Effects of alcohol
Have you ever wondered what the effects would be when you have a sip of alcohol? Have you ever thought, why do you always have a strong desire towards alcohol? Do you really think having alcohol makes you feel good? Well, you’ll find the answers soon!
Alcohol use is the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the United States. It accounts for 3 million deaths or 5.3% of all deaths around the world annually. The complications of long term alcohol consumption drive most of the alcoholics to death. What’s unfortunate about it is, the symptoms don’t appear until you are too late to recover.
Most of the acute manifestations of alcohol are due to its effects on the brain. Alcohol interrupts the balance of neurotransmitters in your brain. Its effects on Opiates make you feel euphoric, you enter a state where there is only happiness and satisfaction. Long term consumption of alcohol increases opiate receptors in the brain. It makes the person craving for alcohol. Effects of alcohol on GABA neurotransmitter reduce your anxiety and make you feel sleepy. This is the reason behind your heavy sleep after having half a bottle of whiskey.
Humans body and Alcohol
The human brain contains a neurotransmitter known as Glutamate. Alcohol inhibits its receptors and consequently impairs its function on the brain. The brain, as a compensatory mechanism, increases the number of glutamate receptors. This is what prevents you from giving up alcohol. When the alcohol level drops in blood, the action of glutamate on the brain becomes prominent. Then the person experiences an “alcohol withdrawal syndrome”. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is more common with people whom have abused alcohol over a long period of time than the binge-drinkers.
Each and every organ in your body deteriorates with regular alcohol consumption. Therefore, complications can arise virtually from any organ. It may be a simple case of gastritis to a life-threatening condition like cirrhosis or cancer. Gastritis, in some instances, may advance to ulceration and subsequent perforation of stomach and death. Consumption of a very high amount of alcohol in a single bout can even cause coma and death.
Long-standing alcohol addicts develop parotid gland enlargement, which appears as a swelling below the ears. Their palms and fingers may undergo a permanent fibrotic deformation known as Dupuytren’s contracture. Enlarged breast tissues and testicular atrophy are also frequent findings among those people.
Alcohol Effects on Brain
Chronic alcohol intake leads to degenerative changes in the brain. Those include damage to the limbic system, cerebral cortex, and cerebellar degeneration, which accounts for the poor muscle control and skills, emotional changes and, loss of balance respectively.
Wernicke encephalopathy is a serious neurological manifestation that has a high occurrence among alcoholics. Deficiency of Thiamine, a vitamin vital for the brain function, is the primary cause of this condition. It impairs the absorption of thiamine at the intestines.
Alcohol Effects on Heart
This increases the lipid level in the circulation. Lipids deposit in blood vessels and cause luminal narrowing. This impairs the blood supply to the heart. This ultimately leads to heart attacks (myocardial infarctions). In addition, alcohol itself has a direct negative effect on the heart. Heart muscles undergo degenerative changes when exposed to alcohol over a period of time. This manifests as dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Alcohol Effects on Liver
The liver detoxifies alcohol into ethanoic (Acetic) acid. Byproducts of this reaction damage the liver matter. The reaction also consumes antioxidants (NADPH) that are naturally there to protect the liver. Furthermore, 95%-100% of the people who consume alcohol daily develop alcoholic fatty liver. About 20% of these people progress to alcoholic cirrhosis, a state of irreversible destructed abnormal architecture of the liver. However, the abstinence of alcohol at the level of the fatty liver, most of the time, brings the liver back to normal.
Short-term high consumption of alcohol frequently causes alcoholic hepatitis, which has a risk of progression to fulminant hepatitis (severe liver damage) and acute liver failure.
Alcohol and Cancer
Alcohol is frequently associated with cancer. Out of them, oral, bowel, liver and breast cancers are predominant. A long-standing small red patch in your mouth or a firm, immobile lump in your breast may be a cancer that has been driven by chronic alcoholism. Even if you are a light drinker, the odds of you having cancer are still higher than the normal population.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a disappointing condition that most of the alcoholics, experience at least once in their lives. When those people successfully stop the consumption of alcohol for a couple of days or maybe a week, they develop the following symptoms.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Severe sweating
- Agitation
- Headache
- Tremor
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Delirium
These symptoms indicate Alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In such instance, hospitalization and medical treatment is necessary for the management.
Say NO to Alcohol Now
You are not too late to turn back. Most of the effects of alcohol can be converted back to normal unless they have progressed to the late stages. Meet your family doctor. Get yourself screened for complications. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome can be effectively managed by medications. So, don’t wait till the last moment where there’s no turning back!
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