Why do people drink alcohol? The question is quite simple. Alcoholic drinks allow you to have fun, relax, and have a good time with friends, acquaintances and strangers. How often happens when before a feast there are many awkward pauses in the conversation, and how simply dialogues are conducted after 3-5 glasses of strong drink. Someone will remember that alcoholic drinks improve appetite and stimulate the digestive system. There is an opinion that a well-alcoholized body is not susceptible to any seasonal or non-seasonal microbes. Supporters of this theory are not recommended to test this version in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Fables about the miraculous effect of alcoholic drinks on human body a lot of. How, didn’t you know that by drinking cognac regularly, you prevent the development of sclerosis? Don't you know that alcohol makes your blood vessels the healthiest in the world? If you listen to all these stories, you will get the impression that the effect of alcohol on the human body is as little studied as the world's oceans. But that's not true. The fact that alcoholic drinks have a destructive effect on the body has been proven by science a long time ago, and all talk about their benefits is nothing more than fiction, or this information comes from incompetent and poorly educated people. This drink is definitely a poison, both for its individual organs and systems, for example for the nervous system, and for the entire body as a whole. And different consequences different people depend only on the individual sensitivity of each person. For some, the destructive processes go faster, for others slower.

Drinking alcoholic beverages, including beer, leads to disruption of the functioning of many internal organs, followed by the most serious consequences.

How does alcohol act when it enters the body?

In order to understand all the harm that alcohol has on a person when alcohol enters the body, let’s trace its path. When it enters the body through the oral cavity, the body reacts to it as if it were ordinary food, and the digestive system secretes gastric juice. As soon as this juice is released, there is a feeling that appetite appears. Because of this, the thesis was born that alcohol improves or increases appetite. However, what does the digestive system secrete? In fact, gastric juice is secreted, and in very large quantities. But this secretion contains a lot of hydrochloric acid. But the enzyme responsible for the digestion of food is not present in this secretion. The enzyme mentioned is called pepsin. This leads to the fact that in those organisms that regularly receive alcoholic beverages, such characteristic diseases as gastric catarrh or gastritis most often develop. These diseases are accompanied by severe abdominal pain, patients experience nausea and vomiting.

We examined only the effects of alcohol on the glands of the gastric tract. But the digestive system does not end there, and the flammable liquid that enters has exactly the same effect on all its subsequent glands. This provokes, for example, inflammation in the intestines, and at a doctor’s appointment you can hear a diagnosis such as enterocolitis, which is accompanied by stool disorders. Both the aforementioned gastritis and enterocolitis lead to the fact that the body begins to experience serious difficulties with the intake of nutrients, which cannot be fully broken down and absorbed by them. Instead, fermentation products are formed in large quantities in the gastrointestinal tract, which then enter the blood. The nutrition of cells and tissues of all organs and systems is disrupted.

You may have heard more than once that people suffering from stomach ulcers are prohibited from drinking alcohol. And so it is. The fact is that it provokes an exacerbation of not only ulcers, but also any other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. As for ulcer sufferers, due to the use of this “miracle drink” they may experience bleeding in the stomach, the consequences of which can only be eliminated by emergency assistance and carrying out the operation. The suffering of the digestive system does not end there. And if strong drinks cause problems at the entrance, then a similar situation occurs at the exit. If you have problems with hemorrhoids, then alcoholic drinks contribute to its aggravation.

The impact of alcohol on the liver

Having finished injuring the digestive system, the effect of alcohol on the body does not end. After passing through the gastrointestinal tract, it enters the blood. But before attacking the body’s cells, the main complex of the body’s biochemical processes stands in front of it as a powerful redoubt. We are talking about the liver, one of whose functions is to neutralize all toxic substances that enter a person. When nature conceived man, she provided everything he would need. But she was unable to think of the idea that a person would poison himself with extreme cruelty. And since modern man If, like a small child, he puts all sorts of nasty things into his mouth, then a large amount of toxic substances enters the body, which the liver is not able to cope with. Against this background, the liver cannot cope with alcohol, which, remaining unneutralized, causes damage to it, after which it begins to poison the entire body.

The most interesting thing that all skeptics of the harm of alcohol and supporters of leisure with alcohol need to know is that drinking a small amount of vodka at a time, for example, 50-70 g, leads to certain disturbances in the liver. These disorders are temporary, but if they are repeated regularly, they become chronic and cause the development of latent jaundice. In those who drink alcohol for a long time, the liver begins to experience organic disorders instead of functional ones. The deterioration of its activity leads to its degeneration. This process is sometimes called fatty liver degeneration, in which liver cells die and connective tissue develops instead. As a result of this process, the drinking person receives from the liver in a short time a bonus called chronic hepatitis, the development of which leads to sclerosis of the liver, it becomes very wrinkled.

If it is not possible to give up alcohol, although it is not as difficult as it seems, then you need to remember the following rule. When the liver is sick with any disease, it is necessary to completely get rid of any alcoholic drinks. The strongest alcohol during this period is kefir. And no more. There are many examples when patients with hepatitis, whose disease was in a very mild form, indulged in a feast with all the accompanying strong drinks. After such a feast, the disease begins to progress malignantly, and in just two or three days the person dies with a diagnosis of acute liver atrophy. After alcohol has passed the liver, it rushes through the blood to all internal organs and systems, disrupting their functions.

