How Alcohol Affects The Body and Why It's Dangerous
The effects of alcohol on the body are serious and can have lasting consequences. When a person takes in alcohol, many parts of the body are affected. Alcohol is called a "downer." It directly affects the brain cells. Unclear thinking, staggering and slurred speech may result from overdrinking. In more serious cases, large amounts of alcohol may cause unconsciousness or death. Alcohol can cause blurred vision, can increase the workload of the heart, develop an irregular heartbeat, and possibly suffer from high blood pressure.
Not only this, but alcohol also takes a heavy toll on the stomach and pancreas. When we drink, the alcohol irritates our digestive systems. Sometimes people vomit or develop ulcers when alcohol damages their stomach. Drinking also can stop the kidneys from maintaining a proper balance of body fluids and minerals. When we drink too much, our blood veins and arteries widen. When this happens, we sometimes suffer headaches as well as a loss of body heat. Alcohol can also reduce our body’s ability to produce blood cells, which can lead to anemia and infections. All of our muscles are taxed when we drink heavily, leading to weakness and possible failure of our muscles, including our heart.
Most people know that one of the most dangerous and damaging affects of excessive alcohol consumption is liver damage. The abuse of alcohol is the major cause of cirrhosis of the liver in Western countries. Alcohol damages the liver because the liver is the main organ that metabolizes alcohol, and large amounts of alcohol can stress or damage the organ. Eventually, the liver cannot handle the toxic affects of the alcohol, and several diseases can result. The most serious is cirrhosis, which is irreversible. Clinical features include fatigue and jaundice, and often, the disease is not noted until it is well advanced. A liver transplant is really the only cure for cirrhosis, although there are...