How Alcohol Impacts Health
Alcohol is one of the most culturally accepted substances in the United States. This can undermine the immediate and long-term dangers that can result from problem drinking.
For most people, one standard drink of alcohol reduces inhibitions and anxiety, making it easier to relax.
Emotional responses to alcohol also vary from person-to-person. Some people feel cheerful or excited, while others become depressed, or even aggressive.
The most common short-term effects of consuming alcohol can include:
- Flushed skin
- Impaired judgement and attention
- Reduced muscle control
- Slowed reflexes
- Slurred speech
- Distorted vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache, even migraines
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) occurs when an individual becomes dependent on alcohol.
Individuals with AUD experience problems controlling drinking and a preoccupation with alcohol. They often will continue to drink, regardless of negative consequences.
Heavy drinking over time can even disrupt healthy brain functions. It can alter how a person experiences pleasure and exercises judgement.
The most common long-term effects of consuming alcohol can include:
- Mental health concerns
- Increased risk of accidental self-harm or suicidality
- Weight gain and diabetes
- Impotence or other sexual performance issues
- Increased risk of certain cancers, including stomach, breast, throat, esophageal, and liver
- Fertility issues, including erectile disfunction
- Weakened immune system
- Brain damage or related conditions, such as stroke and dementia
- Heart conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart attacks
- Liver disease, such as cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and liver failure
- Family History: People with a parent or other close relative that struggles with alcohol have an increased risk of AUD.
- Mental Health Conditions: Individuals with mental illness can develop co-occurring disorders. They are also at risk for negative interactions between alcohol and prescribed medications.
- Adolescents: Drinking alcohol during adolescence can interrupt or damage important brain development. Heavy drinking during these years directly correlates to an increased risk of developing AUD as an adult.
- Pregnancy: People who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding should not drink. Prenatal alcohol exposure at any level can cause lifelong disabilities.
Giving up alcohol can result in a range of symptoms, based on the severity of a person’s alcohol dependence.
Withdrawal symptoms can start within a few hours of a person’s last drink and can last for days or even weeks. These symptoms can include:
- Sweating
- Hypervigilance
- Tremors or seizures
- Nausea and vomiting
- Anxiety, often panic attacks
- Agitation and irritability
- Difficultly sleeping and concentrating
- Decreased appetite
- Delusions and hallucinations