How does alcohol affect a person in case of severe poisoning?

When severe alcohol poisoning occurs, the alcohol reaches the cells of the central nervous system and can cause respiratory arrest. Otherwise, this phenomenon is called paralysis of the respiratory center, which, due to alcohol abuse, can occur even in young and strong people, not to mention those people who are aged and not in the best condition of the body. In both cases, we are not talking about the sick, but about healthy people. Severe alcohol poisoning can make itself felt when a person goes to bed in a state of intoxication and actually loses consciousness. It is at this moment that he requires medical assistance, without which the poisoned person may simply die: while the poisoned person’s body remains in this state, alcohol can paralyze his vital parts of the brain.

During severe alcohol poisoning, the vasomotor system can be paralyzed, which then experiences paralysis. Blood pressure suddenly drops greatly and the contractile movements of the heart muscle become worse. As a rule, such a crushing effect on cardiovascular system the incoming flammable liquid flows through the central nervous system. After such a knockdown of this system, restoring its normal operation is not at all easy. Various medications for the heart and drugs to remove alcohol from the blood and eliminate the consequences of its destructive effects are used. But more often you may encounter the fact that the consequences of severe alcohol poisoning on the activity of the heart muscle make themselves felt for a long time.

But if such poisonings are not accidental and occur periodically over a long period of time, then this leads to heart obesity. This important organ is weakening and gaining in volume. In fact, the heart expands, and in such cases it is compared to a “bull” heart. In addition, those who abuse alcohol develop hypertension much more often than those who abstain from such drinks. This is especially evident in those who previously suffered from hypertension: after drinking strong drinks, they experience an exacerbation of it. These facts must be taken into account.

How does cholesterol depend on alcohol?

It would seem about what we're talking about? After all, alcohol promotes some removal of cholesterol from the blood. This is partly true. But firstly, alcohol has a destructive effect on the walls of blood vessels, rather than strengthening them. This provokes and stimulates the development of atherosclerosis. Secondly, the consumption of strong drinks is accompanied by the consumption of fatty foods, which are rich in cholesterol, which leads to stimulation of the development of atherosclerosis.

But the most Negative influence alcoholic drinks have an effect on the coronary vessels of the heart, on which atherosclerosis has previously developed. Getting into the blood and entering the tissues and cells of the heart muscle, alcohol enhances the development of coronary vascular dystrophy. As a result of this, the possibility of blood clots that will lead to blockage of these vessels is very high. Having clogged the vessels, blood clots do not allow blood to pass to the myocardial tissues, which remain without oxygen and die after a while. The resulting necrosis of myocardial tissue forms a scar in place of dead tissue, which impairs the quality of heart contraction. As a result, an attack occurs, better known as myocardial infarction. Cases of such attacks after alcohol abuse are not uncommon.

Other fatal consequences of alcohol abuse

It was stated above that absolutely all internal organs and systems of the body suffer from drinking strong drinks. Thus, taken “100 g” can cause cystitis when an inflammatory process occurs Bladder, or pyelitis, in which the renal pelvis becomes inflamed. A small portion of the alcohol taken into the body is excreted through the lungs, which damages lung tissue during these secretions. This stimulates various serious diseases of the bronchi, promotes the development of pneumosclerosis and emphysema. We must not forget that those who abuse alcohol, compared to non-drinkers, are more likely to suffer from pneumonia. There is an opinion that after the use of antibiotics in the treatment of pneumonia, when it was possible to significantly eliminate deaths from this disease, the disease cannot be completely overcome precisely because of people who regularly drink alcohol.

Alcohol significantly reduces human immunity, and this contributes to various infectious diseases person. During this period there is a very high risk of inflammatory processes genitourinary system. Due to decreased immunity, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is completely and categorically prohibited for those people who undergo any immunization. If you drink alcohol during this period, it can interfere with the development of immunity with all the ensuing consequences.

The negative effects of alcoholic beverages on the gastrointestinal tract were described above, as a result of which the absorption of nutrients into the blood was disrupted. This fully applies to the absorption of vitamins, which in such cases is very poor. A lack of vitamins has a detrimental effect on the functioning of all organs and systems of the human body. For example, a lack of B vitamins and vitamin C stimulates fatty degeneration of liver cirrhosis and scurvy. The latter disease is especially possible with a lack of vitamin C.

The reproductive system reacts to frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages with infertility. And if during pregnancy the mother drank alcohol, even in small quantities, then this affects the health of the pregnant child, who will develop poorly, and his intellectual lag behind his peers is noted. The effect of alcohol also negatively affects the mental activity of an adult. Under its influence, some brain cells stop living and are excreted from the body along with urine.

How much alcoholic drinks can you drink?

