Stasis Research Paper

While alcohol may have damaging effects to one’s body, many benefits exist if one drinks responsibly. Many studies and cases do show alcohol can damage the liver and other parts of the body; however, when one drinks in a moderate manner many health benefits may exist. Alcohol helps to fight against various health conditions and risks common among many people,

The mouth is the first affected, alcohol can cause significant damage to the salivary glands, gums, and tongue. Heavy drinkers may begin to notice tooth decay. Next the esophagus is affected which can cause ulcers to form and arise in the stomach as well. The American Addiction Center states, “Cirrhosis of the liver is a condition that results in scarring of the liver tissue… scarred tissue cannot perform the proper functions that healthy liver tissue can such as cleaning the blood and helping to fight infection.” An individual’s immune system is greatly affected by the use of alcohol. Pancreatitis can form by the abuse of alcohol. Alcohol can cause changes in the function of the kidneys and make them less able to filter the blood that runs through them. The heart is the most important organ in the body and is also greatly affected by alcohol. The American Addiction Center says, “Some of the effects alcohol can have on this organ include: heartbeat irregularity, increased blood pressure, stroke, stretching of the heart muscle.” Stretching of the heart muscle can make it too weak to pump blood efficiently throughout the body. Alcohol can also cause certain cancers to arise in people who abuse the use of it. The American Cancer Society states that, “Alcohol use has been linked with cancers of the: Mouth, Throat (pharynx), Voice box (larynx), Esophagus, Liver, Colon and rectum, Breast. Alcohol may also increase the risk of cancers of the pancreas and stomach.” The more frequently one drinks the more likely they are to getting any of these cancers. Alcohol can have specific affects towards a woman’s body and bodiely functions. The American Addiction Center states, “A woman can see the disruption of her menstrual cycle due to alcohol abuse, and menstruation can even stop completely.” This can cause a woman to not be able to have children. Abuse of alcohol can destroy ones body and life in only a

The pathophysiology of alcoholism begins after alcohol the ingestion of alcohol. It is absorbed and unaltered through the stomach and intestines. Next it is distributed throughout the body through the blood and absorbed by all tissues and fluids (Huether, 2012, p. 72). Furthermore, in the liver the alcohol blood content is metabolized into acetaldehyde by the enzymes process of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), and catalase (Huether & McCance, 2012). Next, the metabolizing effects the central nervous system (CNS) and exhibits a depressant action. It is first expressed in the subcortical structures of the brain. This has an effect of disorientation of motor skills and intellect. With an increase in blood alcohol concentration, the medullary centers become depressed and as a result affects respiration (Huether & McCance, 2012). In addition, the effects of alcoholism encourage hepatic and gastric changes. The hepatic effect is caused by acetaldehyde, in which, induces inflammation, fatty deposits and enlargement of the liver (Huether & McCance, 2012).

The body has no storage capacity for alcohol like it does for carbohydrates and fats. Since alcohol must be detoxified as quickly as possible, its oxidation takes priority over that of other macronutrients. In other words, while the liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, the utilization of fats, carbohydrates, and protein has to be temporarily suppressed. The burning of fat is suppressed the most, because it's at the bottom of the oxidative hierarchy.

The pathophysiology of Alcohol affects virtually every organ system in the body. Therefore, consuming to much alcohol in high

Liver disease resulting from alcohol affects more than two million Americans and is one of the primary causes of illness and death. The liver frees the body of harmful substances, such as alcohol. While the liver breaks down alcohol, it produces toxins that can be even more dangerous than the alcohol consumed (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact Your Health” 13). “These by-products damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and weaken the body’s natural defenses. Eventually, these problems can disrupt the body’s metabolism and impair the function of other organs” (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact Your Health” 13). A condition called steatosis is the result of fat build up in the liver and is the

Alcohol consumption affects every aspect of the human body, specifically the brain, liver, central nervous system, pancreas, stomach, and increased cancer risks.

Another way alcohol interferes with nutrient absorption is by damaging the epithelial cells in the lining of the small intestine, and the cells cannot do their job to absorb the nutrients. Not only that, but there is a correlation between drinking large amounts of alcohol and poor eating habits. Many people turn to greasy and fatty foods when they are drunk, because fast food joints are usually the only places open late at night. The next day after drinking you probably won’t feel too good because your body will be recovering from the toxins you have put in your system.

How Drinking Causes Gut Microbe Imbalance Linked to Liver Disease is an article that builds on the common knowledge that alcohol consumption damages the liver. The liver is the organ in the body that filters out everything in your bloodstream that may harm you, for example alcohol. It also produces a substance called bile that breaks down lipids. For these reasons, the liver is a very important organ in the digestive system in the body and this article shows how alcohol damages it.

Alcoholism can take a toll on a person’s body, it can affect the mind, heart and most well known the liver. Alcohol can interfere with the brain’s ability to function, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a long term effect on the brain that can cause lack of coordination as well as learning and memory problems. Alcohol also effects the heart, it can cause cardiomyopathy which is the stretching and drooping of the heart muscles, stroke, irregular heart beat and even high blood pressure. The liver is the most known organ to be affected, cirrhosis of the liver is when the alcohol consumed over time leads to the healthy liver

Prolonged and chronic ethanol (ETOH) use has devastating effects on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. ETOH is easily absorbed from the intestine and diffuses quickly throughout the body. The bulk of the ETOH is metabolized in the liver. ETOH abuse produces functional and structural changes in the GI tract, such as in the stomach, small intestine, liver, and pancreas (Geokas, Lieber, French, & Halsted 1981). The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism website (2005) sites statistics indicating 28,175 deaths in 2005 were a direct result of liver cirrhosis. The website goes on to state, “In 1997, liver cirrhosis was the 10th leading cause

Minor amounts of alcohol are metabolized to acetaldehyde in the digestive tract, revealing the tissues to acetaldehyde’s harmful effects.

Past literature define cirrhosis as a non-reversible end result of liver disease, however recent studies have shown it’s a dynamic process. If K.D stops his alcohol intake, he will reduce the acetaldehyde and acetate in his body which is the main causes of cell and tissue damage. The mechanism of tissue reversal takes place by blocking the formation of excessive acetaldehyde in the mitochondria. In the absence of excessive alcohol in the cells, only the primary alcohol oxidative metabolic pathway takes place. Alcohol is metabolized to acetaldehyde by the cytosolic enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Due to the ADH’s high affinity and low capacity, saturation occurs very quickly. If the patient consumes excessive alcohol, the body has to start

For most, the signs are unnoticeable, but at some point, alcohol becomes an irritant and damaging the body’s cells and tissues causing inflammation and irreversible scarring. When we ingest alcohol, certain enzymes are produced, increasing the activity of toxic chemicals. For example, acetaldehyde is a dangerous byproduct of alcohol metabolism conversion in our body leading to cancer. Overtime, the body’s ability to breakdown and eliminate these harmful chemicals weakens.

From the cringing feeling as you take a shot of your favorite liquor to the satisfying buzz you get while drinking your favorite beer or wine cooler, alcohol comes in many varieties. The more alcohol the body consumes the more people realize the slurring of their speech, swaying in their walk or just straight pass out. The cause of this is the sedative effect from the alcohol in your central nervous system which numbs your body to external stimulus (Shinner, 2010). Along with your nervous system, it can also damage almost every organ in your body. The liver is one of the biggest organs affected from alcohol due to the limit of how much it can filter. When our liver tries to break down alcohol, the resulting chemical reaction can damage its cells. This damage can lead to inflammation and scarring as the liver tries to repair itself which increases the risk of getting liver disease (DrinkAware, 2014). Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a