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SHORT
AND LONG
TERM AFFECTS OF
ALCOHOL?
The
USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 stated that alcohol can have
beneficial or harmful effects depending upon the overall health of the person
and how much is being drank. It listed the hazards for heavy alcohol consumption
as "increased risk of liver cirrhosis, hypertension, cancers of the upper
gastrointestinal tract, injury, violence and death." It warned against
participating in any activity that requires "attention, skill and/or
coordination." To be fair, it also indicated that moderate use of alcohol can
have some benefits. For example, "the lowest all-cause mortality occurs at an
intake of one to two drinks per day. The lowest coronary heart disease mortality
also occurs at an intake of one to two drinks per day." Keep in mind that these
facts apply to adults who legally can drink.
Short term effects of alcohol were listed on the
In The Know Zone. They can occur after only one or two drinks and may
be resolved after drinking stops.
- Anxiety and restlessness
- Blurry or double vision
- Coma which generally occurs with excessive drinking
- Heavy sweating
- Inability to drive a car safely
- Lower inhibitions (doing or saying things you normally wouldn't)
- Lower reasoning ability
- Impaired or loss of memory
- Loss of coordination (walking, fine motor skills)
- Mental confusion
- Nausea and vomiting
- Poor motor coordination
- Reduced blood pressure
- Slowed breathing rate which can develop into respiratory arrest
- Slowed heart rate
- Slower reaction times
- Slower reflexes
- Slurred speech
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Long term effects of alcohol include:
| Birth Defects |
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is like to occur when the mother drinks during pregnancy and puts the unborn child at risk of
developing mental or physical disabilities. |
| Brain Damage |
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| Cancer |
Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of cancer of the:
- breast
- colon
- liver
- rectum
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| Heart Disease |
- Alcohol raises the fat level in the blood which raises blood pressure.
- Excessive and binge drinking can lead to stroke.
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Liver Damage |
The liver can be damaged in several ways:
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Fatty liver disease is the build up of fat cells that can be cured by not drinking for a while.
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Alcoholic hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver that causes a abdominal pain, fever, jaundice, loss of appetite,
nausea, and vomiting. Binge drinking can lead to a more severe form witch can be life-threatening and could be
irreversible.
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Alcoholic cirrhosis occurs when scar tissue replaces the healthy tissue of the liver. It is the most dangerous and although
if you stop drinking the condition stabilizes, it is irreversible.
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Liver fibrosis is the forerunner of cirrhosis and its greatest danger is that there normally are no symptoms to act as an
alert that a more serious disease is developing.
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Pancreas Damage |
Damage to the pancreas from excessive alcohol use may
not cause symptoms for many years, but then the person may suddenly
develop severe pancreatitis symptoms. |
| Sexual Problems |
- Drinking can cause men to have a lower sperm count which can decrease the chance of fathering a child.
- Women have been known to have more difficult menstrual cycles and there's evidence that menopause will start earlier
in women who drink on a frequent basis.
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Background provided by Free Buttons and Backgrounds
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All reference sources are listed on the individual pages.
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