Message how alcohol destroys our body. The destructive effect of alcohol on the human body. What effect does alcohol have on the human body?

Disputes about the effects of alcohol on the nervous system and brain are ongoing. Ethyl alcohol really has a different effect: it can both thin the blood and thicken it.

Small amounts of alcoholic beverages or ethanol as part of healing tinctures are excellent tools to help the absorption of nutrients that are found in some types of alcohol and in medicines. If you take alcohol in large quantities, this will lead to the massive death of neurons in the cerebral cortex, which is confirmed by research.

In this article, we will consider in detail the issue of the effect of alcohol on cognitive functions and the human brain.

Mechanism of influence

Ethyl alcohol affects absolutely all organs, as it very quickly appears in the blood, which flows through the arteries at a speed of about 40 km / h.

Alcohol works in stages:

1. First, it thins the blood. But this effect is observed when drinking medium-strength drinks in the amount of 50-100 g, and strong drinks - 30-50 g.
2. The use of a larger volume leads, on the contrary, to thickening of the blood and the destruction of brain cell membranes. This is inevitable, the only question is how many cells and neurons will die and continue to die.
3. Ethanol also destroys the membranes of red blood cells, causing them to stick together, which leads to the formation of clots. And blood clots turn into blood clots, blocking the flow of blood.
4. Clots begin to clog the bloodstream, which leads to a lack of oxygen for brain cells. This fact, as well as the death of neurons, creates a state of intoxication.
5. With an increase in the concentration of ethanol in the blood, the activity of the heart undergoes changes, which begins to beat more often, pushing the thickened blood faster, the passage of which is already prevented by clots. As a result, the cells of the cerebral cortex continue to bleed and die.

If the heart and blood vessels cannot withstand the load, drunkenness can lead to a stroke or heart attack. It depends on the age of the person, his state of health, the duration of the state of intoxication and the volume of alcohol consumed.

We talked in the last article.

If, after drinking alcohol, the concentration of ethanol in the body is measured, then it will be approximately 1.45 units in the liver, 1.5 units in the spinal cord, and 1.75 units in the brain.

What happens when consumed?

The mechanism of action of a large amount of ethanol on the brain shows that each dose has a detrimental effect on this organ, leaving numerous wounds in the tissues.

This happens because 86 billion neurons begin to die much faster than nature intended.

The death of more than 4% of nerve cells within 10 years leads to a noticeable mental degradation of a person. Even outwardly, the shell of the brain of an alcoholic differs markedly from what this organ looks like in a non-drinker. The convolutions are usually smoothed out, there are “potholes” on the surface, traces of hemorrhages and absolutely dead, non-functioning zones are noticeable. Moreover, it is precisely those areas that are related to higher nervous activity that are affected.

If we talk about the connection between human sensations and the processes that occur in the main organ of the body when drinking alcohol, then this is what will happen immediately after drinking alcohol:

1. At the first moment, increases blood circulation, slightly improves mood.
2. Then there is a state of slight intoxication.: so ethanol is already in the brain. Light euphoria is already a sign of oxygen starvation.
3. Increased arousal, intense euphoria indicates cell death. The medial forebrain bundle, or the pleasure center, is activated, the production of endorphins, the happiness hormones, is stimulated.
4. Lethargy and apathy replaced by euphoria. Then comes the hangover stage.

In some people or in some circumstances, instead of euphoria, the brain reacts in the form of aggression or simply turns off (loss of consciousness). This is due to the peculiarities of physiology, heredity, the stage of the disease of alcoholism and a number of other factors.

Depending on the individual characteristics, starting from the second stage, such pathological phenomena are observed as:

• violations in the work of the vestibular apparatus;
• slow pace and speech problems;
• deterioration of hearing and vision;
• a state of emancipation, dulling feelings of embarrassment and even shame;
• attention and memory disorders.

The more alcohol in the blood, the more inadequate the person behaves. This is due to the fact that not all parts of the brain are already working, so the nerve cells of a drunk person receive much less information from the outside than a sober one. And in each specific case, this manifests itself in different ways: from complacency and frivolity to touchiness and extreme anger.

