It’s no secret that long-term alcohol use is both physically and mentally destructive. People who drink for years obviously risk physical damage to the organs used for the absorption and digestion of alcohol. Alcohol permanently destroys brain cells, causes brain damage and disrupts the function of the central nervous system. An alcoholic brain can have difficulty retrieving, consolidating, and processing simple information.
In addition to the deleterious effects on the brain, alcohol also impacts the stomach, liver, pancreas, and the whole digestive system. Alcohol can cause fatty degeneration of the liver, resulting in nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Alcohol addiction also causes cirrhosis (an incurable disease), gastritis and inflammation of the pancreas. Gastritis causes stomach bleeding and inflammation of the pancreas can inhibit absorption of nutrients, resulting in serious weight loss.
The damage to the liver first occurs as enlargement when the liver cells become loaded with fatty tissue. As alcoholic hepatitis sets in, liver cells die off. Finally, cirrhosis occurs and the liver is permanently scarred and impaired. If total liver function is impaired, death will follow.
There is also a strong relationship between alcohol addiction and cancer of the mouth, throat and esophagus, especially with smokers. Alcohol addicts get more cancers of the liver and large intestine and women alcoholics are more prone to develop breast cancers. The entire list of disorders that could be caused by alcohol use would be too long to list here, but it would be safe to say that the long-term effects of alcohol can easily reduce an addict’s lifespan by 10 to 15 years overall.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Addiction:
Brain damage
Liver disease
Heart disease
Cancer
Pancreatitis
Alcohol-related birth defects
Hepatitis
Cirrhosis
Central nervous system damage
Reduced cognitive abilities
Inflammation of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach
Irregular heartbeat
High-blood pressure
Heart attack
Vision damage
Impaired sexual function
Impaired circulation
Excessive water retention
Skin disorders
Weakened bones
Degenerated muscle tissue
Decreased immunity
