9 effects alcohol has on the brain (short and long term)

Due to the large number of functions and its sensitivity to changes, the brain is one of the body organs most affected by alcohol consumption. This consumption is capable of altering any brain function, including reasoning, emotions and judgment.

Although each person tolerates this substance in different ways there are a number of effects of alcohol on the brain that everyone experiences to a greater or lesser extent. What these effects are and their severity will be explained below.

• You may be interested: "Drinking alcohol during adolescence modifies the brain"

Individual differences in the effects of alcohol

It is more than known that alcohol consumption, both occasional and recurrent, can cause numerous effects on the brain. When this consumption is excessive, due to alcoholism problems, it can lead to irreversible deterioration in the brain.

However, although there are common patterns, the consequences derived from alcohol consumption are not the same for all people; there are considerable differences according to age, sex or weight. In any case, the consequences of abusing this type of drink are always seen in the way of function of the nervous system: there are no populations that are safe from the deterioration of consuming this drug.

Here are a number of factors that determine both the way and the degree to which alcohol affects the brain:

• How often the person consumes alcohol.
• Age at which alcohol consumption began and duration of consumption.
• Current age of the person.
• Education level.
• Sex.
• Genetic background.
• Family history of alcoholism.
• Prenatal exposure to alcohol.
• General health status.
• Effects of alcohol in the short and long term.

Alcohol has the ability to begin to generate effects on the body, however slight, from the first drink. That means, among other things, that there is no moderate alcohol consumption in a sense in which it means "safe consumption". All these short-term effects are intensified and conserved over time as consumption becomes more and more frequent, but wear and tear on the body is present from the first time it is swallow.

Short-term effects of alcohol on the brain

The first effects that a person who has consumed alcohol in any dose can experience include motor disturbances, difficulty walking, slow reaction times or speech diffuse.

Likewise, there are a series of more serious consequences that appear between the first moments of alcohol consumption until hours or even days after its ingestion. These effects are as follows.

1. Emotional changes

Alcohol consumption leads to a series of imbalances in brain chemistry that affect both behavior and thoughts, feelings and emotions. These disturbances in the chemistry of the brain favor the appearance of emotional changes such as anxiety, depression or aggressiveness.

Although traditionally, people have used alcohol as a means of disinhibition, to feel relaxed or even to be more sociable and outgoing; Excessive alcohol intake tends to transform these emotions into short-term anxiety, aggressiveness, and sadness or depression.

• You may be interested: "Differences between emotions and feelings"

2. Memory lapses

Drinking alcohol can cause small damage to the hippocampus. This deterioration manifests itself through lapses in memory, which may occur only a few hours after consuming small amounts of alcohol.

However, when it is ingested in large quantities, on an empty stomach and in short periods of time the person may experience forgetfulness of longer intervals of time or even events complete.

3. Loss of consciousness

Syncope or loss of consciousness for short periods of time is common in those who drink large amounts of alcohol very quickly. This rapid ingestion causes blood alcohol levels to rise dramatically, causing fainting and blackouts.

4. Impulsiveness

Consume alcohol in both small and large doses, can interfere with the brain's prefrontal cortex connections. This area is responsible for mediating the impulsiveness of the person, as well as the organization of her behavior.

When blood alcohol levels begin to rise, the person is susceptible to experiencing impulsive behaviors that they probably never would have carried out under conditions sobriety.

However, like changes in aggressiveness, These alterations also depend on the predisposition or character of the person. That is, a person who tends to be aggressive or impulsive in normal situations will be much more liable to suffer these effects, or will experience them with greater intensity, than a person who tends to be calm.

• You may be interested: "Prefrontal cortex: functions and associated disorders"

Long-term effects

As mentioned above, any of the long-term effects of alcohol can be maintained over time when consumption goes from being occasional to being recurrent. Some of these long-term effects are as follows.

1. Development of emotional disorders

Excessive alcohol consumption is closely related to certain diseases and emotional disorders such as depression or anxiety.

This is because drinking alcoholic beverages regularly alters serotonin levels in the brain, specifically, it tends to decrease them. The decrease in the levels of this neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood favors the appearance of all kinds of emotional disorders in the person.

• Related article: "Serotonin: 6 effects of this hormone on your body and mind"

2. Limits brain development in adolescents

Consumption at an early age is increasingly common, especially during adolescence. This consumption that is carried out in a social way can end up interfering in the correct brain development of young people.

As a consequence of these variations, the adolescent can develop deficits transcendental in the retrieval of verbal and non-verbal information and in the functioning viso-spatial.

Also, since the brain is not fully developed during this stage, adolescents Consumers of alcohol are much more exposed when it comes to developing learning and learning difficulties. memory.

3. Destruction of neurons

In addition to slowing down brain development during adolescence, alcohol consumption also affects neuronal development in adulthood.

During this stage, the consumption of high doses of alcohol prevents the growth of new cells and reduces the number of neurons in the brain in certain areas of the brain. However, these damages are more visible in specific areas of these nerve cells: the axons, extensions that form the wiring of the nervous system.

4. Damage to the hippocampus

As described above, the destruction of neurons can lead to serious deterioration in the hippocampus. This brain region is responsible for intervening in memory storage, so a series of Frequent binge drinking or an addiction to alcohol can permanently damage the brain, altering the ability to memorize.

This deficit in memory storage can be preserved even after addiction to alcohol is overcome.

• Related article: "Hippocampus: functions and structure of the memory organ"

5. Psychosis

An extreme addiction to alcohol can generate a state or disorder of psychosis in people, which experiences all kinds of hallucinations, paranoias, and illusions.

Also, if a person with a long history of alcoholism abruptly stops using alcohol, Alcohol can develop an alcohol withdrawal syndrome, also known as "delirium tremens ".

This syndrome causes hyperstimulation of the adrenergic system, causing headaches, constant agitation, body tremors, nausea and vomiting, hallucinations and even death.

6. Wernike-Korsakoff syndrome

Alcohol addiction causes, in 80% of cases, a deficiency of vitamin B1 or thiamine. This decrease in thiamine levels is a risk factor when developing the Wernike-Korsakoff syndrome.

This condition is distinguished by the simultaneous presentation of Wernike encephalopathy and the well-known Korsakoff syndrome. Both diseases have their origin in the lack of this vitamin.

Bibliographic references:

• Álvarez, M.J.S., & Vera, D.G.Z. (2008). Thiamine deficiency: Beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Medicine Magazine, 13 (2): pp. 137 - 139.
• Ewing, JA (October 1984). "Detecting alcoholism. The CAGE questionnaire ". JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 252 (14): pp. 1905 - 1907.
• Romeo, J.; Wärnberg, J.; Nova, E.; Diaz, L. AND.; Gómez-Martinez, S.; Marcos, A. (2007). Moderate alcohol consumption and the immune system: a review. The British Journal of Nutrition. 98 Suppl 1: S111-115.