Alcohols Effects On the Human Body

Brian Mardjuki
04/02/2017
Biology 1010
 Alcohol is a very common substance that people ingest. The chances are that you or
someone you know that is close to you consumes alcohol. So many people drink alcohol, but
very little people think about the consequences that come with drinking it. People will drink
alcohol in a party setting, social setting and some people abuse this substance without thinking
about what it is doing to your body. There are many systems in your body that are damaged by
alcohol. Your Brain, Heart, Liver and Pancreas are all impacted when you consume alcohol.
Alcohol can also cause cancer and weaken your immune system.
Alcohol can have a big affect on your brain and its functions. While under the influence
of alcohol it can impair different regions of your brain. Alcohol can cause loss of reason,
inhibitions, sociability, talkativeness, intelligence(Frontal Lobe), Loss of fine motor skills,
Slower reaction time, Shaking (Parietal Lobe), Slurred speech, Impaired hearing (Temporal
Lobe), Blurred vision, poor distance judgement (Occipital Lobe), Lack of muscle coordination
and balance (Cerebellum), and even loss of vital functions (Brain Stem). Alcohol can be used as
a sedative to some people, but scientists have found that alcohol can affect quality of sleep.
People with with sleep apnea experience increased apneic episodes or even oxygen deprivation.
Although alcohol can act as a sedative to some, it can act as a stimulant for others. It can cause
violent and self abusive behavior. In small amounts, alcohol can help the blood vessels to relax
and widen, but in large amounts alcohol can shrink the vessels causing migraines and high blood
pressure.
The heart is something that alcohol impacts as well. It can cause things such as Stroke
and high blood pressure. Other effects that alcohol can have on the heart are, Cardiomyopathy
(Stretching and drooping of the heart muscle) which is a condition that makes it hard for the
heart to deliver blood to the body and can lead to heart failure and Arrhythmias (Irregular
heartbeat) which occurs when electrical impulses in the heart dont work properly. There are
sometimes no symptoms for this condition and it is a very common condition with frequent
alcohol consumers. Studies have found that alcohol can lead to a another condition called
tachycardia which is a condition that involves increased heart rate due to problems in the
electrical signals that produce a heartbeat. This condition can cause blood clots which can lead to
stroke or heart attack. Drinking alcohol regularly can also cause hypertension (high blood
pressure) and this can cause the arteries to harden and thicken which increases the risk of heart
attack or stroke. Another condition that heavy alcohol consumption can cause damage to the
heart muscle which is called cardiomyopathy. This condition leads to a weakened heart muscle
which leads to enlarging of the four heart chambers. When the chambers are enlarged, the
contractions of the heart become weaker making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the
body. Cardiomyopathy can eventually lead to congestive heart failure, which is when the heart
does not pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body.
Consuming alcohol can be damaging to your liver in many different ways. For some
people, consuming just one glass of wine or beer can lead to liver problems. The liver can
usually handle small amounts of alcohol, however consuming too much alcohol or drinking
alcohol too fast can cause the liver cells to struggle processing it. When alcohol gets to the liver,
it produces an enzyme called acetaldehyde which can cause permanent scarring and damage to
liver cells. To function properly, you liver requires water and when you consume alcohol it
dehydrates your body causing the liver to draw water from different places in your body, which
is why most people become very dehydrated after drinking alcohol. Consistent consumption of
alcohol can disrupt the way alcohol is metabolized in the body which can lead to alcoholic liver
disease. If you consume more alcohol than the liver can handle, it can lead to the buildup of too
much fat in your liver, causing inflammation and fatty liver disease.
The pancreas is another area of the body that can be damaged by alcohol. Heavy drinking
can usually lead to a condition called pancreatitis, which is when your pancreas becomes
inflamed and its cells are damaged. There are two types of pancreatitis, acute and chronic. In
cases of acute pancreatitis the pancreas becomes inflamed only for a couple days and it usually
does not cause permanent damage. One in five cases of acute pancreatitis can become severe.
Enzymes that are inside your pancreas can get into the bloodstream and lead to things such as
kidney failure. Symptoms of acute pancreatitis are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and fever.
Chronic pancreatitis causes the pancreas to become inflamed and stay that way. This causes the
pancreas to stop working properly. Symptoms of Chronic pancreatitis include recurring paint
behind the ribs and through the back, weight loss, producing greasy, foul-smelling feces, back
pain and jaundice.
On top of all the damage to the human body that alcohol can do, it can also cause several
different types of cancer in your body. There are seven different cancers that are linked to
alcohol consumption: Mouth & throat, Larynx, Oesophagus, Breast, Liver and Bowel cancer. In
the United States about 3% to 4% of cancer deaths are related to long term alcohol use. Alcohol
acts as an irritant to body tissue, especially in the mouth and throat. This can cause cell damage
and when the cells try to repair themselves it can lead to DNA changes in the cells which is a
closer step to developing cancer. The reason DNA changes in the cells can cause cancer is,
because when repairing, there can be mistakes in the DNA which can cause cancer.
Acetaldehyde, a chemical shown to cause cancer in lab animals is what bacteria in the colon and
rectum can convert alcohol into in large amounts. In woman, alcohol can lead to higher levels of
estrogen, a hormone essential for growth and development in breast tissue. This can affect a
womans risk of developing breast cancer. Alcohol can also cause an intake of too many calories
which can lead to obesity and obesity can be linked to many different kinds of cancers.
Alcohol can weaken your immune system days or even hours and consumption. Excess
alcohol consumption can lead to immune deficiency which makes you more susceptible to
diseases that can sometimes be life threatening. Alcohol can lead to increased risk in illness and
even death from diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. These are just some of the
illnesses that can be linked to alcohol consumption.
Consumption of alcohol can be a very damaging thing to do to your body. When
drinking, most people dont think of the consequences that it can have later in life. Even small
amounts of alcohol have been shown to cause harm to your body. The harmful effects that
alcohol can have on your body are very surprising, because this is a legal substance that you can
purchase and any liquor store, gas station or grocery store at the age of 21. People have no idea
what they are putting into their bodies and this can be a scary thing.
 Works Cited
- Patrick E. McGovern, March 27 2016, Alcohol: An Astonishing Molecule, Scientific
American Magazine.
- Anthony Decker, What are the effects of alcohol on the brain?, Scientific American
Magazine.
- New scientist staff and press association, Doing exercise may counteract some of
alcohols deadly effects, New Scientist Magazine, September 7 2016.