Alcohol addiction stems from a common disorder known as alcohol use disorder (AUD). It is a neurological disorder characterized by an obsessive liking for drinking and getting preoccupied with alcohol. Many people take alcohol without understanding the possible aftereffect of what they are doing.
Alcohol is the most addictive substance in the world. Alcohol is one of the deadliest substance addictions that people refuse to learn from its consequences. Hospital records in America show that at least six persons die of alcohol poisoning every day.
The impact of alcohol is felt in various areas of one’s life. Areas like physical health, mental health, work-life, financial stability, and relationship/family life.
The short- and long-term effects of alcohol in the body vary from person to person. Its effects can be influenced by several risk factors like an underlying health issue, alcohol tolerance level, medical history, how much alcohol is consumed, and other drugs simultaneously consumed.
On the central nervous system responsible for the cognitive, movement, and memory activities, the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level measures the effect of alcohol.
The BAC is what determines the extent to which a person has developed tolerance to alcohol use. Those with higher tolerance levels will drink more before they can get intoxicated.
Blood alcohol content level comes with temporary side effects that should wane in few hours. However, as your BAC level increases, the effects of alcohol in the body also increases. Some effects of high BAC levels include:
- Higher self-confidence and impaired judgment
- Lack of movement control and shorter attention span
- Lack of comprehension and loss of memory
- Sedation and blurred vision
- Sluggishness and balance problem
- Amnesia
- Slowed heart rate and respiratory depression
- Intermittent and uncontrolled urination
- Vomiting, severe decrease in heart rate, terrible respiratory depression, and total loss of vision at an extremely high BAC level of 0.35 to 0.80 percent.
- Death.
Other long-term effects of low bur consistent use of alcohol include cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, diabetes, kidney failure, blood vessel inflammation, impaired cognitive functions of the brain, and damages to the immune system.