What is the harm of alcohol: negative effects on the body and consumption rates

Alcoholic drinks are the most common product on the shelves of almost all grocery stores. Certain doses of alcohol lead to serious changes and disorders in the human body. Awareness of the harm of alcohol can help to refuse it completely or limit the intake of alcohol to acceptable levels.

What harm does alcohol do to humans?

Abusers do not think about the consequences of drunkenness, and these are:

• mental degradation;
• deterioration of physical and mental health;
• problems in society;
• bad heredity;
• financial problems;
• amoral behavior.

According to statistics, men are more likely to drink. This happens for many reasons, for example, because of bad company or the delusion that alcohol can relieve stress. But it also extends to women and, worst of all, teenagers.

Harmful substances contained in alcohol

Knowing what harmful substances contain the most common types of alcohol, you can understand how it affects the quality of our lives.

Popular intoxicating liquids contain substances hazardous to health and life:

1. Ethanol. With regular and excessive use leads to addiction. In small quantities, it does not harm the body, but an overdose can lead to a sudden loss of consciousness or even death.
2. Phytoestrogen. The female hormone (contained in beer) leads to disruption of the male and female reproductive systems.
3. Fusel oils. In large quantities they are toxic. With constant intake into the body, they increase the risk of stomach ulcers, cause blindness, impotence, and liver disease.
4. Cobalt. In small quantities, it is a useful trace element, but if it accumulates in the body, it becomes dangerous for the normal functioning of the heart and gastrointestinal tract.
5. N-nitrosodimethylamine. Highly toxic substance, especially destructive effect on the liver.
6. Biogenic amines. Toxic chemical compound. In a small amount it can be useful, but if abused, it leads to convulsions, vomiting, and diarrhea.
7. Sodium Benzoate (E-211). Once in the stomach, it causes a sharp oxidation of epithelial cells. This leads to gastritis, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis. Contributes to the exacerbation of chronic allergic diseases: asthma, urticaria, psoriasis.
8. Phosphoric acid (E-338). Destructively affects bone tissue and tooth enamel. It provokes gastrointestinal disorders, leads to weight loss. A high concentration of the substance causes a burn of the respiratory tract.

Detrimental effect on the body of adolescents

Alcohol has a detrimental effect on the processes of growing up and developing a teenager:

1. Intellectual and emotional decline.
2. Vitamins and useful microelements entering the body are poorly absorbed, and this negatively affects the condition of the teeth, nails, hair, and skin.
3. The risk of problems with the heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, the appearance of diseases that, as a rule, people of more mature age (for example, pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus) increases.
4. The growth of bone and muscle tissue is suspended.
5. Liver, kidneys, reproductive system suffer.

Female alcoholism

The difference between the development of male and female addiction:

1. In women, addiction occurs faster, and the treatment of this disease is ineffective. This is due to the characteristics of the female body: it has fewer enzymes that help break down alcohol-containing products. Therefore, toxins are not excreted from the body for a long time and quickly lead to detrimental effects on the organs.
2. Women prefer low-alcohol drinks (wine, champagne, cocktails). Because of this, it is more difficult to control the level of intoxication and the transition to strong drinks occurs, as a rule, already in the last stages of alcoholism.
3. Embarrassed by addiction, women are more likely to drink alone and seek help when it is hard enough to hide the changes. The rehabilitation process is more difficult and longer than in men.

Because of the effect of alcohol on the egg, conceiving, carrying and giving birth to a child can be a difficult or even impossible task.

Conception at the time of intoxication affects the genetic information from the egg. After bearing such a fetus, there is a fundamental threat of the birth of an heir with cerebral palsy syndrome (infantile cerebral palsy) or with other disorders of external and internal organs. And also there is a possibility that during the period of gestation the placenta will exfoliate, and the fetus will die.