This question was answered by practice and sad statistics of all those who were killed by drunkenness: those who died from alcohol poisoning, from hepatitis, heart attacks and those who died as a result of road accidents. In Russia alone, these sad figures are measured in hundreds of thousands of deaths. Alcohol is harmful in any quantity, even small quantities. If someone thinks that by exchanging vodka for beer they will protect themselves, then this is a mistake.

The effect of beer on the human body is no less destructive than vodka. There's a lot in beer different hormones. Beer leads to very strong changes in both female and male bodies, disfiguring them and causing irreparable damage to health. Therefore, give up alcohol, even beer and wine, play sports, find your hobbies. The world that you look at not through the bottom of a bottle or glass is much more interesting and brighter.

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Ethanol is present in low proportions in human blood and is a natural metabolite. To understand how alcohol affects the human body, it is necessary to imagine the process of its processing. When ethanol enters the body with food, it is oxidized into acetaldehyde, which is 30 times more toxic than alcohols. The breakdown processes take place in the liver. An excess of ethanol inevitably entails the accumulation of acetaldehyde, which in this case does not have time to be converted into acetate. Intoxication occurs, poisoning of the body, which leads to a sharp deterioration in health, loss of consciousness, and there is a possibility of death.

What organs does alcohol affect?

Now we will try to more carefully study how alcohol affects the body, which organs it affects. Ethanol is quickly absorbed into the blood and distributed to all nodes. The maximum effect of alcohols occurs 50 – 70 minutes after ingestion. During this time, ethanol is absorbed into the blood through the small intestine and gastric mucosa. The central nervous system is damaged, the membrane of which is destroyed.

10% alcohol is excreted through the kidneys and lungs, through breathing. This is the reason why it is easy to determine the degree of intoxication with a breathalyzer. The remaining 90% is processed by the liver.

According to research, alcohol is the most harmful drug in the world. British pharmacologist and psychotherapist David Nutt puts the dangers of alcohol on a par with heroin. According to his own research, cocaine is twice as effective, LSD is ten times worse.

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In some cases, alcohol causes the blood vessels in the esophagus to dilate. Veins become deformed and lose their effectiveness, and the walls become thinner. There is a high risk of internal hemorrhage. Hemorrhagic shock and acute blood loss occurs. Medical attention is urgently needed and there is a high risk of death.

Ethanol actively destroys the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. First of all, the microflora suffers, which to a certain extent forms the immune system. The intestinal mucosa is covered with numerous erosions and dying tissues. Subsequently, ulcers and malignant tumors appear.

Ethanol that gets into the heart literally corrodes the muscle structure, destroying cells. Microscars form on the tissues, and elasticity is significantly reduced. The heart does not have time to push blood. The liver does not have time to process glucose. Monosaccharides remain in the body and are converted into fatty tissues that cover the heart and other organs.

The liver takes on the main dose of ethanol. Healthy cells and hepatocytes die. Replacement occurs with fatty and connective tissues, which leads to hepatosis. The disease is characterized by a serious metabolic disorder in the liver. This is the initial stage of cirrhosis. The latter is one of the six leading causes of death for people aged 30 to 60 years. In some cases, cirrhosis leads to cancer.

Ethanol stimulates the active release of enzymes in the stomach. As a result, the walls begin to digest themselves. The decomposition of internal tissues and food begins. The acid-base balance is disrupted. Gastritis occurs, followed by ulcers and cancer.

Alcohol, once in the pancreas, causes spasm of the ducts. There is an accumulation of enzymes that begin to digest the organ tissue from the inside. The gland swells greatly, which characterizes the onset of inflammatory processes. Tissue death begins, followed by decomposition. The result is pancreatitis, which is a fatal disease.

Which organs are affected most by alcohol? – this issue does not cause controversy in medical circles. The effects of ethanol on the brain are irreparable when other damage can be restored to varying degrees. But, it is impossible to completely or even half rid the body of the consequences.

How alcohol affects the brain

The human nervous system consists mainly of receptors and microcapillaries. When ethanol enters the blood, red blood cells stick together, forming blood clots. Clots block the thinnest blood capillaries. The vessels burst, forming numerous microhemorrhages. Tens of thousands of brain cells are irreversibly destroyed. In the morning, a person feels a characteristic headache.

Disturbance in the functioning of the blood vessels of the brain leads to its oxygen starvation. Drowsiness occurs and mental activity decreases. Since alcohol affects the brain and microcapillaries, the risk of stroke increases. Internal hemorrhage often leads to complete or partial paralysis, often to death.

Dead cells are excreted in urine and sweat. Redness of the eyeballs and swollen blood vessels are observed. The stronger the pain, the more damage is done to the lining of the brain. The effect of alcohol on the central nervous system causes severe dependence - a neurotransmitter metabolic disorder in the brain. The disorder is accompanied by satisfaction deficit syndrome. As a result, a person feels a constant or regular need for alcoholic beverages.

How does alcohol affect the blood?

Ethanol promotes the adhesion of red blood cells and blood cells. As a result, blood clots form. Blood clots, similar to flakes, instantly spread throughout the body. Many vessels and capillaries remain clogged, which reduces the nutrition of certain organs. Severe dehydration occurs. Adhesives cannot function as an oxygen carrier.

