How is Alcohol Effecting Your Body

Roberta Meehan in “Alcohol and Health” describes the way that alcohol is absorption in the

body, “Generally begins in the stomach, although most absorption takes place from the small

intestine...alcohol is distributed to all body fluids (in proportion to the water content of that

fluid)” (2002, p. 17). It is important to know how alcohol first becomes absorbed in the body to

begin to understand how alcohol consumption enters the body. Alcohol begins to take effect as

soon as it first enters the body. The central nervous system is has short term effects from alcohol

use. Another one of these short term effects is what alcohol does to the central nervous system.

While there are short term effects of alcohol consumption, there are long term effects from the

use of alcohol. Cancer is one of the effects of long term alcohol use. The reproductive system is

effected as well by long term alcohol use. Some of these long term effects come about through

some shorter term effects. Alcohol has both short term and long term effects on the body.

Alcohol depresses the central nervous system which is a short term effect. It does this by

impacting the occipital lobe and the parietal lobe. The way that alcohol effects the occipital lobe

is poor distance judgment as well as blurred vision. The parietal lobe effects from alcohol are

slower reaction time and a loss of balance. In Michaele Dunlap’s “Biological Impacts of

Alcohol Use: An Overview” he adds even more effects of alcohol on the central nervous system

that states, “With each drinking episode, central nervous system functions deteriorate in a

predictable sequence, beginning with intellectual functioning, followed by disturbances in

sensory and motor control” (2001, par. 12). This adds to what was discussed with the occipital

and parietal lobes showing how short term effects can start to lead to long term effects of the

central nervous system. It is also important to note that the short term effects are predictable.

This means that alcohol consumption has many of the same patterns in almost every single

person. The way that the parietal and occipital lobes are going to be effected have to do with a
majority of alcohol consumers. The article “MDMA and alcohol effects, combined and alone,

on objective and subjective measures of actual driving performance and psychomotor function”

by K. P. C. Kuypers, N. Samyn, and J. G. Ramaekers uses the effects of alcohol on driving to

talk about how the reaction time of and coherence to use brakes on a vehicle are slowed down

(2006, par. 4). Using driving a vehicle is a more relatable way of talking about the effects of

alcohol intake and its effects in a way that reaches a wider audience. This relates back to poor

distance judgement and blurred vision that comes from alcohol effecting the occipital lobe. The

slower reaction time is explained by how the parietal lobe is effected by alcohol. These are just

some of the short term effects of alcohol consumption effect on the central nervous system.

Another short term effect from alcohol is the circulatory system. Two parts of the circulatory

system that feels these effects are ones heart rates and ones breathing. Short term heart rate

issues are a lowered heart rate as well as an irregular heart beat. In “Alcohol and Cancer” the

article mentions other effects of alcohol consumption on the heart by stating, “Although higher

levels of alcohol consumption have been associated with some forms of cancer, moderate

alcohol intake (two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women) may decrease the

risk of heart disease and stroke” (2006, par. 8). While this may occur the risks that were already

stated with the short term effects of alcohol on the heart are still going to be there. Breathing

will still be effected in much the same way even though this would be an example of moderate

alcohol intake. The way that breathing is impacted by alcohol is an increase in the volume of

secretions in the lungs. The secretions in the lungs is something that is one of the parts of how

alcohol is absorbed in the first place. Breathing also slows down as one of the short term effects.

This slowing of breathing can lead to breath stopping thus leading to death. Breathing becomes
slower as more alcohol drinks are consumed by a person. These are just some of the short term

effects of alcohol on the heart and breathing portion of the circulatory system.

While those are some of the short term effects of alcohol use, there are long term uses as

well. There are two types of cancer that can come from this which are oral cancers and liver

cancers. Oral cancers involves any cancer that occurs in the head or neck. “Alcohol and

Cancer” contains statistics about how, “Oral cancers are six times more common in alcohol users

than in non alcohol users” (2006, par. 3). That is not to say that oral cancer does not occur for

those that do not consume alcohol or are not frequent drinkers. This statistic goes up for smokers

that also consume alcohol over a long period of time. The number changes as well for those that

simply smoke and are non alcohol users. The same website sheds more light into the number of

those effected this long term risk which is, “About 75% to 80% of all patients with oral cancer

consume alcohol frequently” (2006, par. 3). This number becomes higher for those that smoke

as well as intake alcohol over a long period of time. Smoking is an external factor that aids in

not just cancer, but the heart, breathing, and the central nervous system as well. Long term

alcohol consumption increases the risk of liver cancer. Alcohol uses long term causes scarring of

the liver, which results in cirrhosis. Having cirrhosis can lead to other medical concerns such as

hepatitis B and C as well as other liver problems. Long term effects of the liver are to be taken

seriously for smokers and non-smokers.

The reproductive system of men and women are effected by the long term consumption of

alcohol. Testosterone is reduced in men. The effects of reduced testosterone is testicular

shrinkage and impotence. In Black’s Medical Dictionary alcohol’s effect on men is

described as, “Increases sexual confidence, but high levels can cause impotence” (p. 18 - 19).

This increased sexual confidence is something that can occur in females as well. The effect on
females is a lowered sex drive. These are both short term effects that can become long term

effects as well. Knowing the how the short term effects can turn into long term effects are

important for learning how the body can be affected in different ways. In “Alcohol’s Effect on

the Brain and Body,” “Among chronic female drinkers, alcohol may cause menstrual

irregularities, infertility, and loss of sex drive” (2007, p. 1). Females are also risk their breasts

enlarging as another long term effect of alcohol use. While this seems like it can be a good

thing, females then can become more at risk of other medical issues such as back problems.

Reproduction itself becomes an issue as well for both men and women and their partners. This

not only effects a person infertility, but the fertility of a romantic partner as well. These are long

term effects that have more of a meaning further along in one’s life versus the short term effects

to one’s ability to perform sexually. These long term effects need to be taken seriously since

minus only the short term effects have to do with the male and female sex drive being lowered.

The reproductive system is one of the many important systems of the body. The long term

effects of alcohol on this system is just as deteriorating as the long term and short term effects on

the other systems of the body that were mentioned.

Once alcohol has started to become absorbed into the body it has multiple short term and

long term effects on one’s body. One of the short term effects involves the occipital and parietal

lobes which are part of the central nervous system. This deals a lot with what occurs in the brain

from consuming alcohol. The circulatory system is affected in the short term through the heart

rate as well as impacted breathing. Oral and liver cancers are risks that come from long term

consumption of alcohol. There are also risks besides cancer that comes from an increased intake

of alcohol over a long period of time. Male and female reproductive systems also feel the long

term effects of alcohol use. This can affect not only the males and females that consume alcohol
for long periods of time but for those that are seeing those people as well. It is not just one

system of the body that is effected by alcohol consumption but various systems of the body at the

same time.