Alcohol vs Your Body

Alcohol use can cause both short-term and long-term negative effects on the body, such as lowered inhibitions and a weakened immune system.

However, you do not feel the effect of alcohol in your body immediately the long-term side effects start the moment you take your first sip. Most people assume that the occasional alcoholic drink doesn't pose much concern, but drinking any amount of alcohol can potentially lead to unwanted health concerns.

Short-term effects of alcohol

• feelings of relaxation and drowsiness

• sense of euphoria

• changes in mood

• lowered inhibitions

• impulsive behaviors

• nausea and vomiting

• slurred speech

• diarrhea

• head pain

• changes in hearing, vision, and perception

• loss of coordination

• loss of consciousness and memory gaps

These effects might not last very long but remain of significance. Impulsiveness, loss of coordination, and mood changes can lead to far-reaching effects such as accidents, injuries, and poor decisions.

Long-term effects of alcohol

• persistent changes in mood, anxiety, and irritability

• insomnia and sleep concerns

• weekend immune system

• changes in libido and sexual function

• changes in appetite and weight

• memory and concentration dysfunction

• increased tension and conflict in relationships

PHYSICAL EFFECT OF ALCOHOL ON THE BODY

Digestive and endocrine glands

Long-term alcohol use will eventually lead to inflammation of the pancreas, which activates the release of pancreatic digestive enzymes that cause abdominal pain.

Inflammatory damage

Long-term alcohol use interferes with the breakdown and removal of toxins and harmful substances from your body by the liver, which can increase the risk for alcohol-related liver disease and chronic liver inflammation.

Sugar levels

The pancreas helps regulate how the body responds to glucose and uses insulin. If the pancreas and liver are damaged due to liver disease and pancreatitis, one can experience low blood sugar and high blood sugar due to low insulin production.

The inability to balance blood sugar levels in the body may lead to greater complications and side effects such as diabetes.

Central nervous system

Alcohol use reduces the communication between your brain and body. Long-term use of alcohol can lead to damage to your nervous system and cause symptoms such as tingling and numbness in your hands and feet.

It can also lead to difficulty in creating long-term memories, thinking, making rational decisions, and regulating your emotions.

Digestive system

Long-term alcohol use can lead to damage to the tissue of the digestive tract, which can lead to the

prevention of intestines from digesting food and absorbing nutrients and vitamins.

Heavy drinking can also lead to gas, bloating, diarrhea, painful stools, and ulcers.

Circulatory system

Chronis drinking can affect the heart and lungs, increasing your risk of developing heart-related health issues, such as high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, difficulty pumping blood, stroke, heart attacks, heart disease, and heart failure.

Reproductive health

Excessive drinking can lead to lower production of sex hormones, and lower libido and can also affect the menstrual cycle potentially leading to a risk of infertility.

Skeletal and muscle system

Long-term alcohol use can affect bone density leading to thinner bones and increasing the risk of fractures and slow healing of bones, muscle atrophy, weakness, and cramping.

Immune system

Chronic drinking reduces your body's natural immune system and a weakened immune system has a harder time protecting your body from viruses and bacteria. Long-term drinking can also lead to a person to develop pneumonia and tuberculosis more easily.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

Long-term alcohol use can lead to changes in the brain that can affect your memory and concentration, impulse control as well as moods, emotions, and personality.

Regular drinking can also affect overall mental health and well-being and can lead to anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Many studies performed by top institutions show that consuming a lower amount of alcohol does not improve your overall health risk and will still lead to long-term health concerns, yet again highlighting the importance of rather abstaining from alcohol use. Although light drinking might have a modest protective effect for certain conditions, the safest health option is to avoid alcohol.

Consuming alcohol on a long-term basis can lead to severe health conditions and concerns, however, consuming any amount of alcohol has negative health impacts. Therefore, make wise choices.