Alcohol abuse is a widespread public health problem with nearly 18 million Americans meeting the diagnostic criteria for alcoholism, according to Learn-about-alcoholism.com. Most people consume alcohol moderately and responsibly, but those who become dependent on alcohol and drink excessively cause serious health problems for themselves and social problems to many around them. Alcohol doesn’t affect everyone the same, and factors such as age, physical condition, gender and genetic makeup can all determine how an individual reacts to alcohol. There are a wide variety of health problems caused by alcohol abuse.
Liver Disease
Alcohol is absorbed rapidly in the intestines and stomach and is broken down by the liver. However, the breakdown process is slow, leaving alcohol circulating in the blood long after it’s consumed. Even though it is the liver’s job to break down alcohol in the system, alcohol is toxic to the liver, as it is to all organs of the body. Heavy, long-term drinking can cause inflammation of the liver or hepatitis, that leads to abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, fever and jaundice. If heavy drinking continues, hepatitis can progress to cirrhosis, which is a condition that causes scarring and destruction of liver tissue that is irreversible.
Impaired Motor Function
Alcohol causes impaired motor function and makes it difficult to drive and perform activities requiring fine motor skills and quick reaction. According to Alcoholalert.com, in 2008 37 percent of all fatal car accidents were alcohol-related. While automobile accidents are the most publicized form of alcohol-related accidents, there are many other accidents that are the direct result of alcoholic consumption.
Heart Disease
Alcohol can cause complications with the cardiovascular system and lead to various medical problems. Heavy drinking can lead to high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, and it can actually damage the heart muscle tissue, causing it to become enlarged, thickened and very inefficient, a condition called alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Cancer
Heavy alcohol consumption can increase your risk of certain cancers, including liver cancer, mouth and larynx cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Brain Damage
The Women’s Heart Foundation reports that long-term, heavy use of alcohol damages the cerebellum, a segment of the brain. This destruction is irreversible and leads to slurred speech, unsteady walking, loss of coordination and slowed thinking.
Birth Defects
Consuming alcohol while pregnant increases the risk of having a baby with birth defects. Alcohol in the mother’s blood passes through the placenta and intoxicates the baby. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking while pregnant can cause stillbirth, miscarriage and fetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by a wide variety of lifelong conditions for children, such as physical distortion, hyperactive behavior, poor memory and intellectual disability.
