The Effects Of Excess Alcohol On Our Health
Do you know how excess alcohol can affect your body? In this article we will tell you all about it.
Going out for drinks with colleagues one day when leaving the office or taking advantage of the weekend to go to a disco is fine, however, the problem lies when alcoholic beverages are frequent all week. What are the effects of excess alcohol on our health?
More and more young people end up in the hospital because of alcohol, mainly because they consume different types and in a very short time, simply with the idea of getting drunk.
Dangers of consuming a lot of alcohol
Let’s take a look at the possible effects of excess alcohol on the body one by one:
1. Heart and brain problems
Drinking large amounts of alcohol could seriously damage your heart and brain.
In the latter case, it could be affected by confusion and memory loss, as well as alterations in the peripheral nerves that can cause problems in sensitivity and perception.
As for the heart and the cardiovascular system in general, consuming too much alcohol increases blood pressure and weakens the muscle.
2. Pancreas problems
The pancreas also suffers from excess alcohol, with inflammation more than painful.
3. Stomach problems
For its part, the stomach can be affected by ulcers, gastritis, burning, irritation, a sensation of fire or even cancer in the most serious cases.
4. Bone problems
Bones can become weaker and weaker as bone mass decreases, new studies say. In this way, the person is more prone to suffer cracks or falls of their teeth or molars.
4. Kidney problems
The kidneys are not immune to the effects of ethanol, since they eliminate more water than they are ingesting, causing a search for fluid in other organs. The membranes can lose water, causing a headache.
5. Lung problems
Due to excess alcohol, the lungs speed up the rate of breathing and wear out rather than improve, as can occur during exercise. Also, you are more prone to pneumococcal pneumonia.
In addition to these problems, there are visible signs of excessive alcohol consumption, such as:
- Loss of body mass
- Sexual impotence or sterility
- Skin problems
- Increased sweating
The process of alcohol in the body
Although we have already mentioned what happens at the brain level, it seems imperative to speak more extensively about the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption on our brain.
Ethanol is the main compound in alcoholic beverages, a drug used in medicine as an antiseptic. It is, in addition, the substance that makes someone become dependent on alcohol or that they need more and more before realizing that they are drunk.
Alcohol is obtained by the distillation and fermentation of fruits, plants and grains, and the graduation ranges from 2 (cider) to 80% (wormwood).
Alcohol acts as if it were a disturbance in the neuronal membrane, which alters its flexibility and permeability. It also influences the inhibitory function, which is why it is believed that it takes away the shame and the feeling of making a fool of ourselves.
The drink is quickly absorbed through the digestive tract, going to the stomach and then the intestine. This process can take between two and six hours, depending on the amount consumed and the alcohol content.
Once in the liver it oxidizes. However, 10% of ethanol is not oxidized and is eliminated by perspiration or urine.
Frequent consumption generates tolerance, causing synapse problems in neurons and that they are increasingly used to this effect. This could also answer why alcoholics have so much trouble when they try to stop drinking.
Withdrawal can cause nervousness, tremors, insomnia, irritability, emotional distress, hallucinations, delusions, nightmares, aggressiveness, etc.