The Disadvantages of Smoking & Drinking

Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes both carry an array of adverse health risks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five deaths in the United States is caused from the effects of smoking, while the consumption of alcohol is responsible for the deaths of more than 79,000 people in the United States each year. The damages caused by these two habits are documented to do damage to the body and can lead to heart disease, cancer and stroke. The detrimental effects of smoking and drinking are numerous.

Drinking and Liver Issues

• An excessive amount of consumption of alcohol often leads to alcoholic liver disease. This disease can be fatal. Some of the effects of this disease include cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis C and steatosis. Drinking heavily for only a few days in a row can even result in the development of steatosis, an early symptom of alcoholic liver disease. It is the most common liver disorder related to alcohol. Hepatitis results from a person who chronically indulges in excessive amounts of alcohol and can be deadly. It causes an inflammation of the liver with symptoms including vomiting, nausea, fever and abdominal pain.

Smoking and Liver Issues

• The smoking of cigarettes has serious ramifications for the human liver. When smoking is done in conjunction with excessive consumption of alcohol, the smoking will increase the damage that alcohol has on the liver. Smoking itself activates chemicals within the human body created from the chemicals in cigarettes. They suppress the oxygen levels which are linked to lipid peroxidation. This allows fibrosis of the liver to develop.

Drinking and Heart Issues

• According to the American Heart Association, excessive consumption of alcohol can cause many detrimental effects on the human heart. The alcohol can increase the fat levels in the blood throughout the body and can cause the person to develop high blood pressure, as well as heart failure. Additionally, because the calorie count in alcohol is very high, consumption of a large amount can increase the caloric intake of the person who is over-consuming and lead to obesity. Obesity puts a lot of strain on the heart. There is also a risk with those who consume an excess of alcohol to suffer a stroke and even sudden cardiac death.

Smoking and Heart Issues

• Cigarette smoking is a huge cause of coronary heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack. According to the American Heart Association, the smoking of cigarettes is the most common cause of preventable death in the United States. These deaths commonly occur from heart disease directly linked to smoking. The smoking of cigarettes increases the building up of fats within the arteries while at the same time it causes a decrease in the good cholesterol levels. It also increases the risk of developing strokes and aneurysms.