What are the Consequences of Drinking? NIAAA

Chronic alcohol use can also weaken the immune system and impair the proper functioning of the brain. Long-term, heavy drinking (defined as binge drinking for five or more days in the past month) can damage the liver and cause liver disease. The more alcohol the liver has to process, the more bloated its cells become. The resulting swelling and inflammation are known as alcoholic hepatitis or alcoholic steatohepatitis. As heavy drinking continues, these conditions can cause cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) to develop. In a recent study by The Recovery Village, heavy drinkers were found to be 2.12 times more likely to have liver disease and 2.26 times more likely to have cirrhosis.

• Alcohol use disorder is a pattern of alcohol use that involves problems controlling your drinking, being preoccupied with alcohol or continuing to use alcohol even when it causes problems.
• This is when a male rapidly consumes five or more alcoholic drinks within two hours or a female consumes at least four drinks within two hours.
• In addition, a significant number of sexual assaults involve alcohol use.
• During this process, alcohol is first broken down into acetaldehyde, which is highly toxic and a known carcinogen.
• Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal.

The most prominent effects are on the liver, which is where alcohol gets broken down, but there are secondary effects on our other organs, such as the heart, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and brain. These can range widely and are often dependent on how long alcohol is in the body, and how much you consume. “The effects are going to be different for different people, depending on how long they have been consuming alcohol,” says Shehzad Merwat, a gastroenterologist at UTHealth Houston. As research is starting to show, there are many benefits to cutting down on alcohol all year round—and efforts such as Dry January can play an important role in moderating drinking habits.

Alcohol and the Brain

A damaged pancreas can also prevent your body from producing enough insulin to use sugar. This can lead to hyperglycemia, or too much sugar in the blood. Drinking too much alcohol over time may cause inflammation of the pancreas, resulting in pancreatitis.

Drinking can reduce the level of immune system cells involved in fighting off infections, like monocytes, neutrophils and natural killer cells. By interfering with these cells’ activity, drinking can make you more susceptible to infections and illness. In a recent https://ecosoberhouse.com/ study by The Recovery Village, heavy drinkers were 61% more likely than others to have a weakened immune system. Alcohol can affect your thinking and judgment each time you drink. This can lead to lasting damage to your memory, thinking, and the way you behave.

A Review of Alcohol-Related Harms: A Recent Update

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties that has been widely used in many cultures for centuries. The harmful use of alcohol causes a high burden of disease and has significant social and economic consequences. When it comes to your beverage of choice, alcoholic beverages are unique.

Unlike food, which can take hours to digest, the body absorbs alcohol quickly — long before most other nutrients. And it takes a lot more time for the body to get rid of alcohol. It can be hard to decide if you think someone is drunk enough to need consequences of alcohol medical help. But it’s best to take action right away rather than be sorry later. You may worry about what will happen to you or a friend or family member, especially if underage. But the results of not getting help in time can be far more serious.