What are 6 long-term effects of alcohol?

Answer 1

There are many long term effects of alcohol. One effect it has on your body is how it affects the nervous system. Results of autopsies have shown that patients with a history of chronic alcohol abuse have smaller, shrunken brains than nonalcoholic adults of the same age and gender do not show trait of. CT scans consistently show a connection between heavy drinking and physical brain damage. A second long term an effect is memory lapses. Again alcohol has a major effect on the brain. It can affect your ability to concentrate and make smart decisions, also increasing a risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A third effect is liver dysfunction. Liver cirrhosis is an example of this, leading to a serious and potentially fatal brain disorder known as hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy can cause changes in "sleep patterns, mood, and personality; psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression; severe cognitive effects such as shortened attention span; and problems with coordination." In the most serious cases, patients may slip into a coma, which can be fatal. A fourth effect which is long term is acute pancreatitis which can lead to Diabetes which can lead to lack of oxygen in your blood meaning you could have to get a body part (lacking blood flow) amputated. The fifth effect of alcohol is damage done to your heart. This involves heart failure, heart attack, hypertension, cardiomyopathy or hypertriglyceridemia. Lastly a sixth effect of long term alcohol use is alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis. These symptoms include Nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain and tenderness, jaundice, ascites, and mental confusion.