Anyone who drinks alcohol must be aware that there are both short-term, and long-term effects. Some of the short-term effects can occur as soon as you drink your first glass. Alcohol abuse or other addictive behaviors can cause long-lasting, and many permanent, side effects. Below are some examples of how alcohol abuse can impact various parts of the body. You may find it helpful to understand the harm alcohol causes to your body and seek rehab services to stop drinking.
Effects On The Heart
Long-term effects of alcohol can have severe consequences for the heart. Studies have extensively examined the association between excessive drinking, diseases (hypertension, coronary disease), and excessive drinking. A short-term increase in heart rate can cause dizziness, fainting, and even paralysis.
Effects On The Lungs
You can also experience adverse effects on your lungs from alcohol abuse. Alcohol disruptions the function of the immune cells at the top of your lungs. It can also cause damage to the lower airways, which in turn affects your body’s ability and capacity to fight infection.
Sexual Organs
Heavy alcohol abuse can lead to both male and feminine reproductive issues. High alcohol intake can lead to lower testosterone levels. Heavy drinking can affect sperm maturation. In females, alcohol abuse can lead to the destruction of vital microbiota as well as an increase in stomach acid. This can lead to nausea, indigestion, or vomiting as well as bloating and intestinal bleeding. Repeated, long-term alcohol abuse can lead to acid reflux, ulcers, and an increase in the risk of many types and stages of cancer, including stomach, intestinal, as well as stomach cancers.
Influences On The Immune System
Alcohol can cause damage to the lungs and interfere with your immune cells. The ability to fight infections can be affected by alcohol. But this isn’t the only way alcohol can affect your immune system. You also endanger the development of your immune system by destroying vital immune cells. people at high risk for alcoholism are more likely to develop diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, or cancer.
Impact On Bone And Muscle
In the short term, alcohol may cause coordination problems. It can cause weakness of muscles and impair movement. These can cause accidents that can lead to broken bones and fractures. Long-term, excessive alcohol intake, especially by underage drinkers, may slow down the growth, structure, and density of bone. This may result in osteoporosis and even muscle atrophy later in life.
Effects On Your Kidneys
The kidneys work by filtering blood and removing excess water. The kidneys also regulate blood pressure. The kidneys make a hormone that tells bones marrow when to produce red blood vessels.
Alcohol is a diuretic. It decreases the hormone that tells your kidneys to retain water. In turn, the urine will contain more water that is normally excreted. Alcohol’s diuretic effect may lead to dehydration. Low electrolytes can also cause dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, and an increase in heart rate and breathing rate.
Long-term alcoholism could have serious consequences for your kidneys. A kidney problem can cause high blood pressure. It can also cause chemical problems that can lead ultimately to kidney failure.
Brain Effect
Alcohol affects your brain. Because of this, people often feel drunk. Alcohol’s effects can lead to slurred speaking, impaired spatial awareness, and balance, short-term memory losses, as well as loss of consciousness.
Long-term brain damage may result from excessive alcohol consumption. These long-term effects may be particularly harmful to young adults who drink alcohol frequently. You may experience developmental delays in the frontal region.
Mental Health
The effects of alcohol on your mental well-being can also be significant. Alcohol is known to be a depressant. It suppresses functions in the brain including mood stabilizers. It is for this reason that people often feel emotionally unstable or experience mood swings when under the influence. Great Oaks Recovery Center suggests that alcoholism could lead to or result from psychological disorders. This includes major depression, anxiety, and even panic attacks. The disease model of addiction is focused on how chemical results of addiction in a brain — such as developing a mental disorder disabling or removing a person’s ability to stop using.
