Effects of Alcohol on the Body

Regular alcohol consumption is common in the U.S. for many reasons. This may be due largely to the ways alcohol and social activities are intertwined.

Regular and heavy drinking can be incredibly dangerous, posing many short-term and long-term effects on the brain and body. Even occasional alcohol consumption can do damage.

Read on to learn more about how alcohol affects different systems in your body, its impact on mental health, and more.

Many people are familiar with the pleasant short-term effects of alcohol, but it’s important to be aware of all of the possible short-term impacts drinking can have on your body and mind.

Short-term effects occur immediately or shortly after you drink alcohol and last for a limited amount of time.

First, alcohol can affect your central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is made up of your brain and spinal cord. Common effects of alcohol on the CNS include lack of coordination, poor judgment, slowed muscle reactions, slowed reaction time, and impaired cognition. This all occurs because alcohol is a CNS depressant, meaning it slows down the activity in this system.

There are also many physical effects you may notice in the short term after drinking. These can include nausea, dehydration, dizziness, vomiting, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, increased cortisol, weakened immune system, poor sleep, and heartburn.

Lastly, you may notice short-term effects of alcohol on your mental or psychological function. Common psychological effects include euphoria, lowered inhibitions, mood swings, impaired memory, and engaging in risky behaviors.

As mentioned above, alcohol directly interacts with your brain, which can create long-term effects as well.

It’s important to understand that because alcohol is a CNS depressant, it increases and inhibits the effects of certain neurotransmitters in your brain, which is what causes the pleasant and not-so-pleasant effects you feel when drinking.

With heavy alcohol use over time, these changes to your brain chemistry can alter the way it functions and communicates, causing long-term consequences.

These can include long-term impaired cognition and memory loss. Long-term alcohol misuse also increases your risk of developing certain mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, alcohol use disorder (AUD), bipolar disorder, and alcohol-induced psychosis. In a similar vein, alcohol use can make it easier for the sufferer of a traumatic event to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you already have a mental illness, long-term alcohol consumption can exacerbate the effects of your condition.

Excessive alcohol consumption can also lead to neurodegenerative diseases and neurological conditions such as dementia, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, neuropathy, myopathy, and cerebral degeneration.

Alcohol is hard on the cardiovascular system, too. Made up of the heart and blood vessels, the cardiovascular system experiences both short- and long-term effects when you consume alcohol.

In the long term, alcohol misuse and alcohol consumption can cause heart damage that leads to chronic or permanent conditions.

These include:

• Cardiomyopathy
• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Arrhythmias
• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Increased cholesterol levels

As mentioned above, alcohol can have short-term effects on the heart such as increased heart rate and high blood pressure. Both of these effects strain the heart, and long-term exposure to this stress is what leads to the above conditions.

Arguably the most well-known long-term effect of alcohol is its impact on the liver. Alcohol can cause liver damage that leads to several conditions, some of which are irreversible.

In order to understand how the liver is affected by alcohol, we must look at what happens to your liver when you drink. When you drink alcohol, your body must process it to get it out of your system. Most of this processing is done in the liver, which causes some liver cells to die every time your liver metabolizes alcohol. In people who drink in moderation, these cells can be regenerated, but with liver damage, the organ can lose its ability to generate new cells.

There are three types of liver damage regularly associated with alcohol consumption: fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.

Fatty liver disease is the first stage of liver disease that often goes unnoticed as it typically has no symptoms. If caught early, fatty liver disease can be reversed with the right changes and intervention.

Alcoholic hepatitis is the next stage of liver disease. It is essentially inflammation caused by long-term drinking. Again, if caught early, it’s possible to reverse alcoholic hepatitis by quitting drinking alcohol.

Cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, is the last stage of liver disease. It is typically irreversible, but it’s important to make lifestyle changes to prevent further damage. Cirrhosis can cause a variety of health issues, one of which is an increased risk of developing liver cancer.

Many people are familiar with the short-term effects of alcohol on the digestive system, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, etc. However, alcohol can have long-term effects on your digestive system too.

The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, anus) and the biliary system (liver, gallbladder, pancreas, bile ducts).

Alcohol causes inflammation and affects the production of stomach acid, both of which can interrupt regular processes and functions. This can lead to decreased nutrient absorption and slowed metabolism, as well as the conditions below.

Common effects on the digestive system include:

• Gastritis
• Ulcers
• Heartburn
• Pancreatitis
• Digestive cancers
• Esophagus cancer

A less frequently discussed impact of long-term alcohol consumption is the effects it can have on your immune system.

Alcohol weakens the immune system for as long as 24 hours after consumption, which makes you more susceptible to infections.

