Some of the effects of alcohol on the body
It’s important to speak with your doctor about the health risks of alcohol before you drink.
Dr Andrew Rochford
Reproductive System
Male reproductive system
Drinking alcohol can increase your sex drive, but it can also lower your sexual performance and function. Heavy drinking increases your chances of having male fertility problems.
Alcohol can also reduce the amount of testosterone in your blood. This can affect your body, and cause:
- an increase in breast tissue (gynaecomastia)
- a decrease in testicle size (testicular atrophy)
- body hair changes
Female reproductive system
Drinking too much alcohol can raise your chances of having irregular, heavy periods (menstruation). It may also make it difficult to get pregnant.
Breasts
Breasts
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. Research shows that drinking alcohol, even at low levels, can increase your chance of getting breast cancer. This is because alcohol can disrupt your hormone levels. While drinking alcohol does not mean you will get breast cancer, it does increase your risk.
Immune System
Immune System
Alcohol can weaken your immune system, making you more likely to get sick. This is more common in people who drink a lot or for a long time.
Cancer
Cancer
Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, like cancer of the:
- mouth
- pharynx (throat)
- larynx (voice box)
- oesophagus
- liver
- colorectum
- breast cancer
The risk increases the more alcohol you consume.
Heavy alcohol use may increase risk of other cancers, such as pancreatic cancer. Drinking too much can also prevent your body from absorbing important nutrients. This can make tissues in your body more vulnerable to developing cancer.
When your body breaks down alcohol, it creates a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is linked to cancer (carcinogenic).
Alcohol can also increase cancer risk by creating more free radicals in the body than antioxidants. This is called ‘oxidative stress’. This can cause damage to your DNA and reduce your body’s ability to repair damaged cells and prevent cancer.
Alcohol also can affect hormone levels, which can raise the risk of breast cancer, especially for women.
Accidents and Injury
Accidents and Injury
Alcohol can increase your risk of:
- injury from accidents, including motor vehicle injuries
- harm towards yourself
- being violent towards others
Obesity
Obesity
Alcohol contains calories and can cause weight gain that can be harmful in the long term. If you’re overweight, you may have a higher risk of liver damage from drinking alcohol.
Bones and Joints
Bones and Joints
While drinking a small amount of alcohol does not place you at risk, heavy drinking can increase your risk of fractures, through osteoporosis and falls.
Alcohol use can also worsen gout. Gout can cause joint pain and potentially damage your joints in the long term.
Brain
Brain
Alcohol slows down your central nervous system, which affects almost all your body’s cells and systems. Having too much alcohol may harm your thinking and judgement in the short term. Over time, it can affect how your brain works, impact your memory, make your brain smaller, and lead to brain injury.
Alcohol and your sleep
Sleep is important for your health, energy and wellbeing. In fact, we can’t function without it.
Alcohol can affect the quality of your sleep by changing your normal sleep rhythm. While drinking alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it can negatively impact how well you sleep during the night.
Alcohol also has a diuretic effect, which means it tends to make you pass more urine (pee more). For this reason, you may have to get up during the night to go to the toilet. Even a small amount of alcohol can also lead to snoring and sleep apnoea. These things can lead to a disturbed night’s sleep.
Poor sleep can:
- cause fatigue which could increase your chance of injury or accidents
- impact your concentration, memory, alertness and productivity
- trigger a mental health condition
Even a small amount of alcohol (one standard drink) can disrupt your sleep. So, it’s recommended you stop drinking four hours before going to sleep. Lack of sleep or poor sleep can affect your health and quality of life.
Liver
Liver
When we drink alcohol, our body breaks down alcohol at a fixed rate. This means that if you drink faster than this rate, alcohol will build up in your body and take longer to break down.
Drinking often or drinking too much can affect your liver function. It may lead to liver disease, which can lead to:
- fatty liver (steatosis), where fat accumulates in your liver
- formation of scar tissue (fibrosis)
- inflammation of the liver (alcoholic hepatitis)
- permanent liver scarring (cirrhosis)
Cirrhosis increases your risk of:
- liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
- oesophageal haemorrhage
- severe intra-abdominal infections
- chronic liver failure
These complications can lead to death.
Stomach
Stomach
In your body, alcohol absorption begins in the stomach. Alcohol may irritate your stomach lining which can bring on nausea and vomiting. Drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time has been associated with an increased risk of stomach and bowel cancer. It can also increase your risk of having stomach ulcers and bleeding in your stomach.
Skin
Skin
Alcohol can affect the condition of your skin. Drinking dehydrates your body, including your skin.
If you drink heavily, you may also have a:
- red face, caused by enlarged blood vessels
- higher risk of skin conditions such as psoriasis
- higher risk of having skin infections
- higher risk of skin cancer
Heart
Heart
Alcohol can weaken your heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). Drinking too much alcohol over a long time can increase your risk of:
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- heart failure
Drinking alcohol can also increase your risk of other cardiovascular issues like heart rhythm problems, such as atrial fibrillation, heart attack and stroke.
