kristinasmith
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2012
- Messages
- 8
The physical effects of excessive alcohol consumption are easy to spot: lack of balance, slurred speech, lack of coherency, slower response time, memory loss, blurred vision, etc.
But those effects are the temporary impact of alcohol on the human brain. For some, these effects take place after only one or two drinks, for others, the effects come much sooner or later. Unfortunately, these physical symptoms of alcohol consumption are not necessarily immediate—which can lead an individual to continue drinking--and the effects are in no way a clear indicator of one’s blood-alcohol level.
Habitually drinking alcohol in excess can lead to many different permanent injuries to the brain. There are a number of factors that influence how and to what extent alcohol affects your brain. The amount a person drinks and how often, the age of the person when they started drinking, how long an individual continues to drink alcohol, the history of alcoholism in a person’s family and the person’s health history all play role in determining alcohol’s impact.
But everyone is at the risk of a brain injury or short-term effect when they drink alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Long term effects of excessive alcohol consumption are often like the short-term effects, but permanent. Alcohol can have extremely crippling effects on the human brain, especially exhibited in memory function. Most alcoholics have difficulty in forming new memories as well as recalling old ones. Alcoholics can also exhibit loss of coordination or shaky hands.
Alcoholics also tend to suffer from poor nutritional habits or liver damage, which can cause a deficiency of thiamine in the brain. When this happens, an individual will exhibit mental confusion, loss of muscle coordination, paralysis in the muscles that control eye movement, and severe memory and learning debilitation.
The effects of alcohol when a driver gets behind the wheel, places the lives of others as well as his/her own at risk.
The short- and long-term effects on the brain can be nearly as debilitating.
But those effects are the temporary impact of alcohol on the human brain. For some, these effects take place after only one or two drinks, for others, the effects come much sooner or later. Unfortunately, these physical symptoms of alcohol consumption are not necessarily immediate—which can lead an individual to continue drinking--and the effects are in no way a clear indicator of one’s blood-alcohol level.
Habitually drinking alcohol in excess can lead to many different permanent injuries to the brain. There are a number of factors that influence how and to what extent alcohol affects your brain. The amount a person drinks and how often, the age of the person when they started drinking, how long an individual continues to drink alcohol, the history of alcoholism in a person’s family and the person’s health history all play role in determining alcohol’s impact.
But everyone is at the risk of a brain injury or short-term effect when they drink alcohol.
Long-Term Effects
Long term effects of excessive alcohol consumption are often like the short-term effects, but permanent. Alcohol can have extremely crippling effects on the human brain, especially exhibited in memory function. Most alcoholics have difficulty in forming new memories as well as recalling old ones. Alcoholics can also exhibit loss of coordination or shaky hands.
Alcoholics also tend to suffer from poor nutritional habits or liver damage, which can cause a deficiency of thiamine in the brain. When this happens, an individual will exhibit mental confusion, loss of muscle coordination, paralysis in the muscles that control eye movement, and severe memory and learning debilitation.
The effects of alcohol when a driver gets behind the wheel, places the lives of others as well as his/her own at risk.
The short- and long-term effects on the brain can be nearly as debilitating.