Your body breaks alcohol down into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which damages your DNA. Damaged DNA can cause a cell to grow out of control, which results in cancerous tumors. Having a glass of wine with dinner or a beer at a party here and there isn’t going to destroy your gut. But even low amounts of daily drinking and prolonged and heavy use of alcohol can lead to significant problems for your digestive system. In reality, there’s no evidence that drinking beer Sober living home (or your alcoholic beverages of choice) actually contributes to belly fat. You probably already know that excessive drinking can affect you in more ways than one.

Alcohol’s Effects on the Body

In the heart, excessive drinking can disrupt the electrical signaling system that makes the organ function. In turn, this disruption can lead to a reduction in vital blood flow. Any part of the body that doesn’t receive enough blood can sustain damage due to insufficient nutrients or oxygen. As the body adapts to the presence of the drug, dependency and addiction can result. If consumption stops suddenly, the person may experience withdrawal symptoms.

How Does Alcohol Affect the Heart?

Excessive drinking also commonly causes vision changes, such as blurred vision, double vision, or difficulty focusing. Impulsive behaviors can include making poor financial decisions (e.g., spending rent money on a round of drinks for your friends) or engaging in risky sexual behaviors (e.g., condomless sex). Men are more likely to develop colon cancer than women, but both are equally at risk if they misuse alcohol throughout life. Drinking too much alcohol may cause immediate physical effects such as hangovers and intoxication. In rare cases, it can lead to alcohol poisoning and possible death.

• The severity of a person’s withdrawal symptoms may get worse each time they stop drinking, and can cause symptoms such as tremors, agitation and convulsions (seizures).
• Current research points to health risks even at low amounts of alcohol consumption, regardless of beverage type.
• If you drink more than 12 units of alcohol, you’re at considerable risk of developing alcohol poisoning, particularly if you’re drinking many units over a short period of time.

Cardiovascular disease

Dilworth Center offers weekly family therapy and support groups to help rebuild relationships affected by alcohol use. Generally, these symptoms are short-lived, but they may worsen or lead to long-term complications. Because of this, you should avoid all kinds of alcohol while pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Working with an addiction specialist can help you determine the proper course of action toward recovery. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. Your brain’s structural integrity faces compromised white matter tract connectivity and reduced gray matter density, especially in the prefrontal cortex and limbic system.

These conditions are collectively called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Prolonged alcohol use can lead to malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies. This can weaken your immune system and increase your risk for long-term health complications. You can also experience more severe symptoms that gradually fade after days or weeks. Alcohol withdrawal happens because your body is reacting to the lack of alcohol in its system. This could help explain why women are more likely to have negative effects from alcohol.

How Alcohol Affects Your Body

While cortisol is a stress hormone, alcoholism can lead to increased cortisol levels in the body over time. This can be problematic because cortisol can temporarily shut down other bodily functions, potentially causing physical damage. Alcohol may be legal, but don’t let that fool you—it’s one of the most damaging substances when abused over time.

But if you feel you need extra help, you may want to check out your local branch of Alcoholics Anonymous. But once the sedative effect wears off, it can disrupt or lower the quality of your sleep. Binge drinking too often can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can also increase snoring and sleep apnea, making it hard to get a good night’s rest. The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein.

Sexual function in men

Alcohol also limits the production of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) from the hypothalamus and the secretion of this hormone from the posterior pituitary gland. This is what causes severe dehydration when alcohol is consumed in large amounts. It also causes a high concentration of water in the urine and vomit, and the intense thirst that goes along with a hangover. However, when researchers evaluate these potential factors, the risks outweigh any benefits. Alcohol use suppresses the central nervous system and destroys neurons. This can lead to conditions like stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

The article is written using very basic and simple terminologies so that even a layperson who reads it would be able to understand it. Alcohol withdrawal can be difficult and, in some cases, life threatening. Depending on how often you drink and how much, you may need support from a healthcare professional if you want to stop drinking. When you stop drinking, you might notice a range of physical, emotional, or mental health symptoms that ease as soon as you have a drink.

Esophageal cancer affects the food pipe that connects to your stomach. Tobacco is the main cause, but long-term alcohol abuse can also increase the risk. Alcohol dependence can make you feel unable to function or survive without alcohol. People dependent on alcohol also tend to build a tolerance for it, which causes them to drink more to get the same effect of intoxication. Unfortunately, satisfying these cravings increases the risk of alcohol poisoning.

Because ethanol is mostly metabolized and consumed by the liver, chronic excessive use can lead to fatty liver. This leads to a chronic inflammation of the liver and eventually alcoholic liver disease. Cell membranes are highly permeable to alcohol, so once alcohol is in the bloodstream it can diffuse into nearly every cell in the body. Every person has their own reasons for drinking or wanting to reduce their alcohol consumption.

• So, if you drink before the age of 14, there’s about a 50% chance you’re going to develop an alcohol use disorder in your adulthood,” explains Dr. Anand.
• Shortly after consumption, your body rapidly absorbs alcohol into the bloodstream.
• Drinking with a meal slows the rate of absorption, resulting in fewer side effects and less intoxication.
• As you drink an alcoholic beverage, alcohol moves into your bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine.
• Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days.

Studies show that people with unhealthy drinking habits have a higher risk of developing a nightmare disorder and sleep apnea. They are also three times more likely to develop periodic limb movement disorder. Relatively new research reveals that the pancreas aids the liver in metabolizing and detoxifying alcohol. However, binge drinking can be toxic to the delicate pancreas cells and cause a painful condition called alcoholic pancreatitis. Alcoholic pancreatitis symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and more.

So how exactly can heavy alcohol use affect someone in the long-term? Here’s what to consider as you reflect on your own relationship with alcohol. Get therapy and medical care—just $25 with insurance, no hidden fees— for alcohol recovery, depression, everyday illnesses, and more.