Bowel
Bowel
Most of the alcohol you drink is absorbed in the small intestine. Alcohol can irritate your bowels and may trigger symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of bowel (colon) cancer.
Diabetes
Diabetes
When you have diabetes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood is too high. Drinking alcohol can make your diabetes more difficult to manage.
This is because while your liver is processing alcohol, it stops releasing glucose. This can cause your blood sugar level to drop quickly, putting you at risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). This risk is higher if you drink on an empty stomach.
If you have diabetes, alcohol can cause the following risks and complications.
- Drinking alcohol while taking some diabetes medicines can cause unwanted affects.
- Alcohol can make some diabetes complications worse, including neuropathy (nerve problems).
- Alcohol can contribute to weight gain, which increases the risk of diabetes complications.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can place your baby at risk. It is important to avoid alcohol when planning a pregnancy, while you are pregnant or while breastfeeding.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This is a term used to describe a range of problems caused by exposure to alcohol before birth. FASD is a permanent (lifelong) neurological condition. It affects the development of the brain of babies who are exposed to alcohol during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Exposure to alcohol before birth can also reduce the size and weight of the fetal brain. Damage to your baby’s brain can lead to issues later in life, such as with:
- learning
- memory
- behaviour
- language
- decision-making
FASD is 100% preventable by avoiding alcohol while planning a pregnancy, during a pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Other effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy can include:
- miscarriage
- stillbirth
- premature birth
- having a low birthweight baby
The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol (‘the Guidelines’) from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) have advice for pregnant people to prevent harm from alcohol to their unborn child:
- Females who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol.
- For females who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their baby.
Pancreas
Pancreas
Drinking too much alcohol too often can lead to pancreatitis (inflammation of your pancreas). This can lead to damage of your pancreas and increases your risk of developing:
- digestive problems
- diabetes
- pancreatic cancer
Kidneys
Kidneys
Alcohol has a diuretic effect, which means it tends to make you pass more urine (pee more). Drinking to excess can cause a substantial increase in urine flow and lead to dehydration.
Blood
Blood
Drinking alcohol can lead to:
- reduced ability to carry oxygen around the body (anaemia)
- reduced white blood cells
This is because heavy, long-term drinking can reduce blood cell production in your body. Liver damage from drinking can affect the platelets and clotting factors in your blood. This can reduce your blood’s ability to clot, which can lead to bleeding.
Male reproductive system
Drinking alcohol can increase your sex drive, but it can also lower your sexual performance and function. Heavy drinking increases your chances of having male fertility problems.
Alcohol can also reduce the amount of testosterone in your blood. This can affect your body, and cause:
- an increase in breast tissue (gynaecomastia)
- a decrease in testicle size (testicular atrophy)
- body hair changes
Female reproductive system
Drinking too much alcohol can raise your chances of having irregular, heavy periods (menstruation). It may also make it difficult to get pregnant.
Breasts
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. Research shows that drinking alcohol, even at low levels, can increase your chance of getting breast cancer. This is because alcohol can disrupt your hormone levels. While drinking alcohol does not mean you will get breast cancer, it does increase your risk.
Immune System
Alcohol can weaken your immune system, making you more likely to get sick. This is more common in people who drink a lot or for a long time.
Cancer
Alcohol consumption can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, like cancer of the:
- mouth
- pharynx (throat)
- larynx (voice box)
- oesophagus
- liver
- colorectum
- breast cancer
The risk increases the more alcohol you consume.
Heavy alcohol use may increase risk of other cancers, such as pancreatic cancer. Drinking too much can also prevent your body from absorbing important nutrients. This can make tissues in your body more vulnerable to developing cancer.
When your body breaks down alcohol, it creates a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is linked to cancer (carcinogenic).
Alcohol can also increase cancer risk by creating more free radicals in the body than antioxidants. This is called ‘oxidative stress’. This can cause damage to your DNA and reduce your body’s ability to repair damaged cells and prevent cancer.
Alcohol also can affect hormone levels, which can raise the risk of breast cancer, especially for women.
Accidents and Injury
Alcohol can increase your risk of:
- injury from accidents, including motor vehicle injuries
- harm towards yourself
- being violent towards others
Obesity
Alcohol contains calories and can cause weight gain that can be harmful in the long term. If you’re overweight, you may have a higher risk of liver damage from drinking alcohol.
Bones and Joints
While drinking a small amount of alcohol does not place you at risk, heavy drinking can increase your risk of fractures, through osteoporosis and falls.
Alcohol use can also worsen gout. Gout can cause joint pain and potentially damage your joints in the long term.
