Contents:
- Medical Video: Alcohol - How Alcohol Affects The Body - What Causes A Hangover
- Various dangers of alcohol that affect the body
- Heart damage
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Damage the brain
- Lung infection
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
Medical Video: Alcohol - How Alcohol Affects The Body - What Causes A Hangover
In a reasonable portion, alcoholic beverages such as wine have the potential to bring health benefits. However, this does not mean you can over-consume it because everything that is excessive can be dangerous. Well, the same principle applies to liquor and alcohol. Actually, what is the danger of alcohol for the body if consumed in excess?
Various dangers of alcohol that affect the body
Heart damage
Eating alcohol excessively can weaken the heart muscle. As a result, blood flow throughout the body becomes disturbed. Alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy which is characterized by shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), fatigue, and persistent coughing. Not only that, alcohol can also increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and hypertension.
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
Too much alcohol in the body causes the pancreas to accumulate enzymes. This buildup of excess enzymes in the pancreas can eventually cause inflammation or what is called
pancreatitis. Acute pancreatitis is usually characterized by various symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate, diarrhea, and fever. If left unchecked and the drinking habit is not stopped, it is not impossible that your life will be threatened.
Damage the brain
Alcohol can cause brain damage by slowing down the distribution of information between nerves. In addition, the ethanol content in drinking alcoholic beverages can also cause specific damage in some areas of the brain.
As a result, you will experience a series of symptoms such as changes in behavior and mood, anxiety, memory loss, to seizures. In fact, people who have alcohol dependence can experience various complications of brain problems, one of which is hallucinations.
Lung infection
When you are addicted to alcohol, your immune system can slowly weaken. As a result, some organs, including the lungs, will find it difficult to fight bacteria and viruses that cause disease. That is why alcoholics (alcoholism) are more susceptible to infection with respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia.
Liver damage
The liver functions to filter out poisons and unused waste so that it doesn't accumulate in the body. However, excessive consumption of liquor can slow down the work of the liver causing liver problems.
Quoted from the Medical Daily, about one in three cases of liver transplantation in the United States begins with liver disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption. In addition, cirrhosis of the liver due to excessive alcohol consumption is the 12th most common cause of death in America in 2009.
Kidney damage
The diuretic effect on alcohol can increase the amount of urine produced by the body. As a result, kidney difficulties in regulating urine flow and body fluids include the distribution of sodium, potassium and chloride ions throughout the body. This condition can interfere with the electrolyte balance in the body which causes you to become dehydrated.
