4 side effects of drinking alcohol excessively

Too much drinking over time or at a single go can affect your health significantly. From your heart to your stomach, there can be both short-term and long-term effects, which can be difficult to treat in the long run.

This is why it becomes all the more important to curb your alcohol cravings and switch to a healthier lifestyle.

To give you a more detailed reality check, here are some of the side effects of alcohol you must know:

Digestive issues

Drinking too much can impact your digestive health. It can prevent your intestines from digesting foods, absorbing nutrients and vitamins effectively. Furthermore, too much drinking can also cause gas, bloating, diarrhoea, and abdominal fullness.

Alcohol can also irritate the lining of the stomach, causing the formation and accumulation of excessive acids. Chronic inflammation can lead to stomach ulcers, which can cause internal bleeding.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure is when the force of the blood on the walls of the blood vessels is consistently too high. Alcohol is also associated with heart-related issues, which include high blood pressure. Excessive drinking can affect muscles in the blood vessels, forcing them to become narrower and damaging them to a greater extent.

According to research, having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily raises blood pressure, whereas repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases in blood pressure.

Liver damage

After you consume alcohol, it is absorbed in the stomach. It then travels into your bloodstream and enters the liver. Your liver is the largest internal organ, which releases enzymes to break down alcohol. However, drinking too much alcohol at one time or over time can make it difficult to metabolize the alcohol. This could leave the excess to circulate in the body, causing a fatty liver.

Neurological problems

Experts believe alcohol slows down the chemicals in the brain, which are responsible for several functions including concentration, focus, mood and reflexes.

Research has shown that alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain looks and works. It impacts the central nervous system in ways that can lead to complicated symptoms such as slurred speech, numbness and tingling in your feet and hands and lead to long-term problems such as memory issues, inability to regulate emotions, etc.