The effects of excessive alcohol consumption are seen on the human body in various forms. Alcohol has a detrimental effect on various parts of the body. These effects usually depend on the amount of alcohol consumed and the frequency of drinking. These two factors determine the nature of the effects of alcohol on the body. The effects of alcoholism are widespread and can be short term or long term. Short term effect, which can be a temporary high that leads to a lack of judgment on one hand and the long term effect, that is a permanent damage to the brain and body and an overall deterioration of the functioning of the entire nervous system.
For starters, consumption of alcohol can have a harmful effect on the bones and joints. It has widely been seen that in general a lot of people complain of waking up with joint aches and body aches after the consumption of alcohol the previous night. What is alarming however is the long term effect that it can have on the bones and joints. Following are certain harmful effects of alcoholism on bones and joints.
- Alcohol consumption can lead to calcium leakage from the bones. This is capable of causing osteoporosis.
- It can also lead to increased inflammation of the joints which is related to arthritis and it causes excessive joint pain.
- It can also cause degeneration of the muscles which can cause extreme muscle pain and also weakness.
- Gout is a type of acute inflammatory arthritis that causes painful joint inflammation. Though it is a condition present at birth excessive drinking habits can further aggravate this problem.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol can also lead to a reduced bone density which can make the bones weak and prone to fractures.
Apart from the bones and joints alcohol affects the hands and feet as well. It can damage the nerves that carry the signals to the brain and the spinal cord. It leads to a loss of sensation at times, as also creates weird sensations in the feet such as tingling or numbness. This damage of nerves results in burning feet which is a common effect.
Swollen hands and feet or oedema as it is commonly known is also a side-effect of excessive drinking. Oedema is caused due to retention of fluids in the body. Retention of fluids takes place when the body id dehydrated. Alcohol causes dehydration of the body and is one of the causes of oedema. In this case swelling of the ankles and the feet and hands is usually noticed.
The bad effects of alcohol addiction are too many to count. Consumption of alcohol is absolutely detrimental to the entire nervous system. Consumption of excessive quantities leads to intoxication and alcohol poisoning. The effects of alcoholism keep on changing. What starts as a means to escape from the daily stress and the problems, progresses stage by stage and consumes the person in the trap of alcohol addiction. As the amount of consumption increases day by day, there is a loss of control that is common and dependency on alcohol increases to a huge extent. This dependency not only worsens the physical life but also the social life on an individual.
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