Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Teens: Effects
What are the physical effects of drinking alcohol? At levels causing intoxication, alcohol is destructive to different organ systems in the body, including:
- The Cardiovascular System: Alcohol reduces blood flow to the heart, thus causing it to beat sluggishly or skip beats altogether. Heavy drinking increases blood pressure.
- The Central Nervous System: The brain is the organ most affected by alcohol consumption. Every time a teen drinks, his C.N.S. functions are predictably affected. First, intellectual capacity slows, then sensory skills and motor control are lessened. Finally, automatic biological functions such as breathing and heart activity are slowed. Blackouts or memory loss experienced after heavy drinking result from the oxygen supply to the brain being cut off.
- The Endocrine System: Alcohol sedates the glands that produce the body’s hormones, including the ovaries and testes. The resulting under-production of hormones affects sexual function, immune responses, and fertility.
- The Gastrointestinal Tract: Alcohol increases the amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach which can result in ulcers or gastritis. Large amounts of alcohol can disrupt digestion and heavy drinkers may even experience malnutrition. The pancreas, the organ that produces insulin for blood sugar regulation, is overstressed when metabolizing alcohol. Alcohol consumption causes a steep rise in blood sugar that the pancreas must counterbalance by increasing insulin output. In time, this process can cause the pancreas to stop working altogether and diabetes results.