Is it true that alcohol destroys brain cells?

Now doctors have no doubt that with regular and heavy alcohol consumption, all brain lobes irreversibly suffer: function and viability are impaired:

1. hypothalamus;
2. thalamus;
3. cerebellum;
4. midbrain and medulla oblongata.

Killed neurons are removed from the body in a day. But the destructive effect of alcohol continues. Because it stays in the brain tissues for a long time and is excreted for about 2 weeks after being hit. How much exactly? Depends on the type of drink.

Only after this, and under the condition of complete abstinence from alcohol and its complete exit from the body, can we talk about the beginning of the process of restoring cognitive functions. But with each precedent, it becomes more and more difficult to do this.

Alcoholism with signs of personal and physiological degradation occurs at different time intervals: it depends on many reasons.

They play their role:

1. heredity;
2. age;
3. environment;
4. personal characteristics;
5. the social status of the patient, etc.

Sometimes it happens that the poison of ethanol immediately damages the medulla oblongata, which leads to impaired respiratory function. If this section is immediately destroyed, a spasm of the respiratory organs appears, which can lead to coma and death.

In other cases, the speed and degree of moral and physical degradation is not easy to predict. But given that the use of this 100 ml of a strong alcoholic drink kills 8,000 cells brain, it is easy to imagine how much this organ decreases in volume in a year, five years ... And also what consequences this will bring. You can imagine how many cells die during a binge that lasts several days ...

Features of influence on women

The question of the effect of alcohol on the brain of men and women is still open.

Some studies have shown that, under the same circumstances, women, for example, develop alcohol addiction and brain cell pathologies much faster than men.

But when examining patients, the degree of damage to individual organs turned out to be approximately at the same level in representatives of different sexes.

However, it is still worth talking about a greater risk of alcoholism in women, because the same addiction as men appeared to them at a much lower dosage and duration of abuse.

What are the consequences of abuse?

In those who abuse alcohol, the death of neurons occurs rapidly. Alcohol dependence develops and rapid degradation occurs. Here's what alcohol does to the body:

1. Physiological changes. The mental organ loses volume, its convolutions gradually smooth out, numerous hemorrhages and necrosis appear on the surface of the cortex, voids appear in the tissues. Vessels are affected, endocrine functions are disturbed, circulatory disorders and toxic damage to the brain appear. Liver dysfunction also develops.
2. Nervous disorders. There is emotional instability, depressive states, amenable only to drug treatment.
3. Specific neurotic disorders. A number of specific diseases are a consequence of alcoholism and appear more often after the cessation of alcohol consumption: alcoholic epilepsy, delirium tremens, hallucinosis, paranoia, etc.
4. Dementia. Problems arise with the simplest mental operations, critical thinking decreases, moral degradation develops, dementia appears, diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc.

Sometimes symptoms of the consequences of alcoholism can be seen even one or two decades after the abuse has stopped. These are external manifestations such as:

• hypermia;
• hypertrophied gestures;
• violation of muscle tone;
• parkinsonism.

See the infographic for more details:

A history of alcoholism can sometimes be identified by a number of signs, even after many years of a person's sober life.

Recovery after prolonged use

Does the work of the thinking organ recover after giving up alcohol and how long does it take? In recent decades, medical scientists have argued that brain cells and neurons are capable of recovery, since their gradual death is a natural process.

The only problem is that alcohol addicts the rate of destruction of neurons significantly exceeds the rate of their rebirth. And the very process of their recovery after long-term use takes quite a long time: years, and sometimes decades, but still does not lead to an absolutely desired result.

To return the thinking organ to an adequate state a number of conditions must be met:

1. Refuse to drink alcohol by 100% for at least a year, or better for good.
2. Undergo detoxification with the help of medications, as well as observe, which will help.
3. Lead a healthy lifestyle: follow an appropriate diet, lead an active lifestyle.
4. Engage in prevention and make up for losses: take vitamin and mineral complexes, antioxidants, etc.

But even following these rules, it is impossible to accurately answer after what time all mental functions will be restored.

