Professional treatments and support can help you overcome alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder and improve your overall health and well-being. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines moderate drinking as two or fewer drinks in a day for men and one or less in a day for women. Excessive (binge) is toad pee dangerous to humans drinking is defined as four or more drinks on a single occasion for women and five or more drinks on a single occasion for men. Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, contributing to approximately 178,000 deaths annually. Over time, alcohol use takes a toll on your body and increases your risk of over 200 health conditions.
For more information about alcohol’s effects on the body, please visit the Interactive Body feature on NIAAA’s College Drinking Prevention website. For more information about alcohol and cancer, please visit the National Cancer Institute’s webpage “Alcohol and Cancer Risk” (last accessed June 6, 2024). A weakened immune system has a harder time protecting you from germs and viruses.
Take our free, 5-minute substance abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance abuse. The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result. If you are on any medications, talk to your health care provider about how alcohol may affect them. Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and nonjudgmentally discuss alcohol issues with others who have alcohol use disorder. Long-term alcohol use can change your brain’s wiring in much more significant ways.
What Are the Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body?
When the pancreas becomes irritated and inflamed, you can develop pancreatitis. Your liver produces enzymes that break down alcohol, but your liver can only handle so much alcohol at one time (approximately 1 ounce per hour). Below we explore the specific parts of the body alcohol affects. Teens who drink are also more likely to die by falling or drowning, and are more likely to drink and drive. Teach your children never to get into a car driven by a person who has been drinking; assure them that you will pick them up no matter what the hour.
Changes in Mood
Alcohol use can factor into mental health symptoms that closely resemble those of other mental health conditions. People who drink heavily over a long period of time are also more likely to develop pneumonia or tuberculosis than the general population. The World Health Organization (WHO) links about 8.1 percent of all tuberculosis cases worldwide to alcohol consumption. If your body can’t manage and balance your blood sugar levels, you may experience greater complications and side effects related to diabetes. Alcohol use can begin to take a toll on anyone’s physical and mental well-being over time. These effects may be more serious and more noticeable if you drink regularly and tend to have more than 1 or 2 drinks when you do.
In people assigned male at birth, alcohol consumption can decrease testosterone production and sperm quality. In people assigned female at birth, alcohol use can interfere with regular ovulation and menstrual cycles and make it difficult to get pregnant. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic brain disorder that makes it difficult to control alcohol use, even when it’s causing problems. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FASD can cause a range of neurodevelopmental and physical effects in the child after birth. Moderate drinking is having one drink or less in a day for women, or two drinks or less in a day for men.
Factors affecting alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm
- There’s been an uptick in non-alcoholic drink options, as more and more companies are creating alternatives.
- On the other hand, long-term heavy drinking boosts your blood pressure.
- And drinking raises the risk of problems in the digestive system.
- In the United States, people younger than age 21 are not legally able to drink alcohol.
Since those effects don’t last long, you might not worry much about them, especially if you don’t drink often. Alcohol disrupts normal brain function, leading to lowered inhibitions, impulsive behavior, and difficulty focusing or making decisions. Alcohol poisoning can quickly become life-threatening and requires prompt medical treatment. Call 911 for help if you suspect someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning.
Health Fast Facts
As alcohol enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain, it binds to certain neurotransmitters (substances that facilitate communication between nerve cells) like gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate. Within five minutes, alcohol reaches your brain, slowing down the central nervous system and affecting the way you feel, think, and behave. Every state in the U.S. has a legal limit (or a point at which it is legally unsafe to operate a motor vehicle) of 0.08%. It’s important to note that any amount of alcohol in your system can interfere with your ability to think and function without impairment. The pancreas is essential for breaking down enzymes and starches (like those in alcohol).
These brain chemicals are responsible for regulating your mood, concentration, motivation, and reward-seeking behavior. Drinking alcohol can influence your psychological functioning and well-being. Alcohol also causes damage to nerves and pathways, which disrupts communication between essential organs and bodily functions.
Among female subjects, AUDIT-KR and PSQI-K scores were not correlated. Alcohol’s impact on neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA can also contribute to mood changes the day after drinking. Once the effects of alcohol wear off, glutamate (a neurotransmitter) levels increase, which can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety, or “hangxiety” (hangover and anxiety), the day after drinking. Drinking any amount or type of alcohol has a wide range of short- and long-term effects on your physical and mental health.
