Alcohol withdrawal can be difficult and, in some cases, life threatening. Depending on how often you drink and how much, you may need support from a healthcare professional if you want to stop drinking. Slurred speech, a key sign of intoxication, happens because alcohol reduces communication between your brain and body. This makes speech and coordination — think reaction time and balance — more difficult.

• This article explores the short-term and long-term effects of drinking alcohol.
• Alcohol is a toxin, and it’s your liver’s job to flush it out of your body.
• When functioning normally, the pancreas releases digestive enzymes to help break down food and exocrine hormones to help regulate blood sugar levels.
• “The oxidative metabolism of alcohol generates molecules that inhibit fat oxidation in the liver and, subsequently, can lead to a condition known as fatty liver,” says Dr. Menon.

When the effects of the alcohol wear off, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as sweating and shaking. Pancreatitis is a painful inflammation of the pancreas that can be acute or chronic. This condition occurs when an abundance of toxins from the alcohol breakdown process starts to harm the cells of the pancreas. Furthermore, digestive long term effects of alcohol on the body enzymes normally released into the small intestine remain trapped in the pancreas and begin to self-digest the organ. Damaged tissue then becomes inflamed, and if heavy drinking continues, this condition can become permanent. Some of the effects of pancreatitis are jaundice, back and abdomen pain, discolored stool, and vomiting.

What is a standard drink?

Furthermore, alcohol impairs the body’s ability to remove mucus from the lungs, leading to a higher risk of pneumonia and other health complications. One of the simplest ways to keep your weight in check is by not drinking too much. Studies show that alcohol intake can be a risk factor for obesity, especially when you regularly have a lot of it. Experts know that when we drink, we don’t usually compensate by eating less. Plus, even a few drinks can lower your inhibition—prompting you to eat more than you otherwise would if you were sober, research suggests.

While one intoxicated person might dissolve into a puddle of tears, another might flitter around the bar telling everyone how much they love them. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The safest amount of booze to drink is none at all, a major new study suggests.

Other Risks of Alcohol Consumption

Chronic alcohol consumption has also been linked to the development of epilepsy in some people. Women tend to be more vulnerable than men to the effects of alcohol due to differences in how their bodies absorb and metabolize alcohol. For women, binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks during a single occasion, while heavy drinking is defined as eight or more drinks per week. For men, binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks during a single occasion, while heavy drinking is 15 or more drinks per week.

However, you don’t have to lose hope and continue down the path of destruction. Across the country, there are specialized alcohol treatment programs that help millions of individuals overcome alcoholism each year. With customized recovery plans in place, each facility offers several amenities, therapies and activities. During the course of treatment program, patients learn about how to handle triggers, prevent urges to drink and other tools to help maintain sobriety. Get professional help from an addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp.

Body composition

The good news is that within a year of stopping drinking, most cognitive damage can be reversed or improved. Your whole body absorbs alcohol, but it really takes its toll on the brain. It is absorbed through the lining of your stomach into your bloodstream. Alcohol reaches your brain in only five minutes, and starts to affect you within 10 minutes.