Is there any benefit?

Where did the theory that alcohol can be good for the brain come from, if ethanol is so detrimental to blood vessels and neurons?

The fact is that in a limited amount (50-150 ml for wines and 30-50 ml for strong drinks), as well as in the composition of medicines, ethyl alcohol may be beneficial under certain conditions.

1. It relieves vascular tone, reducing pressure, reducing stress, improving blood circulation to the brain.
2. Removes fatty deposits on arteries and blood clots in the veins, thereby clearing the bloodstream. It is known that low doses of alcohol really help the brain vessels to clear.
3. Thins the blood, being the prevention of thrombosis and strokes.
4. Promotes the absorption of medicinal substances from drinks and helps their quick and high-quality assimilation by the body.

That is, alcohol can really not harm in any way, but, on the contrary, become an assistant in healing the brain.

But at the same time:

• you can not deviate from the prescribed dosage (and this is within the power of very few);
• it is necessary to use this remedy only from time to time and for therapeutic purposes. It is better to relax after a hard day with the help of other methods, without alcohol;
• consume only really healthy drinks, the value of which is the presence of important vitamins, minerals, organic acids and antioxidants in them.

Is it possible to drink with some diseases?

The presence of the disease makes its own adjustments to the nuances of drinking alcohol. Different types of alcoholic beverages can be useful or harmful for various pathologies, ailments, and diseases of the vessels and brain.

1. After the concussion. A concussion is a mechanical action, a kind of bruise that has an effect similar to alcohol intoxication (poisoning). A concussion is accompanied by a change in blood pressure, dizziness, loss of coordination and even orientation, nausea, and vomiting. Therefore, adding stress after a concussion with the help of alcohol is not worth it. Violation of this rule can lead to increased headache, hypertensive crisis, vasospasm and cerebral edema, stroke, coma. How much specifically can not drink? Until full recovery.
2. With a stroke. Good, used in small doses, really cleanse and strengthen blood vessels, and also prevent atherosclerosis and stroke. However, immediately after the onset of a stroke, in no case should the condition be aggravated, which is characterized by loss of consciousness, hemorrhage, sometimes paralysis, etc.
3. With atherosclerosis. A small and periodically taken dose of high-quality alcohol helps to reduce the level of "harmful" and stimulates the production of "good" cholesterol in the liver, dissolves fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels, cleanses the blood and improves blood circulation. Exceeding the recommended dose leads to the opposite effect.
4. With hypoxia. Brain hypoxia occurs at the first sign of intoxication, the degree of which dictates the amount of harm from hypoxia. Alcohol is a direct culprit of oxygen starvation. However, in the hangover stage, the minimum dose of ethanol can save you from a stroke.
5. With a cyst. This is a benign neoplasm. But it can lead to disruption of some parts of the brain. Therefore, you can not disturb the cyst. That is, any negative processes are dangerous: the slightest increase in pressure, blood clotting, etc. Alcohol is undesirable until the disease is cured.
6. With a tumor. Cancer is a mysterious disease. Despite the fact that some alcoholic beverages have an anti-cancer effect, as they contain a large amount of antioxidants, you should not provoke an existing disease with an additional load on the diseased organ. Moreover, even a healthy drink cannot be a decisive factor in the cure.

Also, you should not drink alcohol before MRI and other diagnostic procedures.

Now let's take a look at the video:

Alcohol has been consumed by humans for centuries. With knowledge of its properties and skillful use, it is possible to prevent some brain diseases. But you can also harm him if you do not know the measures and principles of influence on the body. Thoughtless and immoderate use can completely destroy this fragile but important organ.

How alcohol destroys the body

Let's try to figure out what alcohol does to the human body. Even if you drink a small amount of alcohol, it already affects your mental and physical state. The euphoria that occurs when drinking alcohol is called oxygen starvation or hypoxia by doctors. Hypoxia occurs due to the gluing of red blood cells and the appearance of blood clots in the thin vessels of our body. It turns out that in order to feel the pleasure of drinking alcohol, we somehow need to cause vascular thrombosis. So, it turns out that no matter how much alcoholic beverages you drink, they still cause great harm to your body. You can individually talk about the consequences of such influence on our forum.

