How Binge Drinking Affects Your Body
A single night of binge drinking can lead to serious health consequences. Drinking too much, either on a single occasion or over time, can take a serious toll on your body and the way it functions. At the end of the day, when we drink heavy amounts in a short time it causes (sometimes irreparable) damage to our bodies. Your body cannot handle that level of toxicity in such a short period.
- Symptoms can include:
- Heart Attack
- Kidney Pain
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Irregular Heart Beat
- Mood Swings
- Increased Temper
- Lowered Libido
Can Binge Drinking Cause Heart Attack?
In 2014 researchers at the AHA looked at the effects of repeated episodes of binge drinking in individuals ages 18 to 45 and found that they are linked to cardiovascular problems. It was found that in older individuals, binge drinking — which is classified in the study as drinking four or more standard drinks in a session for women, five or more for men — is associated with an increased risk of a heart attack.
Can Binge Drinking Cause Kidney Pain?
The kidneys help filter the blood, including by filtering out harmful substances such as alcohol. Moderate drinking should not cause kidney pain, but binge drinking or frequent drinking may cause kidney problems.
Kidney pain usually appears in the back, on either side of the spine, just under the ribs. A person who experiences this type of pain, especially if it intensifies over hours or days, may have a serious illness and should speak to a doctor.
Can Binge Drinking Cause Diabetes?
Research has shown that excessive alcohol consumption (both alcoholism and binge drinking) can increase your risk of pancreatitis. This chronic inflammation of the pancreas can lead to irreversible damage. This damage includes the destruction of β-cells. These cells specialise in the production of, storage and release of insulin. By impairing your pancreas with alcohol abuse, the organ can fail to secrete the right levels of insulin – leading to type-2 diabetes.
What Binge Drinking Does To Your Brain
The brain’s functionality is dependent on an intricate balance of chemicals and processes. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can disrupt that delicate balance, affecting your thoughts, feelings and actions – and sometimes long-term mental health.
For example, the relaxed feeling we can experience if we have a drink is due to the chemical changes alcohol has caused in the brain. A drink can make some people feel more confident and less anxious, as the alcohol begins to suppress the part of the brain associated with inhibition.
The more we drink, the more the impact on our brain function increases. Regardless of the mood we’re in, with increasing alcohol consumption, negative emotions may take over, leading to a negative impact on mental health. Alcohol can be linked to aggression and some people report becoming angry, aggressive, anxious or depressed when they drink.
When Binge Drinking Becomes a Problem
Binge drinking doesn’t necessarily mean you have a drinking problem. Many people who engage in binge drinking only do so sporadically and feel no ill effects between binges. However, binge drinking is considered a well-known risk factor for an alcohol use disorder, with over 90% of adults who drink excessively saying they’ve engaged in binge drinking in the last 30 days.
If you think someone you know, or even you may need help with problematic drinking habits you can contact us directly on 01795 431751, at info@therecoverylodge.co.uk or here.