Alcohol has been a part of western culture for hundreds of years and we’re all familiar with the classic “drunkenness” that it produces, along with the infamous hangover that greets us the next day. So, in an effort to better understand the substance that creates so many dangerous addictions, let’s take a look at the effects of alcohol on the body.For starters, alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach walls and intestines, hence the reason people with empty stomachs feel the effects sooner and stronger as there is nothing to mitigate or slow this absorption. Alcohol in the blood is filtered out by the liver, which is the only organ capable of producing the proper enzyme. As the alcohol enters the brain, a person goes through a number of familiar and predictable stages in response. First there is the light euphoria that most people find enjoyable about a beer or glass of wine. More alcohol leads to a phase of lethargy as the muscles and motor skills are slowed. This is followed by confusion, stupor, and then the more serious results of coma and death. These effects are the result of the brain and blood being too infused with the foreign substance, which inhibits normal functioning of the nervous system. Symptoms include:
- Impaired motor function and balance
- Sedation
- Impaired memory and dizziness
- Impaired speech and poor thinking
- Nausea and vomiting
- Decreased heart rate
- Respiratory malfunction
- Urinary malfunction
There are other symptoms that can result, depending on the person’s physical situation. Over the long term, continued abuse of alcohol will have negative effects on the brain, heart, urinary tract, and liver.Serious long term ailments include:
- Cancer of various organs
- Arthritis
- Hyperglycemia
- Malnutrition
- Nervous Disorders
- Obesity
- Psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, and insomnia
- Fetal alcohol syndrome and damage to the unborn
People don’t tend to think there is a serious physical toll being taken on their bodies when they engage in regular alcohol abuse but the reality is that you are assaulting the body with a foreign poison repeatedly and these organs responsible for cleaning up after this behavior will wear down over time.
