Drinking is popular among many Americans. When it comes to the most popular social drugs in the country, alcohol ranks high. Like other substances, it may cause physical harm if used excessively. Even minimal alcohol consumption is linked to a higher chance of developing various types of cancers.
The effects of alcohol on the body are numerous. There are both short-term and long-term impacts; the latter can add up and have a serious impact on your physical and emotional well-being.
The amount of alcohol you consume, your drinking habits, and the quality of the drink all have a say in how much damage is caused to your body. It also depends on your height, weight, age, gender, level of fitness, genetic makeup, diet, metabolism, and other social factors.
The short-term consequences of just a single session of drinking too much alcohol include accidents and falls, hangovers, potentially violent behavior, lowered inhibition, interpersonal conflict and alcohol poisoning.
‘Hangover’ refers to the troubling signs that often follow an excessive intake of alcohol. The majority of people will be able to diagnose and cure their symptoms on their own.
A hangover is more likely to occur the more you drink, but it’s impossible to say how much alcohol you may consume without feeling its effects. Some people can have a hangover after just one drink.
Because alcohol use sets off a cascade of biochemical responses in the body, the degree of the next day’s “hangover” can vary widely from person to person. These responses may exacerbate the hangover. The reactions include blood sugar drops, frequent urination, stomach lining irritation, dehydration, an expansion of blood vessels and immune system inflammatory response, among others.
What Causes Hangovers to Be More Severe
Most hangovers begin when your blood alcohol level moves closer to zero. Usually, they last up to one day and go away themselves, but they are likely to be more severe if you:
- Consume other drugs while drinking – especially nicotine
- Drink on an empty stomach
- Drink dark alcoholic beverages like rum and whiskey
- Don’t get enough high-quality sleep after drinking
The following tips can help ease the symptoms of hangovers:
- Stay hydrated
- Get some sleep
- Take pain relievers
- Eat plain foods like toast
Conventional wisdom holds that drinking over two standard drinks per day is associated with an increased risk of developing a variety of health issues and other negative consequences. Recent research shows that even moderate alcohol intake raises the chance of developing chronic diseases.
Some of the alcohol-related harms include crime, road accidents, obesity, cancer, family breakdown, social dysfunction and the possibility of self-harm.
The World Health Organization estimates that in 2016, alcohol contributed to 5.3% of all fatalities worldwide.
If you want to prevent alcohol’s negative health impacts, the best thing to do is to abstain from drinking. Since no safe threshold for alcohol consumption has been established, this is of particular importance if you are attempting to conceive, pregnant, or nursing.
Moderate alcohol consumption is safer for the body than high alcohol consumption or binge drinking.
