Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that has immediate effects on the body, like intoxication (feeling drunk) and hangovers (unpleasant aftereffects from drinking). While these effects are short-lived, long-term alcohol use can trigger systemic (bodywide) inflammation, which damages the body’s tissues and vital organs over time. This article discusses the long-term effects of alcohol, including the risks to your physical health and mental well-being. Even drinking a little too much (binge drinking) on occasion can set off a chain reaction that affects your well-being. Lowered inhibitions can lead to poor choices with lasting repercussions — like the end of a relationship, an accident or legal woes.
The toxic effects of alcohol overwhelm the body and can lead to impairment and some even more serious medical side effects, including death in severe cases. This condition can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the number of symptoms you have. Talk to a healthcare provider if you are concerned about your drinking or that of a loved one.
With continued alcohol use, steatotic liver disease can lead to liver fibrosis. Eventually, you can develop permanent and irreversible scarring in your liver, which is called cirrhosis. Alcohol use can factor into mental health symptoms that closely resemble those of other mental health conditions. People who drink heavily over a long period of time are also more likely to develop pneumonia or tuberculosis than the general population. The World Health Organization (WHO) links about 8.1 percent of all tuberculosis cases worldwide to alcohol consumption. The connection between alcohol consumption and your digestive system might not seem immediately clear.
- Women typically reach this level after about four drinks and men after about five drinks in two hours.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) links about 8.1 percent of all tuberculosis cases worldwide to alcohol consumption.
- This makes speech and coordination — think reaction time and balance — more difficult.
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- While there is no one-size-fits-all method for recovering from AUD, there are lots of effective treatment options.
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Like a clog in a drain, those thickened fluids can jam up your ducts. That drinking when bored can lead to pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas. Your gut microbiome is a hotbed of bacteria that help keep your digestive system happy and healthy.
Each of those consequences can cause turmoil that can negatively affect your long-term emotional health. “Some people think of the effects of alcohol as only something to be worried about if you’re living with alcohol use disorder, which was formerly called alcoholism,” Dr. Sengupta says. Some people who drink eventually develop a tolerance to alcohol. As a result, they eventually need to drink more to notice the same effects they once did. Slurred speech, a key sign of intoxication, happens because alcohol reduces communication between your brain and body.
Genetics or a family history of alcohol misuse increases that risk as well. Childhood trauma, mental health issues, and stress can also lead people to begin drinking or drink more than usual. Just one or two alcoholic drinks can impair your balance, coordination, impulse control, memory, and decision-making.
In reality, there’s no evidence that drinking beer (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. As the leader in addiction treatment American Addiction Centers specializes in helping people recover from alcohol addiction. While there is no one-size-fits-all method for recovering from AUD, there are lots of effective treatment options. Some examples include behavioral treatments, na vs aa support groups, and FDA-approved medications.
What to know about alcohol use disorder
But when you ingest too much alcohol for your liver to process in a timely manner, a buildup of toxic substances begins to take a toll on your liver. Your liver detoxifies and removes alcohol from your blood through a process known as oxidation. When your liver finishes that process, alcohol gets turned into water and carbon dioxide. Dr. Sengupta shares some of the not-so-obvious effects that alcohol has on your body. Seizures, hallucinations, and delirium may occur in severe cases of withdrawal.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Ways that your standard hangover cures won’t even begin to touch. And that’s on top of the toll that alcohol use can take on relationships, not to mention the potential for financial strain and legal troubles. A weakened immune system has a harder time protecting you from germs and viruses. Drinking alcohol can also lead to muscle weakness, cramping, and eventually atrophy. Drinking alcohol can lower your inhibitions, so you might assume alcohol can ramp up your fun in the bedroom.
Excessive alcohol intake can disrupt the balance of microbes in the gut. Administration of probiotics may improve intestinal function and help prevent liver disease. Alcohol misuse can lead to various illnesses such as heart disease. People experiencing alcohol misuse disorder should seek medical attention. Alcohol use disorder can include periods of being drunk (alcohol intoxication) and symptoms of withdrawal. And prolonged alcohol use can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.
Long-term effects of alcohol
More study is needed in this area, and all the natural remedies above. Research is ongoing to determine the benefits of natural therapies on the prevention of complications from AUD. People should not try to use natural remedies on their own, but use them in conjunction with medical treatment and therapy options. Long-term alcohol use can change your brain’s wiring in much more significant ways.
Difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals from food can cause fatigue and anemia, a condition where you have a low red blood cell count. Ulcers can cause dangerous internal bleeding, which can sometimes be fatal without prompt diagnosis and treatment. Experts recommend avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol if you can alcohol affect the gallbladder have diabetes or hypoglycemia.