One in six adults engages in binge drinking, which occurs when a person has four to five alcoholic beverages within a two-hour window, four times or more per month.
A drink can be a fun way to celebrate an event or relax. But drinking too much is more harmful than you may think.
Keep reading to learn about the negative body effects that occur when you binge drink.
The Body Effects of Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Alcohol-related fatalities are the third-leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you’re worried about your relationship with alcohol, make sure to watch out for these symptoms.
Weight Gain
Alcoholic beverages are chock-full of hidden calories and carbs. There’s a reason why people call beer liquid bread, for instance, and it isn’t uncommon for cocktails to contain several hundred calories.
Alcohol can wreak havoc on your waistline, especially if you binge drink consistently, so consider cutting it out of your diet if you’re looking to slim down.
Bloating
Have you ever wondered why alcoholics tend to have puffy faces and guts? It’s because our bodies aren’t designed to filter the toxins of an alcoholic beverage.
That beer belly is actually due to dangerous inflammation that can dehydrate the skin, causing it to look red or splotchy, and irritation of the intestinal tract.
Asian flush or Asian glow is also an effect of drinking too much. This refers to when a person becomes red in the face, neck, and upper body after consuming alcohol.
Alcoholic Hepatitis
Liver damage is one of the most common side-effects of excessive alcohol consumption. But in extreme cases, that damage turns into a form of hepatitis.
Once a person has alcoholic hepatitis, the damage isn’t reversible.
Scar tissue replaces normal liver tissue, causing the liver to cease functioning as it should. As a result, alcoholic hepatitis goes hand-in-hand with cirrhosis quite often.
Poor Memory and Concentration
Some people report feeling depressed or more anxious than usual after a night of drinking. That isn’t a coincidence.
Alcohol floods the brain with chemicals that affect the area of the brain responsible for these feelings. Since it’s a depressant, you’re more likely to experience these negative emotions. This is also why it’s tougher to concentrate sometimes.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, drinking makes it more difficult for the brain to communicate to the body.
Getting Help
If you or someone you know struggle with alcoholism, know that it’s never too late to seek help.
Programs like Indiana Inpatient Rehab accept most insurance and offer specialized options that aim to treat both your body and mind. Don’t hesitate to reach out and learn more, it may just save someone’s life.
Get Your Body and Mind Back
We’re not saying you need to cut alcohol out of your life altogether. But you should be careful about consumption, and aim to keep drinking to a minimum so you can avoid these harmful body effects.
And remember, it’s never too late to start over and seek treatment. Rehab is a fantastic option for those looking to get their lives back from alcohol.
For more information on how to live a healthy lifestyle, make sure to check back often with our blog.
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