What does alcohol do to the liver?
The liver breaks down most of the alcohol someone drinks. In doing so it is exposed both to alcohol and to acetaldehyde, a toxic substance produced when alcohol is broken down.
Heavy drinking can cause fat to build up in the liver and can lead to inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Serious liver damage can develop before there are obvious symptoms.
How does alcohol affect the stomach and intestines?
Alcohol can irritate and damage the lining of the digestive tract. It can contribute to inflammation, reflux, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and bleeding.
Heavy drinking can also change the balance of bacteria in the gut and damage the intestinal barrier, allowing substances that would normally remain in the gut to enter the bloodstream more easily.
How does alcohol affect the pancreas?
The pancreas produces enzymes needed for digestion and hormones involved in controlling blood sugar. Heavy alcohol use can cause pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas.
Pancreatitis can occur suddenly or become a long-term condition. Chronic pancreatitis can interfere with digestion and blood-sugar control and can cause lasting damage.
How does alcohol affect the heart and circulation?
Heavy drinking can raise blood pressure, disturb the heart's rhythm and damage the heart muscle. Long-term heavy drinking can weaken the heart so that it cannot pump blood as effectively.
Alcohol use is also associated with an increased risk of stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
Can alcohol affect the blood?
Heavy drinking can affect the production and function of blood cells. It can contribute to anaemia, reduce some white blood cells and lower platelet levels.
These changes can affect the body's ability to carry oxygen, fight infection and stop bleeding normally.
Can drinking cause nutritional problems?
Heavy drinking can affect nutrition in several ways. Someone may eat less, replace food with alcohol, absorb nutrients poorly or have difficulty storing and using particular vitamins.
Over time, nutritional deficiencies can contribute to weakness, nerve damage, problems with memory and other physical complications.
Does alcohol weaken the immune system?
Yes. Heavy alcohol use can interfere with the immune system and make it harder for the body to defend itself against infection.
It can also interfere with recovery from illness or injury and contribute to inflammation and damage in other organs.
Can alcohol damage nerves and muscles?
Long-term heavy drinking can damage nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. This can cause numbness, tingling, burning pain or weakness, particularly in the hands, legs and feet.
Heavy alcohol use can also damage muscles and is associated with loss of muscle strength and reduced bone health.
Does alcohol increase the risk of cancer?
Yes. Alcohol is a known cause of cancer. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancers including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus, liver, bowel and breast.
The risk comes from the alcohol itself. Beer, wine and spirits can all increase cancer risk.
Can the body recover when someone stops drinking?
Some alcohol-related changes can improve when drinking stops, particularly when damage is found early. Fatty liver, for example, can be reversible.
Other damage can be permanent. Advanced cirrhosis, severe nerve damage and damage caused by some other alcohol-related conditions may not fully recover. What improves depends on what has been damaged and how far that damage has progressed.