Alcohol is a socially accepted and readily available addictive substance. You might begin drinking occasionally at a friend’s party and end up consuming a drink daily after work. This is how occasional drinking becomes a habit and turns into alcohol abuse.
A few drinks in a week or month can be normal but consuming alcohol for a long time can have adverse effects on your body.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body
Prolonged use of alcohol can cause irreparable damage to your body. Such long-term effects of alcohol are:
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Stomach ulcers
- Hormonal imbalance
- Heart damage
- Malnutrition
- Stroke
- Weak immune system
Alcohol spares no one, especially not women and underage drinkers. Since the bodies of men and women metabolize the substance at different rates, the damage caused to a woman’s body is worse than that to a man’s body. Even underage drinkers are at a greater risk of adolescent brain development interference. They can be at risk of injuring themselves, engaging in unsafe sexual activities, and even death.
Alcohol Can Cause Cancer
Alcohol is also responsible for causing cancer in your body if you do not stop the intake on time. It is linked to developing seven different types of cancer and those are:
- Breast
- Rectum
- Colon
- Esophagus
- Larynx or voice box
- Throat
- Mouth
Alcohol-Related Liver Diseases
You might be aware that alcohol is the biggest enemy of one of the most vital organs in your body-liver. It causes severe damage to your liver resulting in alcohol-related liver diseases like:
- Alcoholic cirrhosis: scarring of the liver. It can become irreparable damage if left untreated for a longer time. The only solution to this disease then is a liver transplant.
- Alcoholic hepatitis: causes an increase in fat, inflammation, and mild cirrhosis. It can be treated by quitting alcohol and if overlooked, it can result in severe complications and even death.
- Alcoholic fatty liver disease: is the fat buildup in the liver tissue. This may not be as dangerous as the two diseases mentioned above but it is still an issue and can be treated by quitting alcohol.
Treating Alcohol Abuse Disorder No matter how good you may feel or what the reason is behind your drinking, alcohol is still a harmful substance and should be quitted as soon as possible. You can take help from experts at our rehab center in Sugar Land, Texas to overcome your alcohol abuse disorder. Visit Skyward Treatment center to treat all drug and alcohol-related disorders. Contact us now to get more details about our treatment programs.