The damage of alcohol on the human body is great. All organs and systems of the human body are affected. The negative impact does not spare the younger generation, women and men. It is worth understanding: alcohol is harmful to a person; what impact it has on each life support system; how alcohol is harmful to the body.
Alcoholism and its consequences
The effect of alcohol and its effect on the body is well studied. Absolutely all human organs and systems fall under the blow, which is part of ethanol: organs of the digestive, central nervous, cardiovascular, genitourinary, respiratory, musculoskeletal, organs of vision and so on. Alcohol causes more damage to the liver, heart and brain (memory training).
The effect of alcohol on the body is manifested as follows:
- adversely affects the cells of the organs;
- promotes the mutation and formation of oncology;
- when used during pregnancy, it can lead to irreversible consequences for the fetus;
- it's a drug;
- interrupts normal metabolism;
- reduces immunity.
Liver effect
The effect of alcohol on the liver is associated with its main function - to cleanse the body of toxins and harmful substances. Prolonged intake of alcohol leads to liver damage from ethanol and disruption of its performance. When the liver cannot handle the filtering function, all the toxic substances enter the bloodstream to other organs.
The effect of alcohol on the liver is manifested by the occurrence of diseases:
- Acute alcoholic hepatitis. Symptoms: depression, deterioration of general well-being, decrease or loss of appetite, fever, jaundice, clouding of consciousness. This disease is curable as long as the use of ethanol-containing products is stopped and the treatment is timely and correct.
- Liver cirrhosis occurs with symptoms of digestive disorders, abdominal pain, weight loss, weakness. It can develop asymptomatically. Cirrhosis is characterized by the growth of connective tissue, which begins to destroy liver cells. The liver slowly stops working. In later stages, increased pressure in the vessels of the liver, encephalopathy, and oncology may join liver cirrhosis.
- fatty hepatosis. It occurs in the absence of symptoms, the presence of which is established using a biochemical blood test. Hepatitis is not treated with drugs, the main way to stop drinking alcohol.
The effect of alcohol on the brain
Many people drink alcohol after a hard day's work or vacation or just a day off. However, it is worth noting that not all people have a sense of proportion. And sooner or later, such a harmless hobby becomes a bad habit. What is it aboutalcohol is harmfulknow and write for a long time. To date, much has been discussed about thealcohol is the cause of many diseases. It destroys liver cells and is unable to perform its functions. It also impairs the functioning of the brain. As a result, a person's memory and brain activity deteriorate. This happens because when drinking an alcoholic beverage, that is, alcohol, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and moves with the bloodstream towards the brain, where the process of its active destruction takes place.
The human brain is made up of 15 billion neurons, that is, nerve cells that die when interacting with alcohol. That is, each time and with each new sip of alcohol, the number of dead nerve cells in the area of the skull increases more and more.
And how is everything going? Once in the body, ethanol is absorbed into the blood and with its current is transported through the organs. Excessive consumption acts on the hypothalamus and reduces the production of vasopressin, which leads to dehydration. Ethanol in the blood begins to act on red blood cells, splitting their membranes. These two processes cause red blood cells to stick together to form blood clots. Blood clots gradually increase in size and block the permeability of blood vessels - lack of oxygen in the brain sets in and brain cells die. The lack of oxygen leads to acidification and tissue hypoxia gradually sets in.
When doctors opened up the brains of people who had died of alcohol poisoning or who had abused alcohol during their lifetime, they found that person's brain was completely destroyed. After that, scientists came to the conclusion that alcohol is the most powerful tool that deprives a person of reason. As is already known and scientifically proven, alcohol kills brain cells. However, it is worth considering the fact that it affects each person in different ways. Since in some people the first thing that is subject to the destructive effect of alcoholic beverages is the back of the brain. In this case, they are heavily influenced. And in the second case, the moral center itself is subject to destruction. The latter case is considered the most dangerous condition, as alcohol kills the brain cells that control behavior. As practice has shown, a person in this state is capable of destroying not only his own life, but the life of another person. However, there is also a third case where a person's memory is destroyed. That is, in the morning a person simply does not remember what happened yesterday, where he was and what he did.
Scientists have found that one glass of alcohol kills approximately 1000-2000 cells. Which, in turn, in the cerebral cortex begin to rot and decompose. In this case, a person experiences a severe headache, which is popularly called a hangover. As these cells poison the brain, protective processes begin to work in the human body. Which, in turn, contribute to the pumping of a large amount of fluid through the skull. After that, this fluid, along with the dead cells, leaves the human body through the urethra. For a person, alcohol is harmful in any form and in any dose. It disrupts the work of all metabolic processes in the human body and affects its genetic code.
