Alcohol is a consumed substance with varying effects on the body depending on the amount and frequency of consumption by an individual. While moderate drinking may not pose health risks, excessive or frequent alcohol intake can lead to short-term and long-term health issues impacting both physical and mental well-being. Keep reading to learn more about what happens to your body when your drink.
Initial Responses to Drinking Alcohol
When alcohol enters your system, it quickly spreads through your bloodstream, affecting critical areas like your brain, liver, and digestive system. The effects of alcohol can be felt almost immediately, with your tolerance and well-being varying based on the amount consumed.
The Impact on the Brain
One of the areas impacted by alcohol is the brain; once it flows into your bloodstream, it begins to disrupt the communication pathways in the brain. Alcohol functions as a system depressant by decelerating brain activity and hindering cognitive functions. Even a tiny amount of alcohol can impair decision-making and coordination. This can lead to risky behaviors such as drunk driving or making poor decisions.
Alcohol can impact your ability to speak clearly and move smoothly due to its effects of slowing down reaction times and coordination skills when consumed in excess. Alcohol can impact mood in many ways. It may induce feelings of calm and joy in some instances while triggering aggression or anxiety in others based on the individual and circumstances at hand.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism ( NIAAA) states that alcohol affects the brain’s reward system by triggering the production of dopamine. A neurotransmitter that induces pleasure and strengthens the urge to consume alcohol.
The Stomach
When you consume alcohol, and it reaches your stomach or small intestine after being absorbed into your bloodstream from the digestive system, lining irritation occurs before it travels to organs in your body. Excessive alcohol consumption may cause feelings of nausea and vomiting, as well as stomach discomfort due to its ability to boost gastric acid production, which can irritate the stomach lining. Alcohol acts as a diuretic by increasing urine production and causing dehydration, which can result in feelings of thirst and symptoms such as mouth and dizziness for individuals after consuming it.
Alcohol can decrease blood sugar levels as it disrupts the liver’s ability to release glucose, which can be risky for individuals with diabetes and may lead to symptoms such as weakness and confusion in others.
The Heart
Alcohol can have varying effects on the heart, depending on the quantity consumed. These effects can be either beneficial or harmful, and understanding them is crucial for making informed decisions about alcohol consumption. After drinking alcohol, your heart rate may rise suddenly as your body processes the alcohol, which can result in experiencing palpitations or a fast heartbeat, especially if you’ve had a lot to drink.
When you consume alcohol, it can lead to the dilation of blood vessels in your body, causing the skin to feel warm and flushed; hence why, some individuals may notice redness on their face after drinking. Drinking alcohol in large amounts can lead to a drop in blood pressure because it causes blood vessels to widen (vasodilation). When consumed excessively in quantities, it can increase blood pressure instead.
Responses to Drinking Alcohol May Be Delayed
After alcohol is metabolized and cleared from the body, its initial impact will fade away gradually; however, there can be lingering effects that persist for hours or possibly even days post-consumption of alcohol. The duration and intensity of these effects may differ depending on how alcohol was ingested.
Symptoms of a Hangover
Having a hangover is often a delayed response to drinking alcohol, usually experienced the morning after a night of drinking. It can bring about various uncomfortable symptoms. Feeling a headache and tiredness is expected when you are dehydrated or if your blood vessels are causing headaches. At the same time, fatigue can be a result of sleep caused by alcohol disrupting standard sleep patterns despite making you feel sleepy at first.
- The stomach may feel queasy and upset due to the aftermath of alcohol consumption as it tries to recuperate from the impact of the night indulgence.
- Alcohol’s impact on neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine may result in sensations of irritability and anxiety following the euphoria wearing off.
The Immune System
Consuming alcohol can weaken the system. Leave the body susceptible to infections. When indulging in drinking, the body may undergo inflammation as it attempts to heal itself. Alcohol can lower the body’s defenses against infections, like colds and flu, by reducing the production of immune cells required to fight illnesses. Alcohol can lead to heightened inflammation in the body that might result in headaches and muscle soreness, as well as general unease post-consumption. Even once the body metabolizes and removes the alcohol from the system, the impact on the mind may persist.
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