for several hours; the time it takes for these symptoms to set in may also vary with the type of fluid consumed, the amount consumed, and whether or not water is also consumed.
Although these impacts may not be long-lasting, it doesn’t mean they are negligible. More serious consequences, such as injuries, accidents, and choices you come to regret, might result from impulsivity, lack of coordination, and mood swings.
Read Also: How Food Can Impact Your Emotional Well-being
Effects of alcohol over the long term
Problems with alcohol use can have longer-term effects on more than just your mental and physical health.
Regular alcohol consumption can lead to a number of long-term consequences, such as:
• Difficulty concentrating and remembering things; • Trouble sleeping and other sleep issues; • A compromised immune system, which means you could get sick more frequently; • Alterations to your appetite, weight, and libido; • Memory and concentration issues; • Trouble focusing on tasks; • Enhanced stress and conflict in romantic and familial relationships
The physiological impacts of alcohol
The following is a rundown of how alcohol affects your internal systems and functions.
The endocrine and digestive systems
Pancreatitis, an inflammatory disease of the pancreas, can develop after chronic heavy alcohol consumption. Abdominal pain and the activation of pancreatic digesting enzyme release are symptoms of pancreatitis.
Severe consequences and chronic pancreatitis are possible outcomes.
Damage due to inflammation
The liver’s role is to detoxify the body by breaking down and eliminating toxic substances, such as alcohol.
This mechanism is disrupted by chronic alcohol usage. Chronic liver inflammation and alcohol-related liver damage are both made more likely:
The accumulation of toxins and waste products in the body is a potentially fatal complication of alcohol-related liver disease. Chronic inflammation of the liver can lead to scarring, also known as cirrhosis. Scar tissue might cause long-term harm to your liver.
Blood sugar levels
Your body’s insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance are both controlled by the pancreas. Hypoglycemia occurs when the pancreas and liver are unable to produce enough glucose from food. This can happen in cases of pancreatitis or liver illness.
Inadequate insulin production to metabolize sugar can also be caused by a damaged pancreas. Too much sugar in the blood, or hyperglycemia, can result from this.
Increased risk of diabetes-related complications and adverse effects is associated with impaired glucose homeostasis.
People with diabetes or hypoglycemia should not drink alcohol in excess, according to experts.
Brain and spinal cord
One of the most noticeable effects of alcohol on the body? Making sense of its effects on the brain and spinal cord.
A prominent indicator of intoxication, slurred speech occurs as a result of impaired brain-to-body communication brought on by alcohol. This makes it harder to communicate verbally and coordinate your movements, such as your balance and reaction time. That’s why it’s extremely dangerous to drive after consuming alcohol.
The central nervous system can take a beating from alcohol usage over time. Feelings of coldness and tingling could manifest in your extremities.
When you drink, you may find it harder to do things like: • remember things later on • think clearly • make logical decisions • control your emotions
Another area of the brain that drinking can wear down over time is the frontal lobe, which is in charge of executive functions such as abstract reasoning, decision making, social conduct, and performance.
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a memory-affecting brain illness, is one example of the lifelong brain damage that can result from chronic heavy drinking.
Internal organs
It may take some time for the link between drinking and gastrointestinal issues to become apparent. Symptoms don’t always manifest until after the damage has already occurred. These sensations can become even more severe if you keep drinking.
Damage to the lining of the digestive tract from drinking might make it harder for the intestines to break down food and absorb vitamins and minerals. Malnutrition might result from this harm over time.
Another symptom of heavy drinking is gas:
• Gas, a fullness in the belly, constipation, diarrhea, or unpleasant feces, and gastrointestinal issues like hemorrhoids or ulcers (caused by both dehydration and constipation)
Ulcers, if left untreated for too long, can lead to life-threatening internal bleeding and even death.
The cardiovascular system
Problems with the heart and lungs might arise from heavy drinking, which increases the likelihood of heart disease.
Problems with the cardiovascular system might manifest as: • hypertension
Heart problems include: irregular pulse, trouble pumping blood throughout the body, stroke, heart attack, heart disease, and heart failure.
Anemia, characterized by a low red blood cell count, and exhaustion can result from a body’s inability to properly absorb nutrients from diet.
Family planning and sexual health
You would think that since alcohol can make you feel less self-conscious, it would increase your libido in the bedroom.
But the truth is that drinking too much can: • inhibit the synthesis of sex hormones • reduce desire • make it hard to develop or hold an erection • make it harder to have an orgasmic experience
If you drink too much, it could mess with your menstrual cycle and make infertility more likely.
Muscle and skeletal systems
When you drink alcohol often, it can lower your bone density, making your bones brittle and more likely to break in a fall. Frail bones could take longer to mend as well.
