Harmful Effects of Alcohol

In recent years it has been observed that there has been remarkable increase in the number of people consuming alcohol on a daily basis. They may or may not be aware of the negative effects of alcohol on their body and life. Most people argue that alcohol helps them stay away from stress and aids a good night's sleep everyday. However, the consequences of this are far worse than imagined.

List of Effects of Alcohol

We all are aware that alcohol is bad for health and it has a negative effect on the body. The main cause for it is that when a person consumes alcohol, it mixes in his blood and reaches all the vital parts of the body, having a damaging effect on them. Alcohol directly affects the central nervous system (CNS) and slows down its functions. Therefore drowsiness, depression, nausea and lack of awareness are the common effects of alcohol. However, if it is consumed in large amounts for long time, it has severe effects on the body. Let us have a look at the harmful effects of drinking alcohol in detail.

The effects of alcohol on the body depend on several factors. Firstly, it depends on the amount of alcohol consumed by the person, whether he or she has consumed it on a single occasion or after intervals, the person's age and gender, etc. Similarly, the effects shown by alcohol are more severe if the person is already a chronic alcoholic. The following is a list of harmful effects of alcoholic drinks on different vital organs of the body.

... on the Brain
The worst effect of alcohol addiction is on the brain. As mentioned above, alcohol directly affects the central nervous system and slows down its function. The other effects include:

• Impaired behavior and judgment
• Memory loss
• Lack of concentration and coordination
• Impaired vision and hearing
• Slower motor skills and reactions
• Mood swings
• Slurred speech

... on the Liver
Alcohol slows down the process of metabolism in liver. If this continues for a longer time, it can result in permanent damage of the liver. Effects of alcohol on the liver include:

• Jaundice
• Liver cirrhosis
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Alcoholic fatty liver
• Liver cancer

... on Digestive System
Excess consumption of alcohol damages the internal lining of the GI tract. It indirectly affects the internal organs and glands of the digestive system. Alcohol side effects on digestive system include:

• Vomiting
• Peptic ulcers
• Throat cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Gastritis
• Hemorrhaging
• Colon cancer

... on Reproductive System
One may not be aware but drinking alcohol indirectly affects the reproductive system in both men and women. In their pregnancy period, women are advised to stop alcohol consumption completely as it can lead to mental retardation in babies. The following are the other damaging effects of alcohol on the reproductive system:

• Infertility
• Impotency
• Breast cancer
• Sterility (in men)
• Atrophy of testes (in men)

These were some of the drinking alcohol effects on body. Apart from that, alcoholism also makes a person prone to heart diseases by increasing his blood pressure. On the other hand, the person has higher chances of contracting infectious diseases due to a weakened immune system. Along with these medical conditions, a chronic alcoholic suffers from social embarrassment due to his behavior which leads to broken relationships between partner, family members and society. One may also have observed that there has been a significant increase in number of accidents and accidental deaths due to drunk driving.

Remember that coma and death are the ultimate harmful effects of consuming alcohol. One should remember that alcohol does no good to our body or our life and hence, it is wise to stay away from it!