The processes described lead to damage to the parts of the brain responsible for the vestibular apparatus, human behavior, memory and attention. With regular alcohol abuse, there is a change in thinking and mental processes - degeneration.
Influence on the psyche and nervous system
The effect of alcohol on the functioning of the central nervous system is expressed as follows:
- It causes insomnia and nightmares. Night terrors can be excruciating, and it's not uncommon for alcoholics to be afraid to sleep. Taking sleeping pills or antidepressants only exacerbates the situation or leads to serious side effects.
- Violates thought processes, negatively affects memory. First, memorization occurs in fragments, then ethanol destroys neural connections, and gradually the person stops remembering the past and cannot remember something new.
- The consequences of alcohol consumption are manifested in the weakening of the intellect: a person stops thinking logically, emotions, feelings, perceptions disappear.
- Polyneuritis is a neurological complication. It manifests itself in the inflammation of the nerves of the arms and legs. Symptoms: Numbness, burning and weakness in limbs.
Mental consequences of alcoholism:
- Psychosis - ethanol causes inhibition of metabolic processes and lack of oxygen. There is a clouding of reason, phobias, a person gradually isolates himself and begins to live in a self-created world.
- Delirium tremens. Manifested by sleep disturbances, seizures, depression, sudden changes in feelings of fear and joy, auditory and visual hallucinations.
- Alcoholic encephalopathy develops in the third stage of alcoholism. It is characterized by symptoms of delirium tremens, which is accompanied by weakness, lack of appetite, tremors, clouding of consciousness, coma. Big chance of death.
- Alcoholic paralysis - encephalopathy in the chronic phase. Loss of reality, neuritis of the extremities.
- The influence of alcohol on the human psyche in the later stages of alcoholism leads to alcoholic epilepsy and alcohol degradation.
Effect on the cardiovascular system
Consequences of excessive alcohol consumption on the cardiovascular system:
- Violation of vascular tone and flexibility of the blood flow system due to lack of oxygen and thrombosis.
- myocardial dystrophy. The pathology is caused by a violation of interstitial metabolism.
- Myocardial hypertrophy and heart obesity.
- The formation and accumulation of blood clots by aggregation of red blood cells leads to the death of heart cells, which leads to heart attacks.
- Blockage of blood vessels leads to the manifestation of streaks of blood on the skin of the face.
Influence on the organs of the urinary system
Ethanol, which is part of alcoholic beverages, leads to a change in the sensitivity of the renal pelvis, which leads to a decrease in protective mechanisms. The likelihood of inflammatory processes in the kidneys, urethra and bladder increases - pyelonephritis, nephritis, glomerulonephritis, urethritis, cystitis.
With prolonged use of alcohol, a precipitate of protein forms in the urine. Minerals washed out with ethanol settle and accumulate in the kidneys, forming stones - urolithiasis develops.
If metabolism is disturbed under the influence of alcohol, the structure of the kidneys is damaged, harmful substances accumulate, and toxins develop renal dystrophy. In the absence of treatment and alcohol consumption, one of the listed diseases develops kidney failure.
Influence on digestive organs
Alcohol, entering the oral cavity, breaks down the salivary glands in the oral cavity and causes the saliva to stick, which reduces its protective ability. Ethanol begins to destroy the walls of the esophagus. Later, in chronic alcoholics, swallowing is disturbed.
Gradually, there is a deterioration of the secretory function, in case of violation of which the pancreas comes under attack. Alcoholic gastritis develops, which gradually turns into pancreatitis.
In addition, alcohol contributes to the production of gastric juice and hydrochloric acid, which corrode the walls of Organs digestive organs and cause ulcers, which over time can lead to oncology of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, alcohol clogs the capillaries and thus stops the absorption of vitamins, which is harmful to the human body.
The spleen cleanses the body of dead blood cells. In case of alcohol poisoning of the body, the work of the spleen and the ability to cleanse the body are interrupted. Disturbances in the work of the spleen are also caused by the effect of alcohol on the liver, pancreas and circulatory system and the interruption of their work.
As a result of alcohol abuse, blood flow to the spleen is disturbed, resulting in tissue infarction and suppuration of the spleen capsule - spleen abscess.
