Health is one of the main things that alcohol destroys. Enough alcohol on a single occasion or over a long period of time can cause issues such as: stretching and drooping of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), irregular heart beat (arrhythmias), stroke, high blood pressure and many other problems. Among the heart, the other organs that alcohol affects are the liver and pancreas. Users can develop pancreatitis caused by the pancreas to produce toxic substances due to alcohol. …show more content…
There are a number of different factors that influence how and to what extent that alcohol affects a person’s brain, such as: the age at which he or she began drinking, general health status, how long he or she has been drinking, age, gender, ethnic background, and much more. After a few drinks, alcohol begins to impair brain function. Alcohol causes delays in reaction time and memory loss. When consuming large amounts of alcohol too quickly, blackouts will occur. Blackouts are periods of time when the intoxicated person cannot recall events or even details of the event. College students may be at particular risk for experiencing a blackout (The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, no. …show more content…
A diseased known as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is often developed in users that have a thiamine deficiency. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is a disease that consists of two separate syndromes: a severe and short-lived condition known as Wernicke’s encephalopathy and a debilitating, long-lasting condition called Korsakoff’s psychosis. Wernicke’s encephalopathy causes paralysis of the oculomotor nerves, mental confusion, and muscle coordination. Korsakoff’s psychosis is characterized by persistent learning and memory problems. Scientists also believe that alcohol inhibits new brain cells from developing. There are also short term effects of alcohol. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down the central nervous system. This leads to the “drunken” affect that most users are aware of. The generalized “drunken” affect includes altered speech, delay in reaction time, dulled hearing, impaired vision or double vision, foggy memory, and weakened