Physical & Psychological Effects of Long-Term Heavy Alcohol Consumption

Long-term heavy alcohol consumption wreaks physical and psychological havoc throughout your body. Irreversible, painful and potentially fatal organ damage, such as pancreatitis, requires medication and possibly surgery. Injuries to other organs caused by excessive alcohol consumption may be reversible with abstinence. Psychological, or brain, damage --- which includes impairment of thinking skills, loss of attention, memory problems, mood disorders, personality changes and depression --- may also be reversible. These changes don't occur immediately due to the amount of time it takes for the brain to correct some of the structural damage caused by heavy alcohol consumption.

Liver

• Three types of liver disorders result from alcohol abuse. A reversible condition known as fatty liver causes the formation of fat deposits in the liver. Alcoholic hepatitis affects about 50 percent of heavy drinkers, causing inflammation and destruction of the liver. Although this condition can be fatal, it's possible to reverse it by quitting drinking. Alcoholic cirrhosis affects 30 percent of heavy drinkers and is the most severe of the three forms of alcohol-related liver damage. It leads to the development of scar tissue, stiffened blood vessels, deformation of the internal structure of the organ, and damage to the brain and kidneys, according to Dr. Bill Boggan of Kennesaw State University.

Kidneys

• One function of the kidneys is to filter and cleanse blood. Alcohol abuse affects blood flow, thereby inhibiting this process. Maintaining electrolyte balance --- i.e., sodium, potassium, chloride and calcium --- is another major function of the kidneys. Alteration in electrolyte balance interferes with brain function, triggering a chain reaction throughout dependent bodily processes. Disruptions in electrolyte balance also produce changes in behavior, according to Dr. Boggan.

Heart

• Excessive, long-term alcohol consumption weakens the heart muscle with the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Chambers within your heart contract and relax to pump blood throughout your body. Heavy alcohol consumption has a negative effect on heart muscle contraction and can lead to heart attack, stroke or high blood pressure, according to the 2010 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA, report, "Beyond Hangovers."

Immune System

• Long-term alcohol consumption suppresses the immune system, reducing its ability to fight infection. One of the effects is disruption in the production of cytokines, chemicals messengers produced by white blood cells. Cytokines dilate blood vessels to allow an increase of blood flow to the site of infection. The production of too much cytokine causes tissue damage; a reduction in cytokine production hampers its ability to fight infection, according to the NIAAA.

Alcohol and Your Brain

• Your brain is the control center of your body. Changes occurring within the brain alter bodily processes necessary for survival. The brain shrinks in size and the network of neurons --- fibers that enable brain cells to communicate with one another --- becomes disrupted as the result of excessive alcohol consumption, according to the 2010 NIAAA report "Beyond Hangovers."

Psychological and Neurological Changes

• Alcohol is a toxic, mind-altering drug that depresses the central nervous system. Long-term heavy alcohol consumption impairs brain function, resulting in problems such as poor coordination, impaired judgment and memory blackouts, according to the Emerson College Health Center.

Impaired Judgment and Teens

• Impaired judgment due to high alcohol consumption leads to risky behavior in adolescents, such as sex with multiple partners. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, reports that teenagers who drink and drive have a high risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents, regardless of blood alcohol concentration levels.