Health effects

Short-term effects

Drinking too much alcohol can affect the body very badly. Effects can vary depending on a person’s weight, metabolism and how long ago they have eaten.

The immediate effects of drinking alcohol can include:

• initial relaxation
• reduced concentration
• lack of coordination and slow reflexes
• mood changes, aggression or being overly emotional
• confusion, blurred vision and poor muscle control
• nausea, vomiting and incontinence
• alcohol poisoning
• coma and death.

The day after heavy drinking, most people experience an unpleasant ‘hangover’. This is because, even though it is a liquid, alcohol dehydrates the body, causing headaches, nausea, tiredness and depression.

Long-term effects

Heavy drinking over a long period of time causes damage to many parts of the body, including:

• the nervous system: loss of feeling in hands and feet, ‘pins and needles’
• the brain: brain damage, loss of memory, hallucinations, confusion
• the heart: high blood pressure, enlarged heart, irregular pulse
• the lungs: increased risk of infections
• the liver: cirrhosis, severe pain, swelling, liver cancer, hepatitis
• the skin: sweating, bruising, ‘flushes’
• the blood: red blood cell damage
• the stomach and digestive system: increased cancer risk, bleeding, ulcers
• muscles: weakness, damage to muscle tissue
• the pancreas: inflammation
• for men: impotence, shrinking of testicles, sperm damage and lower sperm count
• for women: increased gynaecological problems, foetus damage if pregnant, increased risk of breast cancer.