Damaging Effects of Alcohol on the Body

The alcohol addiction has many long-term damaging effects on the body, most of them leading to the eventual death of the person. Here are some of the effects of alcohol on various parts of the body:

1) Brain: The effects of alcohol on the brain are visible immediately in the form of difficulty in walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, loss of memory, improper reaction, lack of focus etc. Drinking continuously for a period of time produces permanent changes in the brain like reduction in the amount of brain tissue. Drinking habit also makes the person neglect the diet that results in deficiency in vital vitamins that could lead to serious mental disturbance.

2) Heart: Heart is another severely affected organ of the body due to alcohol addiction. Due to intake of alcohol the heart starts beating at the rate faster than the normal rate. In the long-run the heart gets weakened and it loses it pumping action, which results in high blood pressure, damage to heart tissues, heart failure and stroke. Some of these effects could be fatal.  Alcohol also affects the formation of red blood cells and white blood cells.       

3) Liver: Permanent damage to the liver is one of the most serious effects of the continuous alcohol drinking. As such the liver has the property to regenerate, but because of continuous drinking the liver gets damaged to the extent that it eventually loses it regeneration capability. This leads to the malfunction of the liver, the condition called as cirrhosis of liver. Liver carries out metabolism in the body and it has to the metabolize alcohol as well. Alcohol destroys liver, due to which the new cells of liver are not created and it loses its vital function of carrying out metabolism.

The major symptoms of cirrhosis of liver include stoppage of the food intake. Since the process of metabolism stops, the person does not feels hunger and does not wants to eat anything. The person eventually becomes very weak, may remain on the bed for a number of days and in most of the cases untimely death of the person occurs. The symptoms of liver damage also include bleeding in bowels, yellowing of the skin, eyeballs, and urine (jaundice), fever, and abdominal pain. Majority of the cases of liver cirrhosis are caused by alcohol drinking.

4) Stomach: Even a single instance of heavy drinking of alcohol can lead to irritation of the stomach that can cause sickness, pain and vomiting. The symptoms would continue if the drinking habit goes on. Stomach pain also occurs due to damage of liver caused by the continuous drinking. Alcohol can also cause peptic ulcers, inflammation, bleeding lesions, and cancer.           

5) Reproductive organs: Contrary to the notion that alcohol would boost sex life, it actually suppresses the sexual life. Alcohol depresses the nerve impulses that cause depression of erection in the men. If the pregnant woman consumes alcohol, damage can be caused to the fetus. The new born baby can have lower intelligence, lower weight and also facial deformities.    

Besides the above organs, other organs of the body are also affected by alcohol consumption like lungs, pancreas, intestines, mouth, throat, etc. As such alcohol has the burning effect and it burns and destroys almost all the parts of the body. The only way to healthy life is to give up alcohol drinking habit. You can get rid of alcohol by sheer determination, taking treatments, practicing meditation and yoga and also by joining some community center like New Found Life Sober Living House of Delray Beach Florida the details of which are available at http://www.soberliving-delraybeach.com.