Drink or health?

Alcoholic drinks partially destroy the tissue cells of internal organs, and also cause paralysis of brain neurons, which leads to disruption of the active action of most organs of our body. Alcoholic beverages are also the cause of a delayed reaction to environmental stimuli, inhibition of reflexes, a decrease in mental activity, and memory impairment.

The consequences for a person from excessive drinking today make doctors sound the alarm, because along with cardiovascular diseases, alcohol causes memory lapses, cirrhosis of the liver, abnormalities in the functioning of the nervous system and, ultimately, a reduction in life expectancy. With the active use of alcohol, the biggest blow falls on the liver, since it is it that must cleanse our body of all toxins and harmful substances that get inside. When we drink something strong, the concentration of toxins increases significantly and the liver may not be able to cope with such loads. This leads the liver down a path of destruction from obesity and inflammation to cirrhosis and, in some cases, death. In addition to the liver, alcohol adversely affects our vision. With alcohol abuse, the destruction of the retina of the eye is possible and there is even a risk of completely blinding. Alcohol also makes our heart work much harder. The heart gradually becomes flabby, and eventually this leads to poor circulation, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.

If you abuse alcohol, then your digestive system will not be able to serve you faithfully all your life. The fact is that alcohol has a burning effect on the intestinal mucosa, and this is often the cause of inflammatory processes in the stomach and the appearance of an ulcer. You can also earn and gastritis, ulcers and stomach cancer.

"From love to hate, really, one step!!! Only in the case of my ex-girlfriend, with whom he lived and went through a lot for more than three years, THIS IS THE MOST STUPID HATE on her part." "A story that developed and has life in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Region." It is "October 14, 2015" now, at the time I am writing this story.

My ex-girlfriend, who lived with me for three and a half years, who was rural, ordinary and ignorant of modern life, and who, thanks to my stubborn patience and me in general, has become modern, smart, more sexy and beautiful, hardworking and household, neatly dressed, and decorated with gold and more developed in life, BETRAYED ME BY GOING TO ANOTHER PERSON, to a guy who LIVES NOT ACCORDING TO THE CONCEPTS OF NORMAL LIFE, HUMAN LIFE, BUT ACCORDING TO SOME ZONE CONCEPTS !!! She went to someone who really can neither raise an unborn child, nor build a house, nor grow a tree! Not to mention emergency situations when you need to protect the girl, and if necessary, the homeland! Her future husband did not serve in the army and does not know much. But he knows Zon's concepts and knows how to crap others! Oh yeah! It's probably cool!

I wonder .... What drives my ex-girlfriend? Selfishness? Bitchiness? meanness? Or maybe even heartlessness? She calls me from someone else's phone and confronts me about the fact that I wrote to her school friend and asked "how is my ex", and presents it by insulting me, humiliating, and threatening in front of others that I will get e .. .lu from someone! No words! There are no words...

I remember I did everything for her! And everything here does not print, probably a Word text document, and nerves too.

Yes, I remember I got hooked on alcohol due to the easy money that I inherited, and naturally, when a person drinks constantly and almost every day, then of course alcohol degrades him. In the end, I changed. And it's all fucking alcohol, which I now hate, because alcohol ruined the relationship with the ex that I treasured.

I promised her that all this would end, and I would stop drinking, and change accordingly, and promised to start again, and she, my ex-girlfriend, promised this too! It was in November 2014 by phone, when I was on the uninhabited island "Urup" in the Kuril region of the Sakhalin region on earnings, which I did not leave for a long time, for a month and a half, when my body was cleansed of alcohol, because there is no alcohol there in general, there is only gold mining by a gold mining company! But it turned out that it was already too late to restore anything. She promised me in every possible way by phone that everything could be restored, and that we would do it, and we talked on the phone with her every day, waiting for the moment when the company would finally send me back home on a ship. She reassured me and made me happy, promising that you would come and everything would be fine. These were, it turns out, only promises and lies...

