Title Slide (Image)
Title Slide
Text: “How Alcohol Effects the Human Body”
(Image One)
(Image One) In this day and age, it is not
uncommon to find alcohol at social events.
People enjoy drinking alcohol. Many often
consume it with the full intention of becoming
intoxicated because alcohol indulgence gives off
a euphoric feeling that most people enjoy. Most
people that drink do not, however, stop to think
what alcohol is doing to their body to give off
that “euphoria.” Whether you party a little
(Image Two), or party a lot (Image Three),(Image
Four) alcohol seriously impairs and damages the
body.
Image Two
(Image Five) Most people are aware of the
symptoms of someone who is “drunk.” People
tend to have slurred speech, a lack of
coordination, and a higher likelihood of making
fools of themselves. But how does alcohol do
this? (Image Six) According to
Healthguidance.org, alcohol is mainly absorbed
in the small intestine. This defends the
statement that one gets drunk faster if they
haven’t eaten. If there is no food in the way of
the alcohol, it is going to get absorbed faster.
From the small intestine, the alcohol enters the
bloodstream, where it will travel directly to the
organ that requires the most blood flow and
oxygen: the brain. Once it hits the brain,
symptoms of intoxication begin to occur. (Image
Seven)
Image Three
The cerebral cortex is the first part to be
affected. This is what makes people more
talkative and outgoing.
The hippocampus, which controls memory and
emotion, is the next part of the brain to be
affected. If one was happy before he began
drinking, he is even happier now. If he was
depressed to begin with, he is even worse.
Memories probably will not form properly at this
Image Four
stage, and this explains why some parts of a night
of heavy drinking are more difficult to remember.
The cerebellum is the next to be affected. This is
the stage where one begins to slur speech and
have difficulty walking straight.
If drinking occurs after this stage, eventually the
alcohol will work its way back to the medulla,
which attaches directly to the brainstem. At this
point, higher order functions are at stake, such as
breathing and staying conscious. If a person
Image Five
reaches this point, they will require stomach
pumping, or they could face serious injury or
death.
(Image 8)
Remember that alcohol is a depressant. Notice
in this brain scan from the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism the lack of color in
the intoxicated brain images. This lack of color is
actually a lack of functioning due to slowed
metabolism. After the alcohol leaves the system,
the brains will return to normal functioning.
However, if one continues to binge drink on a
regular basis, the entire anatomy of the brain will Image six
change. (Image 9) Compared to a normal 43
year old’s brain, the 43 year old alcoholic’s brain
is drastically smaller in size. According to
LifeSpan.org, neurotransmitters and the blood
flow to the frontal lobe of the brain are affected
by long-term alcohol use. Eventually, feel-good
neurotransmitters such as serotonin and
dopamine are only released during alcohol
consumption, which explains why alcoholics need
to drink to improve their mood. After chronic
use, alcohol will no longer trigger these impulses.
(Image Ten) Not only is the brain seriously
affected by long term alcohol abuse. Several
other parts of the body also suffer. According to
the American Heart Association, there are
several cardiovascular risks that arise in
alcoholics such as an increase of triglycerides (or
Image Seven
fat) in the blood, high blood pressure, and heart
failure. Several cancers may also arise from
alcoholism. The biggest problem with drinking is
disease of the liver, the organ that has to filter all
of the alcohol consumed. Alcoholic liver disease
starts out with excessive fat buildup on the liver,
making it much larger and yellowish in
appearance. Activeforever.com states that this is
the most common disease found among problem
drinkers. This is reversible if problem drinking
ceases, but it can turn into alcoholic hepatitis if
drinking continues. Alcoholic Hepatitis defined
by Activeforever.com is where the liver becomes
inflamed, scar tissue forms, and cells begin to die Image Eight
off. After ten years or more of problem drinking,
this will develop into Alcoholic Cirrhosis, which is
where the liver is no longer able to function
properly. This damage is permanent, and people
often die from this if their liver shuts down
completely. This is an actual image of what a
human liver looks like in all stages. Notice how
the healthy liver is small, and brown in
appearance. The middle liver is yellow due to
the fat buildup. The cirrhosis liver is twice the
Image Nine
size of the first two, and resembles an
overcooked piece of steak more than a human
organ.
(Image 13) Excessive alcohol consumption is
dangerous to an individual, but it is even more
dangerous when the individual is carrying a child.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the most damaging
effect to a single individual in the shortest
amount of time. Development of a fetus in the
womb is critical in every stage, and chemical
imbalances can easily damage the development
of the unborn child, and most damage is
irreversible. (Image 14) The Centers for Disease
Control state that the symptoms of fetal alcohol
syndrome are poor coordination, learning
disabilities, speech and language difficulties,
overall poor body development and abnormal
facial features (Image 15). Fetal alcohol
syndrome is 100% preventable if the mother
Image ten
abstains from alcohol throughout the entire
pregnancy. The saddest part of FAS is that these
children will never have a chance at a normal life.
Most will need constant care for their entire
duration of their life. They will face ridicule and
poor self-esteem all because their mother chose
to drink while she was pregnant.
(image 16) I have now discussed how alcohol
consumption affects your short-term and longterm health. While it is okay to drink
occasionally in moderation, it is never okay to
excessively binge. It is not safe for your health or
the health of others. (For More Information
Slide) For more information on how drinking
affects your health, visit www.medicinenet.com
and search alcohol. (THANK YOU slide) Thank
you.
Image eleven
Image Twelve
Image 13
Image 14
Image 15
Image 16
(For More Information Slide)
(Thank you slide)
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