How Does Alcohol Affect the Brain and What To Do About It

There is no question that drinking too much alcohol is bad for the human body in many ways. But how does alcohol affect the brain? What problems can drinking too much alcohol cause?

How Does Alcohol Affect the Brain?

There are many answers to that question of, “How does alcohol affect the brain?” The quick answers are clear to anyone who has ever had too much to drink or been with someone who drank too much. Those include:

Difficulty walking
Blurry vision
Slurred speech
Slowed reactions
Impaired memory
Loss of inhibitions
Poor decision making
Poor judgment.

Most of these effects start appearing after only one or two alcoholic drinks. After drinking has stopped and the person returns to being sober, these effects are also gone. But someone who drinks too much over a long period of time can develop bigger and more lasting problems to their brain matter.

How and to what extent a brain is hurt by drinking depends upon many factors. These factors include:

How much alcohol they drink
How often this drinking takes place
Age of first drink
How long drinking has gone on
Age
Education level
Gender
Genetics
Family history of drinking
General health.

Specific Conditions Caused by Alcohol Overuse

Some health conditions are damaging for the long term, as a result of alcohol abuse. Others can be reversed or healed through addiction treatment services and recovery. Common symptoms of alcoholism suffered by people who drink too much include:

Blackouts and memory lapses during drinking
Liver damage that is often fatal, commonly cirrhosis
Alcohol related damage to heart muscle, also fatal to many
Nerve damage affecting physical functioning in arms and legs
Poor nutrition, leading to serious brain conditions like Wernicke–Korsakoff Syndrome
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in unborn babies to drinking mothers, causing physical, mental and behavioral disabilities.

Researchers are still working on learning what specific damage alcohol causes to the brain. These scientists note that most people who stop drinking for good show improvement in their brain structure and functions. Within a year of becoming sober, improvements can be seen.