Social Harm

Wife / husband, children, relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbors and bystanders can become victims of inappropriate behavior of a drunk person:

1. Work. Employers do not want to accept or immediately dismiss a drinking person, as he misses shifts without a good reason or performs the task poorly.
2. driving. Half of the accidents are due to a drunk driver.
3. Law violation. Most of any crimes are committed by those who are drunk or fairly drunk, as they are more prone to aggression and even murder.
4. immoral behavior. The first sexual experience, unplanned pregnancy, and cases of rape most often occur when one or both partners are drunk.
5. Unhealthy home atmosphere. Children grow up in an unfavorable environment and may well inherit the negative example of their parents.
6. Divorce. All the innocent family members suffer. Mothers or fathers raise children alone, who are affected by the upbringing in an incomplete family.

How does alcohol affect health?

The table shows popular alcoholic drinks, their composition, as well as which organs they affect.

Drink	Composition	Organs of damage and possible consequences
Beer	Carbohydrates, ethyl alcohol, nitrogenous substances	stones in the kidneys; problems with heart; liver disease; brain damage; atherosclerosis; diseases of the intestines and stomach; deposition of fat; impotence
Vodka	Purified water, ethyl alcohol. The composition may include chemical additives and spices	poor orientation in space; mental degradation; cerebral hemorrhage; heart attack; heart failure; violation of the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract
Cognac	Alcohols, organic acids, ethyl esters, tannins and tannins	cirrhosis of the liver; cardiovascular diseases; asthma attacks; destruction of tooth enamel; the walls of the stomach are corroded; bad blood clotting
Low alcohol cocktails	Ethanol, synthetic additives and chemical additives	stroke; varicose veins; mental decline; memory impairment; gastritis, stomach ulcer; hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver; asthma attacks occur; there is a deterioration in the structure of the skin; hormonal disruptions; development of infertility

Liver and digestive system

The destruction of the liver is associated with a violation of protein metabolism and at the first stage is usually not accompanied by subjective sensations and changes in laboratory parameters.

There are five stages of liver destruction:

• adaptive hepatomegaly (enlarged liver);
• alcoholic fatty steatosis;
• alcoholic hepatitis;
• alcoholic fibrosis of the liver;
• cirrhosis.

Common signs of these diseases:

• constant weakness;
• yellowish skin and eyeballs;
• the temperature is above normal;
• pain in the right hypochondrium.

Alcohol entering the intestine, in fact, leaves a chemical burn of its mucous membrane. Regular intoxication leads to problems with defecation (loose stools or constipation, fecal stones), which are most often solved exclusively by surgery.

More possible:

• angioedema;
• diarrhea;
• hives;
• gastritis;
• ulcerative dyspepsia;
• pancreatitis;
• necrosis of pancreatic tissues;
• bowel cancer.

Heart and blood vessels

After drinking alcohol, ethyl alcohol enters the bloodstream and remains in the vessels for about 7 hours, which causes them to expand, disrupting the normal rhythm of the heart. Frequent intake of alcohol, even in a modest amount, inevitably leads to blockage of cerebral vessels, which, with an increase in blood pressure, break. At best, a person survives, but remains disabled, and at worst, a fatal outcome.

Minimal but constant doses of alcohol are dangerous and provoke the following painful conditions:

• oxygen starvation;
• vessels thicken, shrink, burst;
• atrial flutter;
• extrasystole;
• cardiomyopathy;
• arterial hypertension;
• hypertension;
• heart attack;
• atherosclerosis.

The pulse rises from 95 to 100 beats per minute. Fat accumulates in the heart muscle, respectively, it increases and becomes flabby.

Brain and nervous system

The entry of ethyl alcohol into the bloodstream causes a devastating effect on red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting air to the brain. Oxygen ceases to enter the brain cells, and, as a result, they die one by one.

This leads to poor performance:

• vestibular apparatus;
• "moral" center (the feeling of shame disappears, swagger appears);
• memory;
• attention.

