- Immediate effect of excess alcohol
- Long-term effects
- 1. Hypertension
- 2. Cardiac arrhythmia
- 3. Increase in cholesterol
- 4. Increased atherosclerosis
- 5. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
The effects of alcohol on the human body can occur in many parts of the body, such as the liver or even on the muscles or skin.
The duration of alcohol's effects on the body is related to how long it takes the liver to metabolize alcohol. On average, the body takes 1 hour to metabolize just 1 can of beer, so if the individual has drunk 8 cans of beer, alcohol will be present in the body for at least 8 hours.
Immediate effect of excess alcohol
Depending on the amount ingested and the individual's physical condition, the immediate effects of alcohol on the body can be:
- Slurred speech, drowsiness, vomiting, Diarrhea, heartburn and burning in the stomach, Headache, difficulty breathing, Altered vision and hearing, Change in reasoning ability, Lack of attention, change in perception and motor coordination, Alcoholic blackout that are faults of memory in which the individual cannot remember what happened while under the influence of alcohol Loss of reflexes, loss of judgment of reality, alcoholic coma.
In pregnancy, alcohol consumption can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which is a genetic alteration that causes physical deformation and mental retardation in the fetus.
Long-term effects
Regular consumption of more than 60g per day, which is equivalent to 6 chops, 4 glasses of wine or 5 caipirinhas can be harmful to health, favoring the development of diseases such as hypertension, arrhythmia and increased cholesterol.
The 5 diseases that can be caused by excessive alcohol consumption are:
1. Hypertension
The consumption of alcoholic beverages in excess can cause hypertension, with increased systolic pressure, but alcohol abuse also decreases the effect of antihypertensive drugs, and both situations increase the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack.
2. Cardiac arrhythmia
The excess of alcohol can also affect the functioning of the heart and there may be atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and ventricular extrasystoles and this can also happen in people who do not drink alcohol frequently, but abuse at a party, for example. But regular consumption of large doses of alcohol favors the appearance of fibrosis and inflammation.
3. Increase in cholesterol
Alcohol above 60g stimulates the increase in VLDL and therefore it is not recommended to have a blood test to assess dyslipidemia after drinking alcoholic beverages. In addition, it increases atherosclerosis and reduces the amount of HDL.
4. Increased atherosclerosis
People who consume a lot of alcohol have the walls of the arteries more swollen and with ease for the appearance of atherosclerosis, which is the accumulation of fatty plaques inside the arteries.
5. Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy can occur in people who consume more than 110g / day of alcohol for 5 to 10 years, being more frequent in young people, between 30 and 35 years of age. But in women the dose may be less and cause the same damage. This change causes an increase in vascular resistance, decreasing the cardiac index.
But in addition to these diseases, excess alcohol also leads to an increase in uric acid that can be deposited in the joints causing acute pain, popularly known as gout.