When I returned from the island, she was no longer at home. She was with another, with the one I am writing about in this article, in the story.

I begged her and even cried every day for three months under her windows near the hostel of Lyceum No. 2 in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. I suffered, looked at her photos in the album, and even drank from loneliness and tore my nerves and psyche, from which I was treated for a very long time, I was treated for months, as a result of a sharp refusal from alcohol. The refusal occurred in the winter of 2015 on February 22. She, his ex-girlfriend, has not returned so far! It is October 14, 2015, right now, at the time I am writing this story.

Now I don’t drink for more than half a year, this is of course a short period, but not a small one, besides, I really don’t want to drink or smoke anymore. All bad things are gone! And I didn't code, I just decided for myself! This is willpower, which is not in everyone !!! Now not on holidays, and never in my life!!! I don't even have the desire and craving to drink! Now for me it is the law of life!

"ALCOHOL DESTROYS EVERYTHING!!!"

Alcohol destroys: family, love, desire, work, material values, social status in society, and control yourself!

Now I myself cook food, shop, wash, work, and develop in society as a PERSON!!! I DO NOT SMOKE! I DO NOT DRINK! WORKING! PURE LIFE! THE NEW LIFE I PROMISED TO MY EX GIRL! Don't drink people! Do not smoke! And believe! This is the key to success in life! AND DO NOT DESTROY THE LIFE THAT IS HARD TO ASSEMBLE AND BUILD THEN!!!

A person who has been through a lot. Lenkov Vyacheslav Romanovich!

Doctors constantly talk about the negative effects of alcohol on the body, but this does not stop most people from consuming strong drinks. In addition, scientists have proven that alcohol can destroy our brain. With the help of a series of experiments, they developed a method for monitoring the state of health during intoxication. What happens to brain neurons when we drink alcohol, and how dangerous is it?

How alcohol destroys our brain?

As it turned out, in our body there is no such organ that would not suffer from the use of strong drinks. However, it is the brain that is most affected. Even with small doses of alcohol consumption (100 g of a forty-degree drink), destructive processes begin to occur in the cerebral cortex.

When scientists were able to examine the small blood vessels in the retina with a microscope, they saw that they contained blood clots, i.e. glued blood cells - erythrocytes. After questioning the patients, it turned out that they all drank on the eve of the examination.

As the researchers later determined, this effect of alcohol builds up according to the “snowball” principle: the more it is consumed, the more blood cells stick together.

Since the capillaries are very small in diameter (about 50 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair), these agglomerated blood cells are able to create clots from red blood cells, thereby clogging the arteries. Such accumulations can sometimes number up to 250-500 erythrocytes in one thrombus.

Mechanism of the feeling of intoxication of a person

In a state of intoxication, a person experiences a lack of oxygen - hypoxia. It is this state that is felt as euphoria, for which strong drinks are consumed. However, in fact, with the help of alcohol, a person tries to solve such psychological issues:

• trying to avoid problems
• achieves a state of self-importance,
• trying to let go of control over a serious situation, etc.

All these questions seem to be quite solvable precisely in the state of hypoxia after alcohol consumption.

Sleep state while intoxicated

Another important discovery scientists have made about sleep "under the fly." In fact, in the classical sense, this is not a dream, but an alcoholic coma. In other words, the body turns on a defensive reaction, with the help of which it begins to fight the lack of oxygen in the brain. It puts the body into sleep mode in order not to waste oxygen on any other processes:

• movement,
• conversations,
• other activities,

thereby preserving its vitality.

Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on the body

Probably, you have often noticed that people who drink heavily on their faces have a large number of capillaries translucent through the skin (rosacea) or a bluish coloration of the skin on the nose. This happens precisely because of the blockage of the vessels, which cannot withstand the pressure of the erythrocyte clot and burst.

Almost the same thing happens with brain cells. When an artery in the brain is clogged, blood circulation is disturbed, hypoxia develops, in which brain cells already begin to die after 7-9 minutes. Therefore, after a “good feast”, a whole cemetery of dead neurons forms in your brain.