Clogged capillaries located in the nasal cavity do not provide the tissue with the required amount of nutrients. Tissues that die as a result of starvation turn blue and become covered with a characteristic purple color. As a result, drinkers' noses turn blue, their faces swell, and their skin loses its elasticity.

As alcohol affects the blood and brain, causing addiction, the need for treatment arises. A timely visit to a drug treatment clinic in most cases helps to exclude oncological diseases and other forms of pathogenesis. In the most advanced cases, complete cleansing of the blood from toxins and blood clots is necessary.

How difficult is it to get rid of alcoholism?

Complex psychoneurological disorders may require complex treatment for drug addiction. Most clients have difficulty with how to persuade a loved one to seek help. This is due to the peculiarities of the human defense mechanism. A careful approach is required so as not to run into complete denial or aggression. There is no need to apply pressure. Unfortunately, you can only persuade a loved one if he himself wants to fight the disease. Ultimate demands more often lead to the breakdown of families than to a positive result.

First of all, you should put yourself in the place of a person in trouble. In most cases, the patient is aware of the harm that alcohol has on the body and on the social level. It makes sense to explain how alcohol affects the human brain and body. The patient should be made to understand how significant his importance is in society and in the family, and how strong drinks destroy that very importance. It is important that a person at least partially assess his situation with an outside sober look.

The next step is to prove to the patient that there are effective methods exit from alcoholism. Bring to the attention of the severity of the physical and psychological condition of a person suffering from alcohol addiction. That the help of specialists will not be a waste of time and effort.

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Alcoholism is a pressing and important problem modern society, our country in particular. An unstable economic situation, constant crises and problems, and the availability of alcoholic beverages are all factors contributing to the spread of this problem. The age of people who start drinking alcohol is constantly getting younger. Thus, high school students in schools are already fully formed consumers of alcoholic beverages, especially beer. Then, with the onset of student age, the level of consumption only increases, and gradually the person is drawn into regularly taking doses of alcohol, sometimes without noticing it. The effect of alcohol on the human body is difficult to underestimate, since alcohol is one of the most common causes of disability, loss of ability to work, health and death of the population. At the same time, alcoholism most often affects able-bodied men of the most productive age. Cases of poisoning from low-quality alcohol are common.

It should be noted that alcoholism is a disease that, in addition to its medical nature, also has a social nature. People susceptible to alcoholism commit crimes, their families are more likely to break up, children lose their fathers, and sometimes even their mothers. Household drunkenness, which is an ordinary feast, contains a threat to the individual himself and to society as a whole. Approximately 25% of people who start “using” in everyday situations - holidays, family celebrations - have every chance of becoming alcoholics.

Alcohol has a detrimental effect on absolutely all organs and systems of the human body and psyche, and this has already been proven by scientists and pathologists. It also contributes to the development of chronic diseases.

The effect of alcohol on the brain

Alcohol disrupts the access of oxygen atoms to brain molecules, thereby providing it with oxygen starvation. If fasting becomes regular and prolonged, it can lead to memory loss, partial dementia, and sometimes death. All these are consequences of the death of brain cells that do not receive sufficient nutrition for a long time. The effect of alcohol on the brain is also expressed in its effect on the cortex cerebral hemispheres, responsible for the “thinking” function of the brain. Accordingly, when a person becomes an alcoholic, he is no longer able to think fully and correctly, which makes him a moderately useful member of society.

The cardiovascular system

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the most common reason death of people not only in our country, but throughout the world. Alcohol affects the heart muscle, which is already under severe stress, which has a detrimental effect on health. This is why people who drink alcohol often die in at a young age. Doctors involved in autopsies claim that in people who suffered from alcoholism, the heart after death is increased in size, sometimes quite significantly.

Even those people who drink alcohol moderately and in small quantities sometimes experience heart rhythm disturbances after drinking a glass or two of alcohol. Under the influence of alcohol, coronary disease and hypertension quickly progress, and the heart is often affected by a heart attack.

Respiratory system

Alcohol abusers often develop chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and tuberculosis. At the same time, the breathing rate itself increases significantly, since oxygen access to the lungs is difficult. Drinking alcohol is often accompanied by smoking. In this case, the load on the respiratory system increases several times. These two habits - alcohol and smoking - are very harmful in themselves, but in combination they represent a doubly dangerous force that affects human health.

Gastrointestinal diseases

The first to be affected is the gastric mucosa, which takes the brunt of the blow. Due to regular intake of alcohol, the mucous membrane becomes irritated, then gastritis develops and peptic ulcer. Stomach diseases - more often than all other diseases accompany alcoholism. If you drink alcohol for a long enough time, the normal functioning of the salivary glands is destroyed. In this case, the secretion of saliva becomes less abundant and its chemical composition, which impairs food processing.

Liver diseases

Since the liver is responsible for cleansing the entire body of various toxins, impurities and poisons, it often simply cannot cope with the volume of toxic substances entering the body with alcohol. At the same time, health suffers greatly. That is why so often, with regular and long-term consumption of alcohol, especially of low quality, people develop hepatitis, which then smoothly turns into cirrhosis of the liver.

