Posted by HOW ALCOHOL AFFECTS YOUR BODY?
Alcohol affects your body in many ways. Some effects are immediate and could last for only a few hours while others can accumulate in the body over time. Therefore, it can slightly affect your physical and mental health and the quality of your life.
How much harm alcohol causes your body depends on how much you drink, the pattern of your drinking and even the quality of alcohol you drink. Your body size and composition, age, drinking experience, genetics, nutritional status, metabolism and social factors all play a role in this as well.
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
The short-term effects of a single occasion of drinking too much alcohol in one sitting can include:
- Lowered inhibitions
- Interpersonal conflicts
- Falls & accidents
- Altered behaviour – risky and violent behaviour
- Hangover
A hangover is a set of unpleasant symptoms that usually happens after excessive alcohol intake. Next, most people can recognise the signs and know the ways to treat the symptoms themselves. Usually, the hangover symptoms differ with the amount of alcohol you drink. However, those with alcohol sensitivity can get a really bad hangover even with one drink. The severity of a hangover often depends on how your body metabolises alcohol, as when you drink, alcohol triggers several reactions in your body. These reactions can contribute to a hangover.
These are a few symptoms of hangover:
- Frequent urination and dehydration
- An inflammatory response from your immune system
- Irritation of the stomach lining
- A drop in blood sugar
- An expansion
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Trembling or shaking
- Rapid heart rate
6. Alcohol poisoning
Sometimes heavy drinking results in the much more serious effect of alcohol poisoning. This is a life-threatening emergency.
- Confusion
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Slow breathing
- Blue-tinged skin or pale skin
- Low body temperature
- Difficulty remaining conscious
- Passing out
LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL
Historically it has been believed that consuming on average more than two standard drinks a day is what can cause many long-term health problems and other harms. Nowadays, current research states that any level of alcohol consumption can pose an increased risk of chronic disease development.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says alcohol contributes to more than 200 different types of diseases and injuries.
Some of the most common alcohol-related harms include:
- road and other accidents
- Domestic and public violence & crime
- family breakdown
- social dysfunction
- cardiovascular disease
- cancer & diabetes
- nutrition-related conditions, such as folate deficiency and malnutrition
- overweight and obesity
- risks to unborn babies
- mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression
- alcohol dependence or addiction
- long-term cognitive impairment
- self-harm (suicide)
The WHO reports that in 2016, 5.3 percent of all deaths globally were caused by alcohol consumption. Worldwide, more men die as a result of alcohol consumption than women.
In the long term, alcohol consumption can affect all aspects of a person’s life: their physical and mental health, work, finances and relationships.