Long Term Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol damages many parts of the body due to the excess drinking of alcohol for a long time. The long term effects of alcohol are the damage to the brain and the liver. Other long term effects are oral, the throat, esophagus, lips and liver cancers; brain injury, memory loss, confusion and hallucinations; high level of blood pressure, pulse beating will be irregular, heart will enlarge and the changes in RBC; loss of muscle tissue and weakened muscle tissue; sweat, flush and bruise of the skin; inflammation of stomach lining, bleeding in the stomach and the stomach ulcers; increases risk of infections of lungs; severe liver swelling, cirrhosis and hepatitis of liver; inflammation of pancreas; itching and loss of feelings of hands and feet; impotence in men, testicle shrinkage, sperm will get damaged and reduces in number and increased risk of gynecological problems in women.

Studies say that the moderate consumers have decreased mortality than the heavy consumers due to cardiovascular disease. Moderate drinkers with diabetes have a risk of heart attack lower than the nondrinkers. Moderate drinking will reduce the risk of certain diseases. Excessive drinking increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and can even lead to a stroke. The alcohol is absorbed by the blood stream and on account of that it damages the hemoglobin cells which carry oxygen and results in anemia.

Prolonged use of alcohol will lead to liver related diseases and the symptoms include fever, jaundice of the skin, eyeballs and the abdominal pain. If the drinking continues, it can cause death due to Alcoholic hepatitis and in case drinking stops the condition get reversed. About10-20 of prolonged drinkers develops cirrhosis in the liver and the result of continual drinking is death. The liver is accumulated with fats due to excessive drinking which block the liver cells from functioning. The chance of survival increases when the person stops drinking but cirrhosis is a condition which is not reversible. Most of the people with cirrhosis need transplantations of liver and transplantations are the last resort. Another liver related problem is hepatitis. According to a study of women who drink one and a half or more drinks daily are at a higher risk than the men who drink three or more drinks daily.

Alcohol contains carcinogens and so there is a risk of developing cancer such as cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat and voice box and in case of women risk of breast cancer is also due to alcohol consumption. There is an increased risk of colon cancer and rectum cancer. The person who drinks and smokes have a higher risk of developing cancer.

Pancreas is a gland which produces insulin to aid the body to regulate the blood sugar level. Prolonged drinking of alcohol causes inflammation of pancreas or pancreatitis and this condition is associated with severe pain in abdomen and weight loss which is fatal. Alcohol causes acidity in stomach and this acid burns the mucous lining of the stomach causing ulcers on the stomach and intestinal walls. Heavy drinkers suffer from stomach bleeding from enlarged veins around the esophagus, diarrhea and malnutrition of food. Excess alcohol also causes a condition called Ketoacidosis in which the blood in the body becomes highly acidic.