Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health, Research Shows The New York Times

“Also, drinking alcohol during cancer treatment increases the likelihood of side effects, and it can decrease the effectiveness of treatments.” Alcohol misuse at an early age increases the risk of developing AUD. Genetics or a family history of alcohol misuse increases that risk as well.

Alcohol withdrawal can be difficult and, in some cases, life threatening. Depending on how often you drink and how much, you may need support from a healthcare professional if you want to stop drinking. Alcohol use can begin to take a toll on anyone’s physical and mental well-being over time. These effects may be more serious and more noticeable if you drink regularly and tend to have more than 1 or 2 drinks when you do.

Risks of moderate alcohol use

The WHO reports that in 2016, 5.3 per cent of all deaths globally were caused by alcohol consumption. Worldwide, more men die as a result of alcohol consumption than women. If you’ve repeatedly tried to stop using tobacco, Dr. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Ebbert says, keep trying. An alcohol overdose can damage your pancreas, which digests food and monitors the levels of glucose in your blood. You might not link a cold to a night of drinking, but there might be a connection.

• Alcohol use suppresses the central nervous system and destroys neurons.
• NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D., said that as of May 2023, the institute is not aware of specific health guidelines on alcohol consumption for transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals.
• Your body size and composition, age, drinking experience, genetics, nutritional status, metabolism, and social factors all play a part as well.
• Others, like loss of consciousness or slurred speech, may develop after a few drinks.
• The percentage of alcohol-attributable deaths among men amounts to 7.7 % of all global deaths compared to 2.6 % of all deaths among women.
• Call 911 if someone you know is experiencing an alcohol overdose.

If consumption stops suddenly, the person may experience withdrawal symptoms. The body absorbs alcohol relatively quickly, but it takes longer to get the alcohol out of the body. Consuming several drinks in a short time causes the alcohol builds up in the body. Understanding how alcohol affects the mind, body, and overall health can help you make the most informed decisions about your consumption habits. If you’re concerned with your alcohol consumption and attitude toward drinking, talk to a healthcare provider as a first step.

When to avoid alcohol

When you stop drinking, you might notice a range of physical, emotional, or mental health symptoms that ease as soon as you have a drink. Alcohol use can factor into mental health symptoms that closely resemble those of other mental health conditions. People who drink heavily over a long period of time are also more likely to develop pneumonia or tuberculosis than the general population. The World Health Organization (WHO) links about 8.1 percent of all tuberculosis cases worldwide to alcohol consumption. “What’s really scary is the opioids, because the consequences of opioid use are immediate and can be fatal.” Levy was not involved with the CDC report. Three articles tackled the association between alcohol references in music and drinking-related behaviors.

Kindling is a problem that can occur following a number of episodes of withdrawal from alcohol. The severity of a person’s withdrawal symptoms may get worse each time they stop drinking, and can cause symptoms such as tremors, agitation and convulsions (seizures). Research shows that women who drink more alcohol than is recommended on a regular basis tend to develop liver disease, cardiomyopathy and nerve damage after fewer years than men who do the same.

A public health perspective on zero- and low-alcohol beverages

That limits blood flow, so liver cells don’t get what they need to survive. As they die off, the liver gets scars and stops working as well, a disease called cirrhosis. By age, alcohol-related deaths from chronic diseases occur most commonly among both men and women aged 45 to 54. These figures demonstrate that such conditions are hardly limited to old age – heavy alcohol use can ultimately take decades off a person’s life.

Alcohol puts the brakes on your body’s defenses, or immune system. Your body can’t make the numbers of white blood cells it needs to fight germs. So for 24 hours after drinking too much, you’re more likely to get sick. Long-term heavy drinkers are much more likely to get illnesses like pneumonia and tuberculosis. Alcohol irritates the lining of your stomach and makes your digestive juices flow. If enough acid and alcohol build up, you get nauseated and you may throw up.

Other risks

Even drinking a little too much (binge drinking) on occasion can set off a chain reaction that affects your well-being. Lowered inhibitions can lead to poor choices with lasting repercussions — like the end of a relationship, an accident or legal woes. Each of those consequences can cause turmoil that can negatively affect your long-term emotional health. Drinking moderately if you’re otherwise healthy may be a risk you’re willing to take. But heavy drinking carries a much higher risk even for those without other health concerns. Be sure to ask your healthcare professional about what’s right for your health and safety.

If you drink more than this and your body isn’t able to break it down fast enough, it accumulates in your body. Alcohol throws off the normal speed that food moves through them. That’s why hard drinking can lead to diarrhea, which can turn into a long-term problem. It also makes heartburn more likely because it relaxes the muscle that keeps acid out of your esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth and stomach.