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Health Dangers of Alcohol Consumption

If you enjoy alcohol in moderation and are in generally good health, then alcoholic drinks are unlikely to seriously harm you, according to the Mayo Clinic. But not every adult can drink safely. Some adults also put their lives in serious jeopardy by drinking too much, according to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (See references 1 and 2.)

  1. Alcoholism

    • Men and women alike can suffer from alcoholism, which can destroy physical and emotional health, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. More men than women abuse alcohol, but women who become alcoholics are far more likely to die than male alcoholics. Some people have a propensity to abuse alcohol because of their genetics. Others become dependent on alcohol to feel good and begin craving the drink all the time. All alcoholics risk literally drinking themselves to death, arrest due to drunken driving and lost family relationships. (See reference 2.)

    Cancer

    • Women who indulge in more than one alcoholic drink per day and men who choose to drink more than twice per day have a high risk of getting cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some of the cancers directly attributed to too much alcohol consumption include breast, liver, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and pancreatic cancers. The Mayo Clinic defines one drink as 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. (See reference 1.)

    Cardiac problems

    • Some people who drink succumb to sudden death due to a pre-existing cardiovascular disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Previously healthy people who drink excessively can develop high blood pressure. Heart muscle damage as a result of drinking too much alcohol can cause fatal heart failure; long-term alcohol consumption can also cause a drinker to suffer from a potentially fatal stroke. (See reference 1.)

    Additional varied dangers

    • Many additional varied dangers are associated with excessive alcohol use, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pregnant women can suffer from miscarriages even when drinking moderately or deliver developmentally challenged babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Alcohol, as a depressant, also can cause someone under the influence to commit suicide or inadvertently injure himself or herself. Cirrhosis of the liver is another potential danger associated with long-term alcohol use. Mixing alcohol with other drugs, whether prescription medications like sleeping pills or an over-the-counter aspirin, can cause serious problems such as gastrointestinal bleeding and in some cases death. (See reference 2.)

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