Weakness, cramping, and atrophy of the muscles are further side effects of alcohol consumption.
The immune system Your body’s natural defenses are weakened by heavy drinking. When your immune system isn’t working as well, you’re more susceptible to infections.
Heavy drinkers also have a higher risk of developing pneumonia and tuberculosis compared to the general population. Worldwide, alcohol intake is associated with 8.1% of tuberculosis infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Your cancer risk can be increased by drinking alcohol:
• The likelihood of getting cancer of the mouth, throat, breast, esophagus, colon, or liver increases with heavy alcohol consumption.
• Your chance of getting mouth or throat cancer increases if you drink and smoke at the same time.
Psychological effects
Brain alterations brought on by chronic alcohol consumption can impact your:
• Concentration and memory
• Manage one’s impulses
• feelings, disposition, and character
Because alcohol can amplify the symptoms of specific mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression, regular drinking can also impact general mental health and wellness.
Anxiety is another symptom that may accompany a hangover.
Substance abuse and its effects on mental health
When you combine alcohol with other mental health issues, you may find that your symptoms are very similar to those of other disorders.
Here are some of the mental health conditions that can be diagnosed using the most recent edition of the DSM-5: • alcohol-induced bipolar disorder • alcohol-induced psychotic disorder • alcohol-induced sleep disorder • alcohol-induced depressive disorder • alcohol-induced anxiety disorder
The only times you’ll experience symptoms of these diseases are when you’re drunk or going through withdrawal from alcohol. When one stops drinking, these symptoms usually go away fast.
Conditional dependence
Over time, a tolerance to alcohol might develop in some drinkers. Therefore, individuals find that they need to consume more alcohol in order to achieve the same results they initially experienced.
Regular alcohol consumption also increases the risk of dependence, as the brain and body become accustomed to the effects of alcohol.
Having a drink can alleviate a variety of physical, emotional, and mental health problems that you may experience when you cut back or quit drinking.
Alcohol use disorder (formerly known as alcoholism) is characterized by an individual’s physical and mental dependence on alcohol, which can lead to tolerance and dependence. Depending on how many symptoms you experience, this illness can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
Here are some key symptoms to keep an eye out for: • cravings • withdrawal • increasing alcohol consumption over time • struggling to control your drinking even after a single drink • continuing to drink despite negative effects on health or daily life • devoting a significant amount of time to activities linked to alcohol use
Research the symptoms of alcohol use disorder in more detail.
Quitting drinking
The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are distressing and, in extreme circumstances, fatal. If you wish to quit drinking, you might need the help of a healthcare provider, depending on how frequently and how much you drink.
Before trying to cut back or stop drinking entirely, it’s wise to talk to your doctor. There are situations in which going “cold turkey” could be risky.
Anxiety, agitation, nausea, tremors, hypertension, irregular heartbeat, and profuse sweating are some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Extreme withdrawal symptoms include delirium, hallucinations, and seizures.
To safely cut down or quit drinking, medical detoxification may be an option. Your risk for withdrawal symptoms will determine whether your doctor recommends treatment at a clinic or at home.
Alcohol use disorder risk factors
The likelihood of developing an alcohol use problem is increased by specific circumstances.
Here are a few examples:
• Heavy drinking • Binge drinking • Persistent stress • Being around people who drink a lot • Having genes that make you more or less sensitive to alcohol • Dealing with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia • Having a close relative, particularly a parent, who has the condition
Locating a facility that can treat alcohol use disorder
Considering reducing your alcohol use or giving it up altogether?
Support and treatment options abound for you:
• Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery are two examples of free support groups for those in recovery.
• Tempest and similar online rehabilitation sites • Talk therapy to figure out why you drink and how to cope better • Medication to alleviate alcoholism symptoms and any underlying health issues
• Medications that inhibit the desire to eat
Seeking local resources for mental health assistance? A therapist can be located in this way.
Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Alcohol
Although there is no foolproof method of drinking, the following can lessen the likelihood of negative outcomes:
Don’t forget to eat. If you want to slow down your intoxication rate, don’t drink on an empty stomach.
Always stay hydrated. Aim to have one glass of water for every standard drink you drink.
• Keep your pace moderate. Take your time drinking so your body has time to absorb the alcohol. One ounce of alcohol can be processed by your liver in one hour.
Do not combine with any other drugs. Caffeine can counteract the sedative effects of alcohol, which can lead to excessive drinking when used in combination with alcohol. In an effort to “sober up,” many turn to coffee. While it may help them feel more alert, it also increases the risk that they may try to drive while impaired. Negative side effects may also occur when alcohol is used with other medicines.
Do not get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. Get behind the wheel sober at all times. You should still be cautious since alcohol can impair reaction time even when you feel sober.
