Alcohol & health effects of alcohol on the body can be short term or long term effects. The consumption of alcohol & health related problems can occur over a short time frame, while other conditions & long term effects of alcohol on the body may only happen following years of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol comes into direct contact with the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach & intestines as well as being absorbed into the bloodstream. Health problems can begin as headaches, feeling nauseated, sore throat or indigestion. However, if alcohol abuse continues, these & other alcohol & health symptoms can develop into more serious illnesses & diseases.

Here are examples of short term health effects of alcohol on the body:

• Nausea, Vomiting, Dizziness, Hangovers - excessive alcohol consumption can result in the body trying to protect itself by getting rid of the alcohol & vomiting. Alcohol & health & the central nervous system are related since alcohol affects a person's sense of balance & orientation, leading to a feeling of nausea and/or dizziness. Hangovers are partly due to the body's dehydration caused by alcohol consumption, & hangover effects of alcohol on the body may be felt a few hours after consuming alcohol.

• Loss of Muscle Control - slurred speech is one of the effects of alcohol on the body. Impaired judgement & poor coordination are alcohol & health effects that can lead to falls & accidents.

• Adverse Interactions with Medications - alcohol is known to interact negatively with at least 100 medications. For example, antihistamines taken with alcohol can increase the drowsiness that this medication by itself can cause. Large doses of the painkiller acetaminophen taken together when consuming alcohol increases the risk of liver damage.

• Pregnancy Risks - alcohol can cause numerous birth defects, the most serious being fetal alcohol syndrome. Babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome will have physical abnormalities, mental impairment & problems with behavior. To avoid negative alcohol & health effects during pregnancy, do not drink alcohol during pregnancy as no one knows exactly how much alcohol

causes birth deffects.

Because alcohol & health effects can involve many organs in the body, long-term heavy drinking puts you at risk for developing serious health conditions & illnesses. Here are examples of long term effects of alcohol on the body:

• Liver Inflammation & Cirrhosis of the Liver - liver inflammation symptoms include abnormal yellowing of the skin, eyeballs & urine, fever & abdominal pain. And in the case of cirrhosis, as many as one in five heavy drinkers will develop cirrhosis of the liver. Alcohol is especially harmful to the liver since the liver is needed to metabolize alcohol. Alcohol destroys liver cells, & it destroys the ability of the liver to regenerate new cells.

• Cancer - long term heavy drinkers increase their risk for certain forms of cancer such as cancer of the mouth, throat & esophagus & colon.

• Heart disease - long term heavy drinking increases a person's risk for developing high blood pressure & heart disease.

• Pancreaitis - long term heavy drinking can result in developing inflammation of the pancreas, called pancreaitis. The pancreas are needed for food digestion, & pancreaitis symptoms include severe abdominal pain & weight loss. Pancreaitis can be life-threatening.

Additional long term negative alcohol & health effects on the body include damage to the brain, nerve damage, bleeding in the esophagus, erectile dysfunction in men, insomnia & depression. If you'd like to learn more about alcoholism stages & warning signs, there are proven resources available that can help. It is never too late to begin recovery from alcohol addiction.

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About the author: Learn about the alcoholism stages that everyone should know at http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com/alcoholism-stages.html - David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing & webmaster of http://www.safemenopausesolutions.com - a website of natural health articles, health resources & information for healthier living.