Even in school years, children are trying to convey information about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, a significant place in such lessons is occupied by stories about the dangers of bad habits - smoking and drinking alcohol. However, as practice shows, a huge number of young people become addicted to nicotine or alcohol while still at school. Basically, this practice is explained very simply - lectures will not be deposited in the head if the child sees a completely different example in the face of his parents at home. So, information about how alcohol and human health are related should first of all be put into the minds of parents, then the percentage of drinking teenagers and even children will be much less.

Brain

It is believed that our brain is the most active consumer of energy in our entire body. And alcohol, after entering the body, leads to blocking the access of oxygen to neurons, which is explained by the processes of intoxication. So with prolonged alcohol consumption, a real dementia occurs, against the background of the death of brain cells. But in order to notice the harm from alcohol, it is not necessary to drink a lot. Even a small dosage of alcoholic beverages quickly impairs memory, interferes with normal concentration and impairs intelligence.

Intensive consumption is fraught with serious consequences - damage to brain functions, the so-called thinking parts of our brain, which are located on the cerebral cortex. If a person takes alcohol, then even at a young age he has the so-called brain exhaustion.

Heart and blood vessels

It is believed that ailments of the cardiovascular system are one of the most common causes of death in the population. When drinking alcohol, the heart muscle suffers first of all, which in the long term is fraught with serious illnesses and even death. An x-ray examination of people who drink shows that their hearts increase significantly in size. Even an absolutely healthy person can experience heart rhythm disturbances when drinking alcohol. In addition, such habits can provoke the development and further progression of hypertension and coronary heart disease, they are also considered the culprits of heart attacks.

Breath

The systematic consumption of alcohol adversely affects the functions of external respiration, the minute volume of breathing increases in a person and its increase is observed. Over time, breathing processes worsen, which provokes the appearance of various ailments, for example, chronic bronchitis, tracheobronchitis, tuberculosis and emphysema. When alcohol is combined with tobacco, the harmfulness only increases exponentially.

digestive tract

Many people who systematically consume alcohol face problems in the normal functioning of the digestive tract. This is due to the fact that the mucous membranes of the stomach negatively perceive the poisonous effect of alcohol. In many of these people, over time, gastritis, a stomach ulcer, and also a duodenal ulcer are found. In addition, there may be a violation of the activity of the salivary glands and other pathological conditions.

Liver

As you know, it is this body that suffers most from the consumption of any toxic substances, which include alcohol. This organ is responsible for cleaning our body of harmful elements, in addition, it takes an active part in metabolic processes. Alcohol consumption leads to impaired liver function, which is fraught with the development of various ailments, including cirrhosis, which can be fatal.

kidneys

Most alcohol lovers have problems with the excretory function of the kidneys. Alcohol negatively affects the condition of the delicate renal epithelium, which lines these organs from the inside.

Psyche

Even irregular alcohol consumption can lead to the development of various mental disorders. Many people with such habits lose touch with reality somewhat, become short-tempered and aggressive. With a systematic libation, the number of problems increases. Hallucinations, convulsions, numbness, etc. may develop. It is believed that such violations are reversible - they disappear with abstinence from alcohol.

Immunity

Alcohol negatively affects the state of the body's defenses, this is expressed in failures in the hematopoietic system, as well as in a decrease in the production of lymphocytes. In addition, many drinking people increase the likelihood of developing various allergic ailments.

Muscles and skin

Alcoholic drinks have a negative effect on the condition of the muscles, depleting them and weakening them. In addition, alcohol can directly affect the muscles, and this is quite difficult to recover. In addition, systematic libation will not fail to affect the condition of the skin, it becomes dehydrated and turns grayish tones. Deficiency of fluid in the cells of the epidermis provokes the appearance of wrinkles and leads to a "blurring" of the contour of the face.

It must be remembered that the systematic consumption of alcohol brings the onset of old age and can cause disability. Statistics say that people who drink, on average, live fifteen to twenty years less than their non-drinking peers.

Accordingly, when going to the store for beer, it is better to give preference to juice or fruit - you will be healthier!