What changes do you notice when you drink? Some individuals become feistier, while others become more depressed. You may have friends who become more social and happier as they consume more alcohol. The substance’s effects depend on a multitude of factors, including quantity of drinks, the frequency of alcohol consumption, age, physical health influences, and family history. Alcohol does not only affect one’s mood and behaviors. It also has consequences on our bodies.
What Alcohol Does to Our Organs
A person does not have to be addicted to alcohol for the substance to cause physical destruction and deterioration. Drinking too much in one sitting or drinking too frequently can have major consequences on our organs and immune system and increase our risk of getting certain types of cancers.
Alcohol changes our brains. We have each seen someone who stumbles or exhibits trouble walking in a straight line after consuming drinks. You may have experienced difficulties in conversing with someone who has had too much to drink. Not only does alcohol have these short-term consequences on our brains, it also changes the way the brain looks and works in the long run.
The heart is a vital organ, too, but alcohol does not care about this fact. Instead, abusing alcohol can lead to cardiomyopathy and strokes. High blood pressure and irregular heartbeats have also been correlated with consuming too much alcohol in a single sitting or drinking too frequently.
Our liver can also be injured and become inflamed from alcohol consumption. This can lead to a plethora of diseases and disorders. Some health issues directly related to alcohol and the liver include steatosis (fatty liver disease), cirrhosis, fibrosis, and alcoholic hepatitis.
Toxins from alcohol spread to more organs than just our brain, heart, and liver. Our pancreas, as an example, also experiences negative effects when we drink, which can eventually cause pancreatitis. As a result, digestion becomes difficult due to the inflammation of this organ and the swelling of blood vessels.
Alcohol, Cancer, and the Immune System
Alcohol does not only affect different organs in our body, it also leaves our immune system weakened and is correlated with developing many types of cancers. Tuberculosis and pneumonia have also been found more often in chronic drinkers than those who don’t regularly consume alcohol.
The risk of head and neck cancers are two to three times greater for those who drink versus those who do not. Typically, these cancers affect a person’s voice box, lips, and throat. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma has also been correlated to those who are chronic drinkers. Additionally, the risk of breast cancer triples. Liver, colon, and rectum cancers also become more prevalent.
Alcohol Use Treatment in Tennessee
Don’t allow alcohol to take control of your health. Discovery Place has amazing treatment programs to aid in recovery from a plethora of substance use disorders. We offer treatment for many substance use disorders, including an alcohol addiction treatment program. We even have financing and scholarship opportunities for those who need help affording treatment. Give us a call today at 1-800-725-0922. Our trained staff is standing by waiting to help you learn skills and techniques to get your life back!
