how alcohol effects the body
What Are the Effects of Alcohol on the Body?
You won’t necessarily feel alcohol’s impact on your body right away, but it starts from the moment you take your first sip.
If you drink, you’ve probably had some experience with alcohol’s effects, from the warm buzz that kicks in quickly to the not-so-pleasant wine headache, or the hangover that shows up the next morning. Since those effects don’t last long, you might not worry much about them, especially if you don’t drink often.
Many people assume the occasional beer or glass of wine at mealtimes or special occasions doesn’t pose much cause for concern. But drinking any amount of alcohol can potentially lead to unwanted health consequences.
People who binge drink or drink heavily may notice more health effects sooner, but alcohol also poses some risks for people who drink in moderation.
What does it mean to drink in moderation?
Current guidelines from the
- 1 or fewer drinks each day for women
- 2 or fewer drinks each day for men
Past guidance around alcohol use suggests that a daily drink poses little risk of negative health effects and might offer a few health benefits.
But more recent research suggests there’s really no “safe” amount of alcohol since even moderate drinking can negatively impact brain health.
Temporary effects you might notice while drinking alcohol (or shortly after) can include:
- feelings of relaxation or drowsiness
- a sense of euphoria or giddiness
- changes in mood
- lowered inhibitions
- impulsive behavior
- slowed or slurred speech
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhea
- head pain
- changes in hearing, vision, and perception
- loss of coordination
- trouble focusing or making decisions
- loss of consciousness or gaps in memory (often called a blackout)
Alcohol use can also lead to more lasting concerns beyond your mood and health.
Some long-term effects of frequently drinking alcohol can include:
- persistent changes in mood, including anxiety and irritability
- insomnia and other sleep concerns
- a weakened immune system, meaning you might get sick more often
- changes in libido and sexual function
- changes in appetite and weight
- problems with memory and concentration
- difficulty focusing on tasks
- increased tension and conflict in romantic and family relationships
Sugar levels
The pancreas helps regulate how your body uses insulin and responds to glucose. If your pancreas and liver don’t function properly due to pancreatitis or liver disease, you could experience low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.
A damaged pancreas can also prevent your body from producing enough insulin to use sugar. This can lead to hyperglycemia or too much sugar in the blood.
If your body can’t manage and balance your blood sugar levels, you may experience greater complications and side effects related to diabetes.
Experts recommend avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia.
Central nervous system
One major way to recognize alcohol’s impact on your body? Understanding how it affects your central nervous system.
Slurred speech, a key sign of intoxication, happens because alcohol reduces communication between your brain and body. This makes speech and coordination — think reaction time and balance — more difficult. That’s one major reason why you should never drive after drinking.
Over time, alcohol can cause damage to your central nervous system. You might notice numbness and tingling in your feet and hands.
Drinking can also affect your ability to:
- create long-term memories
- think clearly
- make rational choices
- regulate your emotions
Over time, drinking can also damage your frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for executive functions, like abstract reasoning, decision-making, social behavior, and performance.
Chronic heavy drinking can also cause permanent brain damage, including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a brain disorder that affects memory.
Circulatory system
Chronic drinking can affect your heart and lungs, raising your risk of developing heart-related health issues.
Circulatory system complications include:
- high blood pressure
- irregular heartbeat
- difficulty pumping blood through the body
- stroke
- heart attack
- heart disease
- heart failure
Difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals from food can cause fatigue and anemia, a condition where you have a low red blood cell count.
Sexual and reproductive health
Drinking alcohol can lower your inhibitions, so you might assume alcohol can ramp up your fun in the bedroom.
In reality, though, heavy drinking can:
- prevent sex hormone production
- lower your libido
- keep you from getting or maintaining an erection
- make it difficult to achieve an orgasm
Excessive drinking may affect your menstrual cycle and potentially increase your risk for infertility.
Alcohol use during pregnancy
That’s because drinking during pregnancy doesn’t just affect your health. It can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery.
Children exposed to alcohol in the womb may experience a range of complications after birth, including:
- learning difficulties
- long-term health issues
- increased emotional problems
- developmental concerns
Long-term alcohol use can lead to changes in your brain that can affect your:
- memory and concentration
- impulse control
- emotions, mood, and personality
Regular drinking can also affect overall mental health and well-being, in part because alcohol may worsen symptoms of certain mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.
You might also notice feelings of anxiety with a hangover.
Alcohol-induced mental health conditions
Alcohol use can factor into mental health symptoms that closely resemble those of other mental health conditions.
The latest edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which mental health professionals use to diagnose mental health conditions, includes diagnostic criteria for:
- alcohol-induced bipolar disorder
- alcohol-induced psychotic disorder
- alcohol-induced sleep disorder
- alcohol-induced depressive disorder
- alcohol-induced anxiety disorder
Thinking about cutting back on alcohol or quitting drinking completely?
You have plenty of options for support and treatment:
- free recovery support groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery
- online recovery platforms, like Tempest
- therapy to help address reasons for drinking and learn helpful coping skills
- medical treatment to address symptoms of alcohol use disorder and any related health concerns
- medications that can help reduce cravings
Alcohol safety tips
There’s no entirely safe way to consume alcohol, but if you choose to drink, these tips can help reduce some risks:
- Make sure you eat. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach to avoid becoming intoxicated too fast.
- Drink plenty of water. For every standard drink you consume, aim to have a glass of water.
- Don’t go too fast. Drink slowly to give your body plenty of time to process the alcohol. Your liver can process about 1 ounce of alcohol every hour.
- Don’t mix with other substances. Mixing alcohol with caffeine can hide the depressant effects of alcohol, making you drink more than you might otherwise. Drinking coffee to “sober up” may make you feel more awake, but it may also make you more inclined to make the mistake of trying to drive while under the influence. Combining alcohol with other drugs can also have adverse effects.
- Don’t drink and drive. Never drive while intoxicated. Even if you feel like you’ve sobered up, you may still have alcohol in your system that can affect your reaction time.
Numerous factors can affect BAC and how fast you eliminate it from your body, including:
- Sex: Females tend to have a higher BAC and eliminate trusted
alcohol faster than males - Age: Teens, young adults, and older adults eliminate slower
- Food: Metabolism rate increases with food
- Time of day: Alcohol metabolizes faster at the end of the day
- Exercise: Alcohol is eliminated slightly faster during exercise
- Alcoholism: Heavy drinking increases the rate, but advanced liver disease decreases it
It’s also important to know how much alcohol is in your drink because that will determine how long it takes to metabolize your drink. For example, some beers have a higher alcohol content, affecting how much alcohol you consume from one drink.
Even though so many factors come into play, the average metabolic rate to remove alcohol is about one drink per hour.
There are specific steps you can take to help reduce the effects of alcohol.
- Food may help your body absorb alcohol.
- Water can help reduce your BAC.
- Avoid caffeine. It’s a myth that coffee, energy drinks, or similar beverages alleviate intoxication quicker.
Alcohol use disorder affects many, but some are at a higher risk than others of receiving the diagnosis. In addition, mental health disorders are often a part of the health history of those affected.
- Persons diagnosed with schizophrenia. According to a review,
33.7% of those diagnosed with schizophrenia also has alcohol use disorder. - People who received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. An estimated 28% of those diagnosed with depression also have alcohol use disorder.
- Personality disorders are more likely. Of those diagnosed with personality disorders, 50-70% also receive an alcohol use disorder diagnosis.
- drinking at an early age
- genetics and family history of alcohol use disorder
- history of trauma
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
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