Three stages of liver damage:

• Fatty degeneration. Develops moderately but regularly drinking people. The liver increases in size and cannot cope with the increased load. If at this stage you completely stop drinking alcohol, there is every chance of a successful outcome of events and a complete recovery of the person.
• Alcoholic hepatitis. At this stage, sometimes quite severe pain appears in the right side, which indicates that the disease is progressing. The whites of the eyes turn yellow because the liver can no longer cope with removing waste and toxins from the body.
• Cirrhosis. This stage is already an extreme degree of liver decay. It usually leads to death, as the organ completely ceases to perform its functions.

Effect on the kidneys

In the vast majority of people suffering from alcoholism, the excretory function of the kidneys is impaired. This occurs due to damage to the mucous membrane of the renal epithelium - the tissue lining the surface of the organ.

Alcohol also has a very detrimental effect on the human immune system, literally turning it off for some time. This gives harmful microbes and bacteria an opportunity to infect the body. The effect of alcohol on the human body is therefore very insidious. Alcoholics often have colds and other viral infections. In this case, the processes of blood purification and the production of new red blood cells are disrupted, and allergic reactions often develop.

Effect on the reproductive system

The gonads are very strongly influenced by alcohol. One third of men who abuse alcohol experience a significant decrease in the ability to have normal sex life. This is the so-called “alcoholic impotence”. As a result of such an important dysfunction for a man, he often develops neuroses, depression and other mental health problems. Women experience early menopause, the ability to conceive is lost or reduced, and during pregnancy, if it does occur, they are more often worried about toxicosis .

Effect on skin and muscle condition

Under the influence of alcohol, muscles often atrophy, lose tone and weaken. The effects of alcohol on the muscular system are similar to the consequences malnutrition. Skin diseases are common accompaniments of alcoholism. Because the immune system is half disabled, it may not be able to cope with viral attacks. The liver also does not function at full capacity, so cleansing the body is not carried out well enough. As a result, various boils, ulcers, pimples, allergic rashes and other “decorations” appear on the surface of the skin.

Delirium tremens

Everyone knows the jokes about “ delirium tremens" And it would be funnier if it weren't so true. Hallucinations, convulsions, sudden numbness of the limbs are all common consequences of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Delirium tremens is one of the most terrible forms of alcohol poisoning. It leads to death in two percent of cases, even when provided medical care. Without the timely arrival of doctors, it leads to death in 20% of cases. The disease is characterized by strong and fantastic delusional hallucinations, lapses in memory and consciousness, severe agitation, disorientation in space and time. The patient becomes feverish, loses complete control over himself, and often needs to be subdued by force.

The effect of alcohol on offspring

The harmful effects of alcohol on unborn children have been known since ancient times. So, in Ancient Greece newlyweds were forbidden to drink at the wedding, this was especially common in Sparta, known for its strict criteria for the health of newborns. And in Ancient Rome young men under 30 were generally prohibited from drinking until they started families and had children.

To date, medical research has collected many facts directly indicating the harmful effects of alcohol on the health of unborn children. There are frequent cases of stillbirth and premature babies. Also, mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy often give birth to children with pathologies, disabilities and chronic diseases since birth. In most cases of births of mentally retarded children, one or both parents abused alcohol.

In general, overall life expectancy with systematic alcohol intake is significantly reduced. Early aging of the body, the onset of disability, occurs on average 15-20 years later than in people who do not abuse alcohol.

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Alcohol abuse is a pressing problem of modern society, which gives rise to crimes, accidents, injuries and poisoning in all segments of the population. Alcohol addiction is especially difficult to perceive when it concerns the most promising part of society - students. The mortality rate of the working-age population due to the use of alcoholic beverages ranks high. Scientists estimate alcoholism as a collective suicide of the nation. Addiction to alcohol, like cancer, destroys the personality of an individual and society as a whole from within.

How does alcohol affect the human body? Let's look at the effect of alcoholic drinks on all organs and find out how alcohol affects the brain, liver, kidneys, heart and blood vessels, nervous system, as well as men's and women's health.

The effect of alcohol on the brain

All organs suffer from the negative effects of alcoholic beverages. But most of all it goes to neurons - brain cells. People know how alcohol affects the brain from the feeling of euphoria, high spirits and relaxation.

However, at the physiological level, at this time, destruction of cerebral cortex cells occurs even after small doses of ethanol.

1. Normally, the blood supply to the brain occurs through thin capillaries.
2. When alcohol enters the blood, blood vessels narrow and red blood cells stick together, forming blood clots. They clog the lumen of the brain capillaries. Wherein nerve cells experience oxygen starvation and die. At the same time, a person feels euphoria, without even suspecting the destructive changes in the cerebral cortex.
3. Capillaries from congestion swell and burst.
4. After drinking 100 g of vodka, a glass of wine or a mug of beer, 8 thousand nerve cells die forever. Unlike liver cells, which can regenerate after alcohol withdrawal, nerve cells in the brain do not.
5. Dead neurons are excreted in urine the next day.

