The Long Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse

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Heavy drinking frequently results in physical damage, often increases the risk of getting certain diseases, and commonly makes other illnesses and diseases worse.  In addition, excessive drinking typically leads to employment difficulties, school problems, relationship issues, financial difficulties, and legal problems.

As a result, if you want to avoid the long term effects of alcohol abuse, such as unnecessary alcohol-related health problems in your later years, drink in moderation or not at all.

Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse

Some problems, such as driving impairment, negative interactions with medications, and interpersonal relationship problems can manifest themselves after drinking over a relatively short period of time.

Other problems, however, can develop more gradually over time and may become noticeable only after excessive drinking for an extended period of time.  These are the problems that represent the long term effects of alcohol abuse.

It is also important to point out that women may develop alcohol-related health problems after ingesting less alcohol than men over a shorter time period.  

Due to the fact that alcohol affects many organs in the body, long-term excessive drinking puts a person at risk for developing critical health problems.  

In a word, the long term effects of alcohol abuse can lead to a gradual breakdown of different organs and systems in the body that can result in serious, if not fatal, health issues.

Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

More than 2 million American people suffer from alcohol-related liver disease.  Some drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis (i.e., inflammation of the liver) as a result of long-term excessive drinking.

The symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis include the following:  abdominal pain, jaundice (abnormal yellowing of the urine, skin, and the eyeballs) and fever.  If the person continues drinking, alcoholic hepatitis can be fatal.  If the person stops drinking, on the other hand, alcoholic hepatitis is often reversible.

Approximately 10 to 20 percent of heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis of the liver (i.e., scarring of the liver).  Alcoholic cirrhosis can be fatal if the person continues to drink.  Even though cirrhosis is irreversible, if the affected person stops drinking, his or her chances of survival can improve greatly.  

Although some people may eventually need a liver transplant as a last resort, many people with cirrhosis who quit drinking alcoholic beverages may receive treatment and may never require liver transplantation. 

Alcohol-Related Heart Disease

Drinking in moderation can actually have beneficial effects on the heart, especially with people who are at the greatest risk for heart attacks, such as women after menopause and men over the age of 45.

Long-term excessive drinking, however, increases the risk for some kinds of stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Alcohol-Related Cancer

Long-term excessive drinking increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer, especially cancer of the voice box, colon, mouth, liver, throat, rectum, esophagus, and the kidneys.  Moreover, women who drink two or more drinks per day slightly increase their risk for developing breast cancer.

Alcohol-Related Pancreatitis

The pancreas helps regulate the body's blood sugar levels by producing insulin. In addition, the pancreas is instrumental in digesting the food people eat. Long-term excessive drinking can lead to pancreatitis (i.e.. inflammation of the pancreas).

Pancreatitis is associated with excessive weight loss and extreme abdominal pain and can lead to death.

Based on the above, it can be determined that excessive drinking can often result in physical damage, can increase the risk of getting some diseases, and can make other diseases worse.  The moral of the story:  if you want to avoid unnecessary health problems later in life, drink in moderation or not at all. 

Other Long Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse

In addition to the diseases outlined above, excessive drinking over time is also associated with the following:

• epilepsy
• nerve damage
• loss of brain cells
• irritated stomach lining and bleeding from stomach ulcers

Excessive drinking has also been linked to the following:

• sexual problems
• obesity
• muscle disease
• vitamin deficiency
• infertility
• skin problems

The Long Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse:  Conclusion

Based on the above, it can be determined that excessive drinking often results in physical damage, in many instances increases the risk of getting various diseases and illnesses, and frequently makes other diseases worse.

The moral of the story:  if you want to avoid the long term effects of alcohol abuse such as unnecessary alcohol-related health problems later in life, drink in moderation or not at all.

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