Impact on immunity
The effect of alcohol on the defense mechanisms of the human body:
- Suppresses innate and acquired immunity.
- Reduced immunity fails to produce enough white blood cells, the ability to resist disease is impaired.
- It violates the synthesis of cytokines, the excess of which leads to the destruction of tissues, the lack of frequent diseases.
- It suppresses the work of T cells, which increases the risk of oncology.
- Alcohol reduces immunity and increases the risk of pneumonia, tuberculosis and HIV.
Impact on the musculoskeletal system
Ethanol is known to dehydrate the body. Water is essential for the functioning of cells. Lack of fluids leads to metabolic disorders. As a result, breakdown products and harmful compounds accumulate in muscle tissues, causing discomfort. Alcoholism leads to disruption of the endocrine system - the production of testosterone and glycogen is suppressed. Its deficiency leads to the breakdown of muscle tissue.
The effect of alcohol on joints
- With alcoholism, arthrosis and arthrosis develop - thinning of the cartilaginous tissue, with regular abuse, its disappearance. The protective mechanism against friction disappears, the joints begin to ache.
- Joint pain after alcohol use can cause compression of the epiphyses and compromised blood flow, and as a result, bone tissue ischemia develops.
- Aseptic necrosis - death of bone tissue
- Gout is inflammation of the joints.
- After alcohol, the joints and knees ache due to fluid retention in the tissues and increased intra-articular fluid pressure.
Impact on appearance
How alcohol affects appearance:
- Alcoholic beverages are high in calories, combined with a high-calorie snack and a disturbed metabolism, lead to obesity and the appearance of cellulite.
- The effect of alcohol on the skin: Dehydration leads to aging and wrinkling of the skin.
- Ethanol washes away vitamins, minerals and nutrients, interrupts blood flow - the face is covered with acne and capillaries.
- The body is covered with papules and scales of a non-infectious nature - psoriasis develops.
- Acetic aldehyde dilates blood vessels and, as a result, the skin on the face turns brown.
- In the later stages of alcoholism, skin cancer is possible.
Influence on the endocrine system
Alcohol inhibits the work of the endocrine system, which includes the endocrine glands:
- Alcohol and the thyroid gland: hormonal activity is disturbed, which negatively affects the possibility of procreation. In women suffering from alcoholism, there are often cases of infertility, miscarriages, premature births.
- Alcohol and pancreas: ethanol inhibits the pancreas, and against the background of reduced immunity, pancreatitis develops.
- Alcohol reduces insulin production - diabetes develops. Cases of a latent course of the disease are not rare.
- The adrenal glands are responsible for the metabolism of carbohydrates and minerals, the production of sex hormones and the functioning of the cardiovascular system. In case of violation of the work of the adrenal glands, the whole body suffers, the biggest blow falls on the reproductive function.
- Alcoholism disrupts the connection between the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. The production of tropic hormones decreases and the synthesis of hormones of the opposite sex increases - the appearance gradually begins to change.
Effects on the lungs
Alcohol is excreted from the body not just through the digestive and excretory systems. The lungs actively participate in this process. The organs of the respiratory system are not adapted to this load, so the lung tissue gradually hardens and expands. Connective tissue fibrosis occurs. Mucus and sputum begin to accumulate in the lungs. This causes pneumonia and other diseases of Organs lower organs of the respiratory system.
Alcohol also leads to dehydration of the mucous membranes and the defense mechanisms are violated, a person is more often exposed to viral and infectious diseases. Alcoholics often have tuberculosis. Blockage of blood vessels leads to lack of oxygen.
Impact on vision
With regular use of alcohol, it is not uncommon for eyes to hurt - this is due to:
- The formation of blood clots in the optic nerve vessels and oculomotor muscles interrupts the blood supply to the entire visual system.
- A decrease in oxygen in the blood, which leads to darkening of the eyes, can lead to blindness.
- An increase in eye pressure, which causes blood vessels to rupture and hemorrhage.
- Vision does not adapt well to changing conditions and lighting. Objects in the field of view move away and blur. Alcohol-induced disorders in the eye center of the brain cause double vision.
- In the last phase, under the influence of alcohol, the optic nerves atrophy.
Alcohol negatively affects the entire body, without exception. There is a violation of the digestive, excretory, cardiovascular, endocrine and other systems of the body. The harmful effect on the functioning of the organs leads to the development of serious diseases, some of which are not treatable.