Thus, under the influence of alcohol on blood vessels, an obstacle to normal blood circulation in the brain is created. This is the cause of the development of alcoholic encephalopathy and epilepsy.

A postmortem autopsy of the skull of alcohol abusers naturally reveals destructive pathological changes in their brain:

• reducing its size;
• smoothing of convolutions;
• the formation of voids in place of dead areas;
• foci of pinpoint hemorrhages;
• the presence of serous fluid in the cavities of the brain.

With long-term abuse, alcohol affects the structure of the brain. Ulcers and scars form on its surface. Under a magnifying glass, the brain of an alcoholic looks like the lunar surface, pockmarked with craters and craters.

The effect of alcohol on the nervous system

The human brain is a kind of control panel for the entire body. Its cortex contains centers for memory, reading, movement of body parts, smell, and vision. Poor circulation and cell death of any center are accompanied by shutdown or weakening of brain functions. This is accompanied by a decrease in a person’s cognitive (cognitive) abilities.

The influence of alcohol on the human psyche is expressed in a decrease in intelligence and personality degradation:

• memory impairment;
• decreased IQ;
• hallucinations;
• loss of critical attitude towards oneself;
• immoral behavior;
• incoherent speech.

Under the influence of alcohol on the nervous system, a person’s behavioral reactions change. He loses his modesty and restraint. He does things that he wouldn't do in his right mind. Stops being critical of your emotions. He experiences unmotivated attacks of rage and anger. A person’s personality degrades in direct proportion to the amount and duration of alcohol consumption.

Gradually a person loses interest in life. His creative and labor potential is declining. All this has a negative impact on career growth and social status.

Alcoholic polyneuritis of the lower extremities develops after prolonged use of ethyl alcohol. Its cause is inflammation of the nerve endings. It is associated with an acute deficiency of B vitamins in the body. The disease is manifested by a feeling of severe weakness in the lower extremities, numbness, and pain in the calves. Ethanol affects both muscles and nerve endings - it causes atrophy of the entire muscular system, which ends in neuritis and paralysis.

The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system

The effect of alcohol on the heart is such that it works under load for 5–7 hours. While drinking strong drinks, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure rises. Full heart function is restored only after 2-3 days, when the body is finally cleansed.

After alcohol enters the blood, a change occurs in the red blood cells - they are deformed due to membrane rupture, stick together, forming blood clots. As a result, blood flow in the coronary vessels is disrupted. The heart, trying to push blood through, increases in size.

The effects of alcohol on the heart when abused include the following diseases.

1. Myocardial dystrophy. In place of cells killed as a result of hypoxia, connective tissue develops, which impairs the contractility of the heart muscle.
2. Cardiomyopathy - typical consequence, which is formed over 10 years of alcohol abuse. It most often affects men.
3. Heart arythmy.
4. Coronary heart disease - angina pectoris. After drinking alcohol, the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the blood increases, which increases oxygen consumption by the heart muscle. Therefore, any dose can cause coronary insufficiency.
5. The risk of developing myocardial infarction in heavy drinkers is higher than in healthy individuals, regardless of the condition of the coronary vessels of the heart. Alcohol increases blood pressure, which causes heart attack and premature death.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is characterized by hypertrophy (enlargement) of the ventricles of the heart.

The symptoms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy are as follows:

• dyspnea;
• a cough, often at night, that people associate with a cold;
• fast fatiguability;
• pain in the heart area.

Progression of cardiomyopathy leads to heart failure. Shortness of breath is accompanied by swelling of the legs, enlarged liver, and cardiac arrhythmia. When people have heart pain, subendocardial myocardial ischemia is often detected. Drinking alcohol also causes hypoxia - oxygen starvation of the heart muscle. Since alcohol leaves the body over several days, myocardial ischemia persists throughout this time.

Important! If your heart hurts the next day after drinking alcohol, you need to get a cardiogram and consult a cardiologist.

Alcoholic drinks affect heart rate. After heavy alcohol consumption, they often develop various types arrhythmias:

• paroxysmal atrial tachycardia;
• frequent atrial or ventricular extrasystole;
• atrial flutter;
• ventricular fibrillation, which requires anti-shock treatment measures (often fatal).

The presence of this kind of arrhythmias after taking large doses of alcohol is called “holiday” heart. Heart rhythm disturbances, especially ventricular arrhythmias, often result in death. Arrhythmias can be regarded as signs of cardiomyopathy.

The effect of alcohol on the human cardiovascular system is a fact that has been scientifically established and substantiated. The risk of these diseases is directly proportional to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol and its breakdown product, acetaldehyde, have a direct cardiotoxic effect. In addition, it causes a deficiency of vitamins and proteins and increases blood lipids. During acute alcohol intoxication, the contractility of the myocardium sharply decreases, which leads to a lack of blood in the heart muscle. Trying to compensate for oxygen deficiency, the heart increases contractions. In addition, during intoxication, the concentration of potassium in the blood decreases, which causes rhythm disturbances, the most dangerous of which is ventricular fibrillation.