Brain
Alcohol slows down your central nervous system, which affects almost all your body’s cells and systems. Having too much alcohol may harm your thinking and judgement in the short term. Over time, it can affect how your brain works, impact your memory, make your brain smaller, and lead to brain injury.
Alcohol and your sleep
Sleep is important for your health, energy and wellbeing. In fact, we can’t function without it.
Alcohol can affect the quality of your sleep by changing your normal sleep rhythm. While drinking alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it can negatively impact how well you sleep during the night.
Alcohol also has a diuretic effect, which means it tends to make you pass more urine (pee more). For this reason, you may have to get up during the night to go to the toilet. Even a small amount of alcohol can also lead to snoring and sleep apnoea. These things can lead to a disturbed night’s sleep.
Poor sleep can:
- cause fatigue which could increase your chance of injury or accidents
- impact your concentration, memory, alertness and productivity
- trigger a mental health condition
Even a small amount of alcohol (one standard drink) can disrupt your sleep. So, it’s recommended you stop drinking four hours before going to sleep. Lack of sleep or poor sleep can affect your health and quality of life.
Liver
When we drink alcohol, our body breaks down alcohol at a fixed rate. This means that if you drink faster than this rate, alcohol will build up in your body and take longer to break down.
Drinking often or drinking too much can affect your liver function. It may lead to liver disease, which can lead to:
- fatty liver (steatosis), where fat accumulates in your liver
- formation of scar tissue (fibrosis)
- inflammation of the liver (alcoholic hepatitis)
- permanent liver scarring (cirrhosis)
Cirrhosis increases your risk of:
- liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
- oesophageal haemorrhage
- severe intra-abdominal infections
- chronic liver failure
These complications can lead to death.
Stomach
In your body, alcohol absorption begins in the stomach. Alcohol may irritate your stomach lining which can bring on nausea and vomiting. Drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time has been associated with an increased risk of stomach and bowel cancer. It can also increase your risk of having stomach ulcers and bleeding in your stomach.
Skin
Alcohol can affect the condition of your skin. Drinking dehydrates your body, including your skin.
If you drink heavily, you may also have a:
- red face, caused by enlarged blood vessels
- higher risk of skin conditions such as psoriasis
- higher risk of having skin infections
- higher risk of skin cancer
Heart
Alcohol can weaken your heart muscle (cardiomyopathy). Drinking too much alcohol over a long time can increase your risk of:
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- heart failure
Drinking alcohol can also increase your risk of other cardiovascular issues like heart rhythm problems, such as atrial fibrillation, heart attack and stroke.
Bowel
Most of the alcohol you drink is absorbed in the small intestine. Alcohol can irritate your bowels and may trigger symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of bowel (colon) cancer.
Diabetes
When you have diabetes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood is too high. Drinking alcohol can make your diabetes more difficult to manage.
This is because while your liver is processing alcohol, it stops releasing glucose. This can cause your blood sugar level to drop quickly, putting you at risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). This risk is higher if you drink on an empty stomach.
If you have diabetes, alcohol can cause the following risks and complications.
- Drinking alcohol while taking some diabetes medicines can cause unwanted affects.
- Alcohol can make some diabetes complications worse, including neuropathy (nerve problems).
- Alcohol can contribute to weight gain, which increases the risk of diabetes complications.
Pregnancy
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can place your baby at risk. It is important to avoid alcohol when planning a pregnancy, while you are pregnant or while breastfeeding.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This is a term used to describe a range of problems caused by exposure to alcohol before birth. FASD is a permanent (lifelong) neurological condition. It affects the development of the brain of babies who are exposed to alcohol during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Exposure to alcohol before birth can also reduce the size and weight of the fetal brain. Damage to your baby’s brain can lead to issues later in life, such as with:
- learning
- memory
- behaviour
- language
- decision-making
FASD is 100% preventable by avoiding alcohol while planning a pregnancy, during a pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Other effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy can include:
- miscarriage
- stillbirth
- premature birth
- having a low birthweight baby
The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol (‘the Guidelines’) from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) have advice for pregnant people to prevent harm from alcohol to their unborn child:
- Females who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol.
- For females who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their baby.
Pancreas
Drinking too much alcohol too often can lead to pancreatitis (inflammation of your pancreas). This can lead to damage of your pancreas and increases your risk of developing:
- digestive problems
- diabetes
- pancreatic cancer
Kidneys
Alcohol has a diuretic effect, which means it tends to make you pass more urine (pee more). Drinking to excess can cause a substantial increase in urine flow and lead to dehydration.
Blood
Drinking alcohol can lead to:
- reduced ability to carry oxygen around the body (anaemia)
- reduced white blood cells
This is because heavy, long-term drinking can reduce blood cell production in your body. Liver damage from drinking can affect the platelets and clotting factors in your blood. This can reduce your blood’s ability to clot, which can lead to bleeding.