Alcohol is a central part of many of our cultural rituals and celebrations, particularly in the West. For many people it is simply a part of daily life to enjoy a drink after a day or work or even with your coworkers at lunch. Some studies indicate a positive health benefit associated with regular but very low amounts of alcohol – in particular, red wine. However, these studies are controversial and not nearly as well researched as the other side of the coin: studies into the long term effects of heavy drinking. This article is not meant to demonize alcohol consumption but merely offer a look into a topic many don’t wish to think about, and that is what alcohol does the body when consumed excessively over long periods of time.
What we will be looking at primarily are the long term effects of binge drinking, which is usually defined as drinking 4 or more drinks in a row or more casually defined as drinking specifically in order to get drunk.
Blackouts and Memory Lapses
The more excessive a person drinks, the more likely they are to experience a black out in their memory. This simply means they will be unable to remember a certain period of time in which they were drunk. Blacking out is scary in that you literally do not know what you’ve done during this period. It also introduces problems related to risky behaviors and alcohol, such as consensual sex as well as rape.
Brain Damage
Excessive, routine consumption of alcohol, like the behaviors of an alcoholic, can lead to the development of brain damage and several specific conditions, including Wernicke–Korsakoff Syndrome, a name for two conditions that often connect known respectively as Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s Psychosis.
The effects of these conditions include muscle problems, eye muscle paralysis, mental confusion, memory problems, body coordination issues, and the inability to form and retain new memories.
Clearly such a condition has horrific and devastating consequences on the quality of life of a person.
Liver Disease
Because the liver is responsible for getting rid of alcohol in the body, it also is disproportionately effected by over indulgence of alcohol. (See: how long does alcohol stay in the urine.)
Liver disease is commonly associated with alcoholism but not as well known is that problems with the liver can lead to problems with the brain. Because the liver breaks down harmful substances and safely gets rid of them, essentially protecting the rest of the body from them, when the liver doesn’t work these harmful products end up effecting the body. This is how liver disease can damage the brain. Specifically, it can result in a condition known as Hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy is characterized by problems sleeping, changes in mood and personality, hand shaking, and in the worst of cases, going into a coma and dying.
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