The effect of alcohol on blood vessels

Alcohol lowers or increases arterial pressure? - even 1-2 glasses of wine increases blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension. After drinking alcoholic beverages, the concentration of catecholamines - adrenaline and norepinephrine - increases in the blood plasma, which increase blood pressure. There is a concept called “dose-dependent effect”, which shows how alcohol affects blood pressure depending on its amount - systolic and diastolic pressure increases by 1 mmHg when ethanol increases by 8-10 grams per day. People who abuse alcohol have a 3-fold increased risk of hypertension compared to abstainers.

How does alcohol affect blood vessels? Let's figure out what happens to our blood vessels when drinking alcohol. The initial effect of alcoholic drinks on the vascular wall is dilating. But after this a spasm occurs. This leads to ischemia of the blood vessels of the brain and heart, leading to heart attack and stroke. Alcohol also has a toxic effect on the veins in such a way that the flow of blood through them is disrupted. It leads to varicose veins veins of the esophagus and lower extremities. People who abuse libations often experience bleeding from the veins of the esophagus, which ends in death. Does alcohol dilate or constrict blood vessels? - these are just stages of its sequential impact, both of which are destructive.

The main damaging effect of alcohol on blood vessels is related to how alcohol affects the blood. Under the influence of ethanol, red blood cells stick together. The resulting blood clots spread throughout the body, clogging narrow vessels. Moving through the capillaries, blood flow becomes significantly more difficult. This leads to disruption of blood supply to all organs, but the greatest danger is to the brain and heart. The body initiates a compensatory reaction - it increases blood pressure in order to push blood through. This leads to heart attack, hypertensive crisis, and stroke.

Effect on the liver

It's no secret how harmful alcohol affects the liver. The stage of ethyl alcohol release is much longer than absorption. Up to 10% of ethanol is released into pure form with saliva, sweat, urine, feces and during breathing. That is why after drinking alcohol a person has a specific smell of urine and “fumes” from the mouth. The remaining 90% of ethanol has to be broken down by the liver. Complex biochemical processes occur in it, one of which is the conversion of ethyl alcohol into acetaldehyde. But the liver can only break down about 1 glass of alcohol in 10 hours. Unsplit ethanol damages liver cells.

Alcohol affects development the following diseases liver.

1. Fatty liver. At this stage, fat in the form of globules accumulates in hepatocytes (liver cells). Over time, it sticks together, forming blisters and cysts in the area of ​​the portal vein, which interfere with the movement of blood from it.
2. At the next stage it develops alcoholic hepatitis- inflammation of its cells. At the same time, the liver increases in size. Fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea appear. At this stage, after stopping ethanol consumption, liver cells are still able to regenerate (recover). Continued use leads to a transition to the next stage.
3. Liver cirrhosis is a typical disease associated with alcohol abuse. At this stage, liver cells are replaced connective tissue. The liver becomes covered with scars; when palpated, it is dense with an uneven surface. This stage is irreversible - dead cells cannot recover. But stopping alcohol consumption stops liver scarring. The remaining healthy cells perform limited functions.

If alcohol consumption does not stop at the cirrhosis stage, the process progresses to the cancer stage. A healthy liver can be maintained with moderate consumption.

The equivalent is a glass of beer or a glass of wine per day. And even with such dosages, you should not drink alcohol every day. It is necessary to allow alcohol to completely leave the body, and this takes 2-3 days.

Effect of alcohol on the kidneys

The function of the kidneys is not only the formation and excretion of urine. They take part in balancing the acid-base balance and water-electrolyte balance, and produce hormones.

How does alcohol affect the kidneys? - when consuming ethanol, they go into intensive operation mode. The renal pelvis is forced to pump a large volume of fluid, trying to remove substances harmful to the body. Constant overload weakens the functional ability of the kidneys - over time, they can no longer work constantly in an enhanced mode. The effect of alcohol on the kidneys can be seen after a festive feast by a swollen face and high blood pressure. Fluid accumulates in the body, which the kidneys are unable to remove.

In addition, toxins accumulate in the kidneys, then stones form. Over time, nephritis develops. Moreover, after drinking alcohol, it happens that the kidneys hurt, the temperature rises, and protein appears in the urine. The progression of the disease is accompanied by the accumulation of toxins in the blood, which the liver is no longer able to neutralize and the kidneys to remove.

Lack of treatment leads to the development of renal failure. In this case, the kidneys cannot form and excrete urine. Poisoning of the body with toxins begins - general intoxication with a fatal outcome.

How does alcohol affect the pancreas?

The function of the pancreas is to secrete enzymes into the small intestine to digest food. How does alcohol affect the pancreas? - under its influence, its ducts are clogged, as a result of which enzymes do not enter the intestines, but inside it. Moreover, these substances destroy gland cells. In addition, they affect metabolic processes involving insulin. Therefore, if you abuse alcohol, diabetes can develop.

