How does Alcohol Affect the Nervous System

Alcohol is a product of fermented fruits, grains and honey. In this process, yeast is used to turn the sugar into alcohol. Alcohol is used in many forms like as a sedative, as a cleaner and as an antiseptic agent. The alcoholic beverages are consumed by humans, from the prehistorical period, for many reasons. Large amount of alcohol consumption leads to intoxication and hangovers. The regular intake of alcohol in high dosages, causes many long and short term effects on the various body parts, like the bone structures, bloodstream, liver, stomach, pancreas, heart, peripheral tissues and mouth. Regular or high consumption of alcohol can cause serious central nervous system disorders.

Short Term Effects
Alcohol affects the nervous system by stamping down the signals between the spinal chord, nerve system and the brain. The alcohol is absorbed by the blood which results into the slaking of the nerve tissues and they become totally numb when in this state of 'drunkenness'. At this time, the digestive system cannot digest the alcohol. This is the only difference between alcohol and any other sedative.

As we all know, there are two human body systems, namely - the voluntary body system and the involuntary body system. The voluntary system controls the movements of the muscles, while the involuntary system controls the speed of the body parts, the heart beats and the electrical signals that pass from the brain through neurons. The involuntary body system gets affected largely if someone is consuming excessive quantities of alcohol. Alcohol is most probably the biggest depressant of the central nervous system. It also enhances the activities of the 'gamma aminobutyric acid' (GABA), and weakens 'glutamine'. As a result the person's behavior gets torpid. Lack of coordination and dimming behavior are the basic effects seen, when a person is drunk.

Long Term Effects
The effects of alcohol on the central nervous system depend on the duration and the quantity of the alcohol consumption. They also vary from person to person on the basis of the tolerance capacity. These changes are not stable as they continuously keep on changing. The cells become semipermeable to alcohol, thicker in short. These unhealthy cells weaken the nervous system a lot. Also, the high tolerance level of a person to the alcohol, makes him more prone to various kinds of infections. Severe consequences like - heart attacks, brain strokes and dementia may also appear.

Chronic or gradual alcohol consumption leads to addiction of the alcoholic beverages. The typical symptoms of it may include panic, anxiety, tremors of body parts, nausea and sleep disorders. There could be some more withdrawal symptoms like hallucinations. The chronic drinking habit can damage both the frontal lobes, it also reduces the brain weight and the brain size.

One more effect of the alcohol addiction, is vitamin deficiency. As the digestive system is affected too, it fails to absorb the B-1 vitamin (thiamine). This syndrome is known as the 'Wernicke's Encephalopathy'. The syndrome leads to lack of coordination, impaired vision, short-term memory and confusion.

Alcohol leaves its effects on the reticular formation, the spinal chord, cerebral cortex and the cerebellum as well. It gets dissolved in the lipids and other water solutions. All this results into many neurochemical effects. It increases the activities of the neurotransmitters like dopamine and the precursors like norepinephrine. It also increases the effects on the production of the beta-endorphin, which is an anti-pain agent.

Effects of alcohol depend upon the age, gender, physical condition and many other factors. If a person combines the alcohol with any other drug, then it leads to disastrous reactions that may lead to severe poisoning of the bloodstream. Following are the effects of alcohol in various drinking conditions:

• Low Consumption: Low quantity of alcohol intake reduces tension, relaxes the muscles, slow downs the reflex actions and also reduces the reaction time and the coordination.
• Medium Consumption: It causes a lot of drowsiness, slurring and mood swings with alternate emotions.
• High Consumption: It leads to breathing difficulties, sometimes even breathing failures, vomiting, panic attacks, unconsciousness that sometimes leads to coma, etc.

Alcoholism may also lead to depression, antisocial behavior, psychosis, delusions, ataxia, seizures, craving for food and irritability.