The Negative Impact of Alcoholism
The Negative Impact of Alcoholism There are many negative effects of excessive use of alcohol. Alcoholism negatively impacts one’s lifestyle and health in many ways. There are many major organs that are impacted by the heavy consumption of alcohol. A person’s brain is directly affected by alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways; which causes changes in mood and behavior. This change in mood and behavior impacts the social and mental health of an alcoholic by impacting their relationships with others, usually in a negative way. Alcohol also damages the heart. Alcohol can be damaging by drinking too much on one occasion, or by over drinking over a period of time. Moderate amounts of alcohol has been proven to help cardiovascular health, while too much alcohol has the opposite impact. The liver and pancreas are also affected by alcoholism. The pancreas produces toxic substances when introduced to too much alcohol that leads to Pancreatitis, which is “a dangerous inflammation and swelling of blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion”. The liver cleanses the blood of toxins, and over drinking causes the liver to over work trying to clean the blood of all the alcohol consumed. This damages the liver and can cause liver failure. When the liver can no longer clean one’s blood, the patient will have to be involved in dialysis treatment, which is the use of a machine to cleanse one’s blood. Some studies have shown the heavy consumption of alcohol increases the probability of contracting some cancers, such as mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, and breast cancers. Alcohol also impacts the immune system, leading to other sicknesses and diseases. It has been shown many chronic drinkers have been more likely to contract pneumonia and tuberculosis. The social life of chronic drinkers is also impacted by alcoholism. The mood and behavior changes involved in too much alcohol, or the lack of alcohol in an alcoholic, impact