Alcohol: Its affect of different parts of body

Before describing the affects of alcohol on the body, you should know how alcohol enters the body and what it does when it gets there. After alcohol is ingested, it reaches the stomach where about 20% of the alcohol absorbs into the blood stream, through small blood vessels. The remaining 80% of the alcohol continues to the small intestine and is absorbed there into the blood stream.

The alcohol flows through the blood stream and is metabolized by the liver, where the alcohol is broken down by enzymes. The liver can, on average, metabolize about one standard drink (i.e. one 12 ounce bottle of beer, one 4 ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 40% alcohol) in one hour. Alcohol consumed in addition to these amounts can generally not be processed by the liver. When this happens, your blood becomes saturated and the additional alcohol makes its way to your body tissues and blood stream, until your liver can process the excess alcohol.

Affect on Blood:
Extended alcohol abuse can cause blood conditions including several forms of anemia and blood clotting abnormalities. These conditions could result in susceptibility to bleeding and bruising. Prolonged alcohol use can also impair white blood cell function and thus makes the abuser more likely to become infected.

Affect on Cerebral Cortex:

The cerebral cortex processes information from your senses, processes thoughts, initiates the majority of voluntary muscle movements and has some control over lower-order brain centers. In the cerebral cortex, alcohol can:

Affect thought processes, leading to potentially poor judgement.
Depresses inhibition, leading one to become more talkative and more confident.
Blunts the senses and increases the threshold for pain.
As the BAC increases, these effects get more pronounced.

Affects on limbic system (Hippocampus)
The limbic system, which consists of the hippocampus and septal area of the brain, controls memory and emotions. The affect of alcohol on this sytem is that the person may experience some memory loss and may have exaggerated states of emotion.

Affects on Cerebellum
The cerebellum coordinates muscle movement. The cerebral cortex initiates the muscular movement by sending a signal through the medulla and spinal cord to the muscles. As the nerve signals pass through the medulla, they are influenced by nerve impulses from the cerebellum, which controls the fine movements, including those necessary for balance. When alcohol affects the cerebellum, muscle movements become uncoordinated.

Affects on Hypothalamus:
The hypothalamus controls and influences many automatic functions of the brain (through the medulla), and coordinates hormonal release (through the pituitary gland). Alcohol depresses nerve centers in the hypothalamus that control sexual arousal and performance. With increased alcohol consumption, sexual desire increases - but sexual performance declines.

Affects on Pituitary glands:
By inhibiting the pituitary secretion of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), alcohol also affects urine excretion. ADH acts on the kidney to reabsorb water, so when it is inhibitted, ADH levels drop, the kidneys don't reabsorb as much water and the kidneys produce more urine.

Affects on Medulla:
The medulla (brain stem) influences or controls body functions that occur automatically, such as your heart rate, temperature and breathing. When alcohol affects the medulla, a person will start to feel sleepy. Increased consumption can lead to unconscious. Needless to say, alcohol's effect on the medulla can be fatal if it is excessive.

Affects on Esophagus:
Half the cancers in the esophagus, larynx and mouth are linked to alcohol. Additionally, intense vomiting from excessive drinking can tear the esophogus

Affects on Heart:
Excessive and prolonged alcohol consumption can cause contribute to conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and heart failure. Social drinkers who binge can get irregular heartbeats from their alcoholic habits.

Affects on Muscles:
Osteoporosis and and some forms of arthritis can be advanced by alcohol abuse. Further, alcohol can lead to muscle atrophy, which can cause sharp muscle pain and weakness.

Affects on Kidneys:
Prolonged heavy drinking can cause kidney failure. The primary functions of kidneys are to regulate the composition and volume of the fluids and electrolytes circulating through the body. The kidneys regulate water, acid/base balance, certain hormones and minerals (calcium, potassium, sodium, etc.) in the body. Alcohol can influence or compromise the balancing functions of the kidneys, and thus can cause severe consequences on kidney function and thus the body.

Affects on Liver:
Cirrhosis is a buildup of scar tissue that changes the structure of the liver and blocks blood flow. Cirrhosis can be caused by alcoholic hepatitis, which is, of course, caused by overdrinking. Cirrhosis can cause varicose veins, which can rupture and potentially triggering internal bleeding.

Affects on lungs:
Heavy drinkers are more susceptible to pneumonia and lung collapse, and also have more pulmonary infections.

Affects on Pancreas:
Alcohol can reduce the amount of digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas, thereby inflaming and leaking digestive enzymes, which subsequently attack the pancreas itself.

Affects on Reproductive system:
Because of alcohol's affects on the brain and alcohol's effects on the kidneys, hormonal production is affected. In men, this could mean that the production of sperm and testosterone are affected, and that can lead to impotence and/or infertility. In women, estrogen metabolism in the liver can be decreased, which boost estrogen levels in the body. These changes can contribute to menstrual irregularities and potentially infertility.

Affects on Small intestine:
Alcohol can damage the cells lining the stomach and intestines, which can block the absorption and breakdown of nutrients in those organs

Affects on Stomach:
Alcohol can irritate the stomach to the point of inducing gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining), ulcers and acid reflux. Prolonged exposure to alcohol can erode the stomach lining and cause chronic blood seepage into the stomach. If the individual is particularly unlucky, a vessel can rupture and cause major bleeding.