Negative Effects of Alcohol Abuse – Internal Organs of the Body

Alcohol abuse is harmful to physical health and causes many negative changes in the entire being. The consequences are destructive and are irreversible and just a small number of people actually contemplate about it, until the first signs of damage appear. Although everybody feels self-destructive sometimes, alcohol abuse is something that cannot be justified, because it simply kills - it slowly kills.

Alcohol abuse has negative effects on the whole physical system and it is important to know what illnesses are associated to it so that every individual becomes aware of it and will become motivated to quit and stay away from any addictive substance.

Effects of Alcohol on the Brain

Alcohol abuse affects brain chemistry in an unbelievable way. It creates a dreamlike state in which the person is not conscious of one’s thoughts, decisions and behavior. It kills brain cells and eventually, the addicted person feels physically ill, exhausted and depressed. We must understand that alcohol is a depressant, causing you to feel depress every time you consume it.

When alcohol reaches the brain, it has a powerful influence on certain receptors - the GABA and glutamate system of the brain. GABA-A receptors and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, during complex processes in the brain, are stimulated by alcohol, causing the person under the influence to feel sedated, thus putting him in a relaxed state. In chronic alcohol abuse, these neurons eventually become dependent on alcohol and cannot properly function without it, or lack of it.When alcohol is consumed, dopamine is released in the brain, causing pleasurable sensations whereas quitting causes the decrease of dopamine levels, which leads to extreme withdrawal symptoms.

Another transmitter, serotonin, is important in creating sensations of pleasure. It functions similarly to dopamine. In chronic use of alcohol, there is an increase in serotonin activity and as a result, when alcohol is discontinued, withdrawal symptoms also manifest.

Alcohol Intoxication and Brain Damage

Alcohol intoxication is characterized by changes in thought process, impaired judgment, slurred speech, mood changes, loss of control and motor coordination impairment. During intoxication, seizures may occur. Alcohol intoxication delirium episodes occur after long and continuous period of drinking and are followed by changes in consciousness, inability to concentrate or focus attention, disorientation, speech disturbance, memory impairment.

Seizures in the brain is characterized by auditory, visual or tactile hallucinations, sweating, tremor, fever and changes in consciousness. Chronic use of alcohol can also lead to other serious brain damages such as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy, Korsakoff Syndrome and persisting Dementia.

Negative Effects of Alcohol Abuse on the Liver

The liver is one of the many organs that are affected by the abuse of alcohol. It is an internal organ that has many functions in our body, such as detoxification, hormone production, storage of vitamins, protein synthesis and others. Moreover, it produces bile that helps the small intestines to function properly. It cleans the blood and is one of the organs that is responsible for our whole immune system. When a person consumes alcohol excessively, the liver starts to deteriorate. The first manifestation is the liver enlargement, then the fatty liver, which is diagnosed in 90 percent of all alcoholics. In this stage, the liver may be able to regenerate, but if the liver is constantly overloaded by alcohol, it can lead to alcoholic hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis can be acute and chronic and it is accompanied with jaundice, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea and vomiting.

The most dangerous of all liver diseases is cirrhosis, in which the liver cells are dramatically deteriorating manifested with scar tissues and lumps. The consequences create irreparable harm or damage . These cause fluid retention in the stomach, moreover, the blood cannot flow properly which can lead to life-threatening hemorrhage.

Another harmful effect of alcohol abuse is that the liver cannot neutralize toxic substances, causing confusion, short-term memory loss, disrupted logical thinking, loss of consciousness and ultimately comatose. This is called hepatic encephalopathy. Unfortunately, symptoms only show when it is already in a full blown state.

Harmful Effects of Alcohol Abuse on the Pancreas and the Stomach

Another organ that is affected by alcohol dependence is pancreas, an organ that produces insulin and a liquid that helps the body to digest food. The inflammation of pancreas can be acute or chronic. In the acute phase, the gland releases enzymes and as a result, the gland starts to digest itself. In the chronic phase, people suffer from abdominal pain, exhaustion, vomiting, nausea, weight loss and jaundice. Because of the insulin deficiency, it also causes diabetes. Vitamin deficiency is common to people abusing alcohol, especially B vitamins and Ascorbic Acid which can lead to anemia caused by folate deficiency, inflammation of the tongue, inflammation of the mouth, caries and gum disease that can be followed by the loss of teeth.

In the stomach, alcohol increases gastric secretion causing inflammation of the mucous membrane and gastritis. Acute gastritis is characterized by vomiting, pain, weight loss and in some cases, bleeding.
Negative changes in the small intestine also occur - alcohol damages mucous membrane thus compromising the absorption of nutrients, leading to malnutrition and susceptibility to all kinds of toxins, which can lead to liver disease.

Effects to Your Cardiovascular and Endocrine system of Regular Excessive Alcohol Intake

Another negative effect of alcohol abuse is a heart muscle disease called cardiomyopathy. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy symptoms are shortness of breath, fatigue, arrhythmia, and often leads to embolism. In order to recover, a person must abstain from alcohol.

Hypertension is a manifestation of the heart disease, which also occurs when a person excessively consume alcohol. But it also elevates blood pressure even in moderate alcohol intake. Twenty to forty percent of all alcoholics suffer from the condition called polyneuropathy, which is inflammation of peripheral nerves usually affecting the legs and feet. A person with this condition experiences excruciating pains, cramps which progresses to numbness, affecting reflexes. Abstinence and physical therapy can partially improve the condition. Alcoholic myopathy can be acute or chronic and it represents a serious illness that manifests itself by muscle tissue breakdown.

As for the endocrine system, alcohol has harmful effects on testicular functions causing low levels of testosterone, followed by the decreased in libido and low sperm count. Alcohol changes thyroid functions by reducing thyroxine and then activates hypothalamic-pituitary axis which elevates the levels of certain stress hormones, causing depressions and anxiety.

Mothers that drink alcohol during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, damage their baby’s health, thus, the baby may be born with facial abnormalities, brain damage and mental retardation. Excessive alcohol intake also increases the risk of stomach and liver cancer, oral cavity cancer, breast and ovarian cancer among women.