What are alcohol-related problems?

People who drink too much alcohol are at risk for having physical, mental, and emotional problems. The amount of alcohol considered excessive varies widely from person to person. For some people two drinks a day can lead to problems while others can consume up to four drinks a day without any harmful effects. Recent studies suggest that problems with health can begin when more than two drinks per day are consumed.

How do alcohol-related problems occur?

Excessive drinking over time can lead to tissue damage and disease. Alcohol has a toxic or irritating effect on cells and tissues. Also, many people who drink too much do not always follow a nutritious diet because alcohol reduces their appetite and replaces healthier foods.

Drinking too much alcohol leads to a loss of protein, minerals, and vitamins, especially thiamine (vitamin B-1) and other B-complex vitamins. Thiamine is essential for the body's normal use of carbohydrates. Also, the nerves, muscles, heart, and brain need thiamine to function normally.

Alcohol can disrupt the normal body chemistry in the following ways:

• Alcohol increases the acidity of the stomach, which can damage the stomach lining. Alcohol can also damage the lining of the small intestine and interfere with the absorption of nutrients from the small intestine.

• Alcohol decreases the amount of deep sleep, which may mean a less restful night's sleep. Also, drinking alcohol can make insomnia worse. Although it may help a person to go to sleep, as the drink wears off, the brain cells become more agitated and may cause an early awakening. One may also wake up more often to urinate.

• Alcohol can cause gout. Gout occurs when the buildup of uric acid causes inflammation in the joints. Alcohol can reduce the body's ability to get rid of uric acid.

What are some physical problems that are alcohol-related?

Excessive drinking can cause cancer, liver damage, nervous system problems, heart and circulatory problems, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and other physical and behavioral problems.

• Cancer. Drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the liver, pancreas, mouth, tongue, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. This risk is even greater if tobacco products are also used.

• Liver damage. Besides liver cancer, alcohol may cause fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and other liver disease.

• Nervous system problems. Alcohol can create a deficiency of thiamine, which can disrupt the functioning of the nerves. This deficiency can cause:
  • Wernicke's encephalopathy, which may involve eye movement disturbances, confusion, speech disturbances, walking disturbances, and, over time, coma

  • Korsakoff's psychosis, a chronic condition which causes short-term memory loss and affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, causing pain, cramps, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the legs and hands.
• Heart and circulatory problems. Heart failure can be caused by a lack of thiamine. In addition, excessive alcohol use may contribute to hypertension (high blood pressure) and strokes. Alcohol is toxic, or harmful, to heart tissue and can lead to cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease).

• Fetal alcohol syndrome. FAS occurs when a woman drinks alcohol while she is pregnant. Drinking may cause developmental disorders in the baby that show up after birth. Also, women who drink may be at higher risk of having miscarriages, premature births, stillbirths, and low-birth-weight babies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that six drinks a day cause a major risk to the fetus, and two drinks a day can cause developmental disorders. Many doctors recommend that women avoid all alcoholic beverages while they are trying to become pregnant and during the entire pregnancy and breast-feeding period.

• Other physical problems. The irritating effects of alcohol may cause:
  • gastritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the stomach)

  • pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

  • peptic ulcer (a raw area in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract)

  • blood sugar levels to increase and therefore diabetes to worsen

  • interactions with medications

  • worsening of most other medical problems (heart disease, kidney disease, circulation problems)

  • injuries from falls and other accidents.

What are some other alcohol-related problems?

Psychiatric and emotional problems can include:

• anxiety (feelings of uneasiness and fear)

• depression (feelings of sadness and hopelessness, a loss of interest in life, and a reduced feeling of well-being).

• confusion (both short-term and permanent)

• addiction.

Regularly drinking too much alcohol also can cause major, even life-threatening, emotional and behavioral problems including:

• Marital and family problems. People who drink heavily can have changes in moods and emotions, causing them to become angry and irritable. Also, they can have personality changes, such as becoming suspicious, jealous, or possessive. The spouses, children, and lovers of heavy drinkers find it hard to cope with these outbursts and changes. The stable routines of the household and family life are at risk. Family members may also develop emotional problems. The children are at high risk of becoming alcoholics as adults.

• Acts of violence. All people who drink too much alcohol lose proper judgment. As drinking problems become worse, arguing can lead to fighting, at home as well as in the workplace and in social settings. Also, these arguments can lead to domestic violence, child abuse, and the loss of job and friends. A large percentage of violent crimes, child sexual abuse, assaults, and murders are related to alcohol abuse.

• Vehicle accidents. Drunk drivers cause an estimated 50% of the deaths from vehicle accidents in the U.S.