When subjected to decomposition, enzymes and breakdown products cause inflammation of the gland - pancreatitis. It manifests itself in the fact that after alcohol the pancreas hurts, vomiting appears and the temperature rises. Pain in the lumbar region is girdling in nature. Alcohol abuse affects the development of chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for breast cancer.

The effect of alcohol on the female and male body

Alcohol affects a woman's body to a greater extent than a man's. In women, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol, is found in lower concentrations than in men, so they get drunk faster.

The same factor influences the formation of alcohol dependence in women faster than in men.

Even after consuming small doses, women's organs undergo great changes. Under the influence of alcohol on a woman’s body, reproductive function is primarily affected. Ethanol disrupts the monthly cycle and negatively affects reproductive cells and conception. Drinking alcohol accelerates the onset of menopause. In addition, alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the breast and other organs. With age, the negative effect of alcohol on the female body increases because its elimination from the body slows down.

Alcohol negatively affects important brain structures - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The consequence of this is its negative impact on the male body - the production of sex hormones decreases, which is why potency decreases. As a result, family relationships collapse. Alcohol negatively affects all organs. It has the fastest and most dangerous effect on the brain and heart. Ethanol increases blood pressure, thickens the blood, and disrupts blood circulation in the brain and coronary vessels. Thus, it provokes a heart attack, stroke, and hypertensive crisis. With long-term use, irreversible diseases of the heart and brain develop - alcoholic cardiomyopathy, encephalopathy. The most important organs designed to remove toxins from the body - the liver and kidneys - suffer. The pancreas is damaged and digestion is disrupted. But stopping drinking alcohol early stage

diseases can restore cells and stop the destruction of organs.

Have you ever thought about how many people drink alcohol? According to statistics from the American Institute on Alcoholism, 87% of people 18 years of age and older have consumed alcohol in their lifetime. 71% drank alcohol during last year

, 56% - during the last month.

Generalized statistics for the world are not so easy to find, so we will focus on US data.

Every second person drinks alcohol periodically.

These data were obtained as a result of research by David Nutt, a British psychiatrist and pharmacologist who studies the effects of drugs on our bodies.

We're used to alcohol, and it's scary.

News reports cover drug-related crimes, but no one pays attention to alcohol-related crimes. This is reminiscent of the situation with accidents. No one cares about car accidents, but as soon as a ship runs aground or a plane crashes, all these events spread across the Internet.

Taking alcohol for granted, we forget that slurred tongue, fun, etc. are not the only effect of alcoholic drinks on our body.

How alcohol affects the body

Approximately 20% of alcohol consumed is absorbed by the stomach. The remaining 80% goes to the small intestine. How quickly alcohol is absorbed depends on its concentration in the drink. The higher it is, the faster intoxication will occur. Vodka, for example, is absorbed much faster than beer. A full stomach also slows down absorption and the onset of the intoxicating effect.

Once alcohol enters the stomach and small intestine, it travels through the bloodstream throughout the body. At this time, our body tries to remove it.

More than 10% of alcohol is excreted by the kidneys and lungs through urine and breathing. That is why breathalyzers can determine whether you have been drinking or not.

The liver handles the rest of the alcohol, which is why it is the organ that suffers the most damage. There are two main reasons why alcohol harms the liver:

1. Oxidative (oxidative) stress. As a result chemical reactions, accompanying the withdrawal of alcohol through the liver, its cells may be damaged. The organ will try to heal itself, and this may cause inflammation or scarring.
2. Toxins in intestinal bacteria. Alcohol can damage the intestines, causing gut bacteria to enter the liver and lead to inflammation.

The alcohol effect does not occur immediately, but only after several doses. It occurs when the amount of alcohol taken in exceeds the amount eliminated by the body.

How alcohol affects the brain

A slurred tongue, unruly body parts and memory loss are all symptoms on the brain. People who frequently drink alcohol begin to experience problems with coordination, balance and common sense. One of the main symptoms is a slow reaction, so drivers are prohibited from driving while intoxicated.

The effect of alcohol on the brain is that it changes the level of neurotransmitters - substances that transmit impulses from neurons to muscle tissue.

Neurotransmitters are responsible for processing external stimuli, emotions and behavior. They can either stimulate electrical activity in the brain or inhibit it.

One of the most important inhibitory neurotransmitters is gamma-aminobutyric acid. Alcohol enhances its effect, thereby making the movements and speech of drunk people slow.

How to reduce the negative effects of alcohol

But you are unlikely to decide to do this.

Therefore, here are some gentler tips that will help reduce the effect of alcohol on the body:

1. Drink plenty of water. Alcohol removes fluid from the body. Ideally, you should have one or two if you know you're going to drink alcohol.
2. Eat. As already mentioned, a full stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol, thereby giving the body time to gradually eliminate it.
3. Don't overeat on fatty foods. Yes, fats create a film that prevents the stomach from absorbing alcohol, but excessive amounts of fatty foods are more likely to do harm than good.
4. Avoid carbonated drinks. The carbon dioxide they contain accelerates the absorption of alcohol.
5. If you just want to keep company and don't intend to get drunk, then best option- one Reviver at one o'clock. By following this rule, you will give your body time to eliminate alcohol.