Which Organs are Most Affected by Alcohol?

But the prospects for successful long-term problem resolution are good for people who seek help from appropriate sources. Psychologists can also provide marital, family, and group therapies, which often are helpful for repairing interpersonal relationships and for resolving problem drinking over the long term. Family relationships influence drinking behavior, and these relationships often change during an individual’s recovery. While some research suggests that small amounts of alcohol may have beneficial cardiovascular effects, there is widespread agreement that heavier drinking can lead to health problems.

It can lead to the loss of relationships with friends, family, and loved ones. Alcohol consumption by an expectant mother may cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and pre-term birth complications. The harmful use of alcohol can also result in harm to other people, such as family members, friends, co-workers and strangers. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in 2019, long term effects of alcohol on the body nearly 15 million people in the United States had an alcohol use problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, 3 million deaths every year result from the harmful use of alcohol. One of the main functions of the kidneys is to regulate both the volume and the composition of body fluid, including electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride ions.

How is alcohol-related liver disease treated?

However, when there are performance and conduct problems coupled with any number of these signs, it is time to make a referral to the EAP for an assessment so that the employee can get help if it is needed. The following organizations https://ecosoberhouse.com/ are good additional resources about alcohol-related liver disease. Employees suffering from a substance use disorder (SUD), specifically alcohol, are nearly 3 times more likely to be absent from work for injury.

Genetic factors make some people especially vulnerable to alcohol dependence. Contrary to myth, being able to «hold your liquor» means you’re probably more at risk — not less — for alcohol problems. Yet a family history of alcohol problems doesn’t mean that children will automatically grow up to have the same problems. Nor does the absence of family drinking problems necessarily protect children from developing these problems. While the disease usually comes on after a period of fairly heavy drinking, it may also be seen in people who are moderate drinkers. Alcoholics develop a very powerful urge to drink which they are eventually unable to control.

Are there other dangers from alcohol besides how much I drink?

If the drinker is unable to resolve alcohol problems fully, a psychologist can help with reducing alcohol use and minimizing problems. Alcoholic cirrhosis is found among alcoholics about 10 to 25 percent of the time. Alcoholic hepatitis is frequently discovered in alcoholics, but it also occurs in people who are not alcoholics.

As a result of urinary fluid losses, the concentration of electrolytes in blood serum increases. The mild dehydration that results likely contributes to hangover symptoms such as thirst, fatigue, and a headache. Research has not found a correlation between the extent of electrolyte disruptions and the severity of hangovers, or the impact of added electrolytes on hangover severity. In most people, the body will quickly restore electrolyte balance once the effects of alcohol subside. However, these changes can be profound in people with severe AUD, who may demonstrate clinical evidence of dehydration. Both binge drinking and long-term heavy drinking can lead to strokes, even in people without coronary heart disease.

The following organizations are good additional resources about alcohol-related liver disease…

Alcohol affects many organs in the human body, including brain health. Researchers have studied alcohol-related brain damage and found that in the short-term, alcohol can cause slowing of motor functions, poor coordination, and impairment of memory and judgment. Long-term alcohol use can cause liver disease, heart disease, various types of cancers, and permanent brain damage. Brain damage can result in mental disorders like learning deficits, memory problems, and dementia. Many heavy drinkers will progress from fatty liver disease to alcoholic hepatitis to alcoholic cirrhosis over time.

The brain plays a critical role in regulating many essential body functions like decision making, behavior, movements, emotions, and sleep patterns. Therefore, it is important for anyone struggling with excessive alcohol use or alcohol use disorder to seek professional alcohol addiction treatment from a mental health professional. This can help to slow or reverse the effects of alcohol on the brain. Scarring of the liver, called fibrosis, can lead to long-term damage to the liver’s functionality. This condition is called cirrhosis, and there are many diseases that can cause this type of damage. Long-term abuse of alcohol causes scarring in the liver, as the organ is not able to keep up with the ingestion of the intoxicating substance.

The majority of it will enter the small intestine and get absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the small intestine, or it can stay in the stomach and cause irritation. For more information about alcohol and cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute’s webpage «Alcohol and Cancer Risk» (last accessed October 21, 2021).

• Many people go into treatment because of some kind of threat such as loss of a job or possible incarceration.
• They are likely to suffer a variety of life-threatening health problems caused by alcohol-related liver disease.
• Research notes a link between heavy alcohol consumption and the risk of acquiring pneumonia, tuberculosis, and HIV.
• An additional long-term effect alcohol has on the body is damage t0 the pancreas, another important organ that aids in digestion.
• Excessive alcohol abuse can increase stomach acid production, gradually wearing away the stomach lining.
• Antidepressants often have a sedative quality meaning the action of your antidepressant drug and the action of alcohol worked together to provide an enhanced sedative effect.