The processes of excitation and inhibition in the nervous system are disturbed, which leads to the following signs of antisocial and painful behavior:

• manifestation of aggression;
• inability to control oneself;
• illogicality in the presentation of thought;
• suicidal tendencies;
• violation of the dynamics of movements;
• the occurrence of seizures;
• appearance of hallucinations.

Respiratory system

A rough, hoarse voice with a peculiar timbre is aptly named "drunk" bass. People who love to abuse are most likely to get TB.

Addiction harms the following areas of the respiratory system:

• pharynx;
• the entire nasopharynx;
• larynx.

People who drink regularly experience such chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract as:

• laryngitis;
• tracheobronchitis;
• atrophic pharyngitis.

Shortness of breath occurs both during moderate physical exertion and during rest. There is also a characteristic unpleasant smell of fumes from the drinker, which is the cause of the breakdown of ethanol, which is excreted through the lungs.

sexual dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction and even impotence are consequences of alcoholism. Regular intake of strong drinks adversely affects the ability to procreate. Erection problems can lead to prolonged depression.

It is a myth that small doses of alcohol have a positive effect on male strength. The accumulated ethanol disrupts the normal functioning of nerve endings, thus, intimacy does not bring the expected pleasure.

Alcoholism has a negative effect on the quality of women's sexual life. It is this disease that is one of the main causes of frigidity, and in its most severe manifestations. This leads to emotional problems for both partners, and often to the breakup of the family.

Immunity

The benefits of high-quality (preferably red) wine from natural juice, in limited volumes, really take place: it removes toxins, strengthens the immune system. But a large amount, even the most expensive alcoholic beverage, will adversely affect health.

The thing is that at this moment the following defenders of the immune system are suppressed:

• lymphocytes;
• macrophages;
• granulocytes.

Consequences of immunodeficiency:

• wounds do not heal for a long time;
• bones are not formed correctly;
• greater likelihood of HIV transmission;
• poorly restored skin from burns and injuries.

Change in appearance

The reason for the purple color of the skin is ethyl alcohol, which acts in such a way that the pulse quickens and blood pressure rises. Over time, the vessels do not withstand constant stress and blue and red bruises form.

Puffiness is explained by the fact that the body is trying with all its might to restore the water balance after the toxins contained in vodka, beer and other intoxicating drinks enter it. And the female body does it more actively. An alcoholic is tormented by constant thirst, however, water is absorbed very slowly. He drinks, and the fluid accumulates, resulting in swelling of the hands, feet, and also the face.

In addition to an unattractive appearance, there may be "obvious" complications after fights (scratches, bruises, abrasions, fractures), in which chronic drinkers often get involved.

During the development of chronic alcoholism, narcologists observe external symptoms in patients, such as:

• physical exhaustion;
• puffy face;
• crimson tongue;
• elevated temperature;
• dry, flaky or greasy skin;
• heavy sweating;
• tachycardia, arrhythmia.

Photo gallery

The effects of alcohol on various organs can be seen in the following photos.

Norms of use

It would be best to categorically refuse the regular use of a product containing alcohol. However, if a person has decided only to reduce its amount, then it will be interesting for him to know that there are acceptable consumption rates.

The weekly norm (with two days of complete refusal) of alcohol with a low risk of harm for the stronger sex is less than 5 liters of beer with a strength of 4. 5 degrees or 50 grams of vodka or cognac at lunch and dinner (daily), or three glasses of dry wine. For women, this norm is 3 liters of beer per week, or 80 grams of vodka at dinner, or two glasses of wine.

It is worth considering that if you abstained from strong drinks on certain days, this does not mean that on another day you can drink more without adverse consequences.

But still, calculations for the consumer must be made individually, taking into account:

• weight;
• growth;
• age;
• metabolism;
• heredity;
• first experience of drinking alcohol.

Attention!The information is presented for informational purposes and is not a guide to action. Do not self-medicate, consult your doctor first.