With a weakened immune response, you may be at higher risk of contracting illnesses like tuberculosis (TB) and pneumonia. Poor overall immune health can make it more difficult to recover from common infections and put you at a greater risk of developing complications.

Alcohol consumption is also associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancer.

Cancers associated with alcohol consumption include:

• Breast cancer
• Liver cancer
• Esophagus cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Oral cancers

For some cancers, like liver cancer, increased risk is due to the direct damage alcohol does to the organ. However, there are three other ways alcohol can increase your risk of cancer.

1. Alcohol damages cells and prevents them from repairing damage
2. Alcohol causes cells to divide more often by affecting hormones and chemical signals
3. Alcohol causes your mouth and throat cells to absorb harmful chemicals more easily

Prolonged, heavy drinking increases this risk the most, but it’s important to note that any alcohol consumption can increase your risk of the above cancers.

Even your reproductive system can be impacted by your alcohol use. As mentioned previously, alcohol affects your hormones. This, in combination with the nutrient depletion caused by alcohol intake, can lead to various consequences for your reproductive health.

For men, alcohol can impact sperm production and hormone secretion. This can lead to abnormally shaped sperm as well.

In regards to women’s reproductive health, alcohol can alter the menstrual cycle (sometimes leading to a missed or irregular period), increase the risk of reproductive cancers, and affect fertility.

On a similar note, drinking alcohol while pregnant can also cause a slew of problems. These can include an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and fetal spectrum disorders (FASD).

Babies exposed to alcohol before birth often experience physical, behavioral, and mental impairments, known as FASD. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), it affects 1-5% of first-grade-age children in the U.S.

FASD occurs due to inhibition of a baby’s development in the womb and can have several symptoms including birth defects, growth deficiencies, trouble with communication, lack of emotional control, distinct facial features, trouble with learning and memory, trouble with social skills, and higher risk of depression and anxiety.

There are several disorders that fall under FASD including:

• Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders
• Neurobehavioral disorders as a result of alcohol exposure
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
• Partial FAS
• Alcohol-related birth defects

Your mental well-being can also be greatly compromised by alcohol intake. This is due to the way alcohol interacts with your brain, alters brain chemistry, and changes the way your brain communicates.

Again, alcohol is linked to an increased risk of developing several mental health disorders and exacerbating existing ones. This is important to note as many people with mental health problems may resort to alcohol to relieve their symptoms.

In the short term, this can alleviate symptoms by improving your mood, lowering inhibitions, and causing euphoria, but over time, the symptoms of your condition may worsen. This is why healthy coping mechanisms are vital.

In addition to mental illnesses, alcohol can affect your day-to-day mental well-being. You may notice mood swings, increased anxiety, and increased stress levels when you drink, especially if you binge drink or drink heavily.

Finally, alcohol can lead to the development of AUD. AUD is a diagnosis used to describe a mental condition that causes the inability to control or stop one’s alcohol consumption. It can cause alcohol dependence and make you feel as though you cannot function without alcohol. This can increase your risk of long-term damage and even alcohol overdose.

If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol dependence or cannot control their alcohol consumption, it is essential to seek professional help. AUD can be very difficult to overcome on your own, so it’s important to have medical professionals on your side to help.

There are countless treatment options for alcohol dependence including inpatient and outpatient rehab programs, detoxification (detox) services, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), group counseling, family therapy, behavioral therapy, and alternative therapies. You and your healthcare provider may determine which treatment options are best for your needs.

When in recovery, it’s also important to have a support system and make lifestyle changes. A support system can look different for everyone but may be found in friends, family, loved ones, or peers. It’s vital to build a support system you can rely on to encourage you, be a shoulder to lean on and provide a sense of accountability.

Recovery is a challenging and non-linear process, so there will inevitably be some bumps in the road. Having a good support system can make all the difference during these times.

There are countless benefits of reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption including:

• Better sleep
• Weight loss
• Lower blood sugar
• Lower blood pressure
• Fewer hangover symptoms
• More energy
• Better nutrient absorption
• Better immune health
• Better memory
• Better skin health

Treatment for AUD also has many benefits:

• Improved physical health
• Decreased risk of alcohol overdose
• Improved mental health
• Improved relationships
• Improved work/school performance
• New hobbies
• New relationships
• Improved financial health

Alcohol consumption affects nearly every part of your body. Most of these effects are unpleasant and some can lead to long-term damage and health conditions. However, reducing your alcohol consumption or getting treatment for alcohol dependence can limit these effects greatly.

Have more questions about alcohol dependence and treatment? Give our helpline a call today.