Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.
Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.
The Effects of Alcohol on Behavior
Slurred speech, motor impairment, confusion and memory problems are just a few common consequences of alcohol consumption in the short term.
Alcoholics generally drink excessively, often much more than four drinks per day and in a manner they can't control. Excessive drinking is a serious health problem for millions of people in the United States. Alcohol addiction, or alcohol use disorder (AUD), is one facet of problem drinking.
Alcohol slows the immune system, making bacteria-fighting white blood cells sluggish and much less efficient. Heavy drinkers may be more likely to succumb to illnesses such as tuberculosis or pneumonia, and increased risk of numerous forms of cancer.
Because alcohol can make you lose your inhibitions and act more impulsively, it may lead to actions such as self-harm or suicide. Heavy drinking is also linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses (such as no gag reflex, which prevents choking), and extremely low body temperature. Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Generally, people drink to either increase positive emotions or decrease negative ones. This results in all drinking motives falling into one of four categories: enhancement (because it's exciting), coping (to forget about my worries), social (to celebrate), and conformity (to fit in).
Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including: Steatosis, or fatty liver. Alcoholic hepatitis.
Alcohol abuse can cause signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behavior, both during intoxication and during withdrawal. At times, these symptoms and signs cluster, last for weeks, and mimic frank psychiatric disorders (i.e., are alcohol–induced syndromes).
Alcohol can increase oxidative stress and inflammation, which damages nerves. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to malnutrition, including a lack of vitamins and nutrients essential for maintaining the functioning of your nervous system.
Like all drugs, alcohol can damage your body, especially if you drink heavily every day or in binges. Even small amounts of alcohol are still linked to the development of certain diseases, including numerous cancers. Alcohol affects your body in many ways.
When you drink alcohol, you don't digest alcohol. It passes quickly into your bloodstream and travels to every part of your body. Alcohol affects your brain first, then your kidneys, lungs and liver.
One of the differentiators between problem drinking and alcoholism is the physical dependency. If you can go long periods of time without the need for alcohol, you may not be an alcoholic.
Health care providers consider your drinking medically unsafe when you drink: Many times a month, or even many times a week. 3 to 4 drinks (or more) in 1 day. 5 or more drinks on one occasion monthly, or even weekly.
Risky alcohol use increases the risk for developing long-standing diseases (such as heart disease and breast cancer), as well as injuries and violence (such as motor vehicle crashes, suicide, and homicide).
It describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink. Although it isn't a term that is used anymore as part of medical care, some people who are recovering from dependence still use the term 'alcoholic' to describe themselves. Alcoholism is also known as alcohol addiction, alcohol misuse or alcohol dependence.
Alcoholic Dementia Life Expectancy
While there are no specific life expectancy projections for alcohol-related dementia in general, a study shows that the life expectancy for someone with Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is eight years for 50% of people who have this form of alcohol-related brain damage.