Alcohol can also contribute to arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) and hypertension (high blood pressure), increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. And prolonged alcohol use can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days. But prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, which can be severe. “The good news is that earlier stages of steatotic liver disease are usually completely reversible in about four to six weeks if you abstain from drinking alcohol,” Dr. Sengupta assures.
Social and wellness issues
This is a potentially life-threatening situation that requires immediate medical attention. Lowered inhibitions when drinking alcohol can lead to impulsive behavior—engaging in behaviors without considering the potential consequences of your actions. The impairing effects of alcohol on cognitive functioning—including consequences of alcohol concentration, thinking, reasoning, and decision-making—play a role in increased impulsivity while drinking. This slows the communication between brain cells and has a calming effect on the mind and body. This is why you might feel relaxed and as though your stress and tension are melting away when drinking alcohol.
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Certain factors may increase your chances of experiencing alcohol use disorder. Over time, alcohol can cause damage to your central nervous system. Experts recommend avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia. A damaged pancreas can also prevent your body from producing enough insulin to use sugar.
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Once in the bloodstream, alcohol affects every organ in the body, including your brain. There’s also evidence that regular drinking at high-risk levels can make your mental health worse. Chronic alcohol abuse can wreak havoc on your body and brain, increasing your risk of many diseases. Chronic alcohol https://ecosoberhouse.com/ abuse can have catastrophic health effects, impacting your entire body and causing a range of health problems. Simultaneously, alcohol abuse is the third main cause of preventable death in the US, as it’s a large factor in chronic diseases, accidents, traffic crashes and social problems (68).
How Alcohol Use Disorder Is Treated
- This can lead to conditions like stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
- For example, light to moderate drinking is linked to reduced weight gain, whereas heavy drinking is linked to increased weight gain (32, 33, 34).
- Alcohol addiction is a disease characterized by a strong craving for alcohol, and continued use despite a negative impact on health, interpersonal relationships, and ability to work.
- Drinking alcohol may increase your risk of certain cancers, especially mouth and throat cancer.
- Alcohol use can begin to take a toll on anyone’s physical and mental well-being over time.
That’s because alcohol can weaken your immune system, slow healing and make your body more susceptible to infection. Your body breaks alcohol down into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which damages your DNA. Damaged DNA can cause a cell to grow out of control, which results in cancerous tumors.