Heart
Numerous studies have linked low-level alcohol consumption, such as a single glass of wine, with cardiovascular benefits, including a reduced risk of heart disease. However, as intake increases, alcohol can also have a serious detrimental effect on the heart, bringing about both short and long-term complications. For example, alcohol can alter the rate at which your heart beats, potentially leading to irregularities or 'arrhythmias'.
This is a particular risk for those who regularly drink large quantities, or for those who are not used to alcohol but suddenly binge drink. In some instances, arrhythmias can increase the risk of suffering a stroke. High levels of alcohol intake can also weaken the heart muscle, causing problems with blood flow and eventually a condition called 'alcoholic cardiomyopathy'. Sufferers of this condition often experience shortness of breath, fatigue and persistent coughing, but in extreme cases it can even lead to heart failure.
Brain
For most people, perhaps the most obvious effect alcohol has upon the brain is an induced feeling of excitement or happiness. This is because alcohol interferes with the neurological pathways responsible for sending signals to the brain, in this case triggering the release of dopamine, leading to feelings of euphoria.
Alcohol consumption also slows the passing of information between neurotransmitters. In the cerebral cortex portion of the brain, this inhibits thought processes and depresses inhibitory centres, resulting in poor judgement and lowered inhibitions. Meanwhile, the impact upon the cerebellum area can severely impair your balance. Drinking large quantities of alcohol can lead to short-term memory loss. Over time, continued damage to the brain's neurotransmitters can produce mood disorders or behavioural changes, including depression and anxiety. Furthermore, regular alcohol intake alters neurotransmitter production, eventually causing alcohol dependence.Liver
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body and one of the most essential, yet alcohol can cause harm to it in a number of different ways. However, the liver does not contain any pain nerves, meaning that damage is oftenpainless and difficult to detect until it is at an advanced stage. Regularly drinking more than three or four units of alcohol a day is likely to lead to a condition called 'fatty liver', where the liver's cells become stuffed full of fat.
Symptoms you may experience include fatigue and sickness, and while fatty liver can be reversed quickly, it is thefirst step towards liver disease for those who continue to drink. Over a longer period of time, alcohol consumption can cause healthy cells to be replaced by scar tissue, something which is known as 'cirrhosis'. Over the last decade,deaths from cirrhosis and other liver diseases have increased by 25 percent, with alcohol being a leading cause of more than a third of those deaths.Kidneys
Alcohol's impact upon the liver is well known, but fewer people are aware of the effects it can have on the kidneys. For instance, a key function of the kidneys is to filter harmful substances from your blood, but alcohol affects blood flow rates, making it more difficult for them to perform this task.
Another important kidney function is control of the amount of water in your body, but alcohol hinders the production of the anti-diuretic hormone vasopressin, meaning the kidneys must work harder in order to do so. Moreover, alcohol has the ability to increase your blood pressure. Indeed, drinking more than two alcoholic beverages a day significantly raises your chances of having high blood pressure, which is considered one of the biggest risk factors for serious kidney issues, including kidney failure.
Bladder
The impact of alcohol upon the kidneys then has a knock-on effect on the bladder. Have you ever noticed that when you drink alcohol, you need to go to the toilet a lot more often than normal? This is a direct consequence of the reduced production of vasopressin and of the kidneys having to work extra hard. As the kidneys become overworked, and without vasopressin telling the kidneys to absorb excess water, it is instead flushed straight through to the bladder.
The bladder then fills much more quickly, resulting in more toilet trips. Many alcoholic drinks, including beer and wine, can increase the acidity of your urine and irritate the bladder. This, coupled with alcohol's ability to dull nerves in the organ, can sometimes cause it to become overly active, leading to incontinence, or an inability to hold onto your urine.
Stomach
Early in the digestive process, alcohol will sit in the stomach, with some of it being absorbed into the bloodstream, before the remainder is passed onwards towards the intestines. While in the stomach, alcohol increases the amount of hydrochloric acid being produced, and irritates the stomach lining at the same time. Excess hydrochloric acid can produce a number of unpleasant effects, including heartburn, while alcohol abuse can cause the irritation of the stomach lining to become chronic, resulting in lasting damage.
In many cases, this also causes the stomach lining to become inflamed, leading to a condition called 'gastritis'. Other stomach-related problems which have been linked with alcohol consumption include the formation of ulcers and internal bleeding. Some studies have also demonstrated a link between alcohol abuse and stomach cancer, especially among people who smoke, but this link remains somewhat controversial in the medical community.Pancreas
The pancreas is one of the more overlooked organs in the human body, but it is essential for your digestive system, producing the juices used to break down food in the intestines and releasing the major digestive hormones like insulin. However, it too can be affected when you drink alcohol regularly. Although the pancreas usually sends enzymes to the small intestine, binge drinking can force the organ to secrete these enzymes internally instead.
As these enzymes then gather in the pancreas, it becomes inflamed and this process can also cause damage to some of the organ's cells. An inflamed and damaged pancreas often results in a condition known as 'pancreatitis'. In most cases, this will be acute pancreatitis, which is a short-term condition with symptoms like abdominal pain and vomiting. With that said, repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis can lead to chronic pancreatitis, which can beirreversible and even fatal.Skin
Finally, alcohol can have a negative effect on the body's largest organ - the skin. Most of the associated skin problems are a result of alcohol causing the body to dehydrate, leaving skin dry and starved of nutrients. One of the most common consequences of dry skin is the increased appearance of wrinkles. Additionally, regular drinking can deprive the skin of vitamin A - the most important vitamin for cell renewal - as well as essential electrolytes.
As a consequence of this, your skin may appear dull and grey, or it may start to exhibit signs of bloating or swelling, especially in the cheeks and around the eyes. Due to the fact that alcohol increases blood flow, regular consumption can cause blood vessels to dilate, giving the appearance of small red spots on the skin. It can also trigger or exacerbate related skin disorders like rosacea which, in the most advanced cases, can lead to facial disfigurement through a condition called 'rhinophyma'.For More Posts Go To Main Blog
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