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Physical Effects of Alcholism

Alcoholism is an addictive disease in which you become dependent on alcohol, usually in increasing amounts as you build a tolerance to the effects of alcohol. Alcoholics typically drink every day or go on binges of drinking to the point that drinking interferes with the ability to work and with social and family relationships. Mayo Clinic outlines physical effects of excessive drinking.

  1. Brain

    • Excessive drinking causes brain damage with shrinkage of brain structures, resulting in increasing sedation, confusion and memory loss. You may begin to experience "blackouts," periods of time about which you have no memory. Withdrawal from alcohol after extended heavy intake may cause delirium tremens, characterized by agitation, hallucinations, disorientation and seizures.

    Cancer

    • Alcohol is damaging to mucous membranes and increases cancer risk of the gastrointestinal system, beginning with cancer of the mouth, the throat, the stomach, the bowels and the rectum.

    Reproductive System

    • Alcohol affects hormone balances, resulting in erectile dysfunction and gynecomastia (enlarged breasts) in males, amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) in females and decreased libido in both males and females. It also increases risk of breast cancer.

      According to the CDC, alcohol is toxic to a developing fetus and directly causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, birth defects that cause the child to have numerous physical and mental problems, including facial abnormalities, small stature, poor coordination, mental retardation and learning and behavioral disabilities.

    Hypertension/Heart

    • Alcoholism is an important cause of hypertension (high blood pressure), especially in those who drink alcohol every day (even in moderate amounts), increasing risk of heart attack or stroke. Long-term drinking also damages the heart muscles (cardiomyopathy) so that the heart cannot pump effectively.

    Vitamin Deficiency/Malnutrition

    • Alcohol is irritating to mucous membranes, so you may develop severe gastritis (stomach inflammation) that interferes with the absorption of vitamins B1 (thiamine) and B9 (folic acid). Excessive drinking is often associated with poor diet, leading to malnutrition.

    Pancreas

    • Pancreatitis can develop after chronic use of alcohol, resulting in severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and a wide variety of systemic disorders, including diabetes if the pancreatic cells that produce insulin are damaged, and kidney failure. Your pancreas may not produce enzymes needed for digestion, also resulting in malnutrition.

    Liver

    • The liver metabolizes (breaks down) alcohol, but when you drink heavily, the liver can't keep up, and the alcohol becomes toxic to liver cells. According to the American Liver Foundation, you may develop fatty deposits in your liver and then hepatitis (liver inflammation). Over time, this hepatitis causes scarring and fibrotic (hard) tissue to form in the liver, resulting in cirrhosis, which interferes with liver function and leads to liver failure with multiple systemic effects and increased risk of liver cancer.

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