The effect of alcohol on the brain. How does alcohol destroy a person's consciousness? How does alcohol affect the human brain? What goes on in the head of an alcoholic

Health

Many of us are accustomed to regularly drinking a glass of other alcoholic drinks to relax.

But have you ever wondered how alcohol affects your body and brain?

Anything consumed in moderation has no harmful effects, but many people have no stop sign when it comes to... alcohol

Dr Samuel Ball explained why alcohol is one of the most dangerous substances in the world.



When we drink an alcoholic drink, about 33 percent of the alcohol is absorbed into the blood through the walls of the stomach. What remains gradually enters the bloodstream through the small intestine.

When alcohol enters the bloodstream, it spreads throughout all biological tissues of our body, since cell membranes have a high absorption capacity.

Anything more than this can cause all sorts of health and social problems.

More than 5 units of alcohol for men and more than 4 for women are considered the “danger zone.”

How alcohol affects the human brain


Here's how a famous psychiatrist explains the effects of alcohol on the brain:

We hear a lot about the effects of alcohol on the brain and body, primarily because alcohol is considered a sedative. But that is not all. Alcohol is not only a sedative, but also has an indirect stimulating effect.

Alcohol directly affects brain chemistry by changing levels of neurotransmitters—messengers that control thought processes, behavior, and emotions.

Essentially, alcohol suppresses arousal and increases lethargy. Your speech, thoughts and movements will slow down the more you drink. You will start tripping, falling out of chairs, and doing other awkward things.


But here's the catch. Alcohol also promotes the production of dopamine in the brain, the pleasure center. It is influenced by many different pleasant activities: communication with close friends, vacations, salary increases and consumption of alcoholic beverages.

By increasing dopamine levels in the brain, alcohol makes you think you're feeling great. You keep drinking to release dopamine, but at the same time your brain chemistry changes, which increases your feelings of depression.

Research has shown that The effect of alcohol on dopamine is greater in men than in women, which explains why men are more likely to suffer from alcoholism.


Over time, if we consume large amounts of alcohol, the effect of dopamine is reduced to a minimum. But by this stage, the person has already become addicted to the feeling of pleasure, although he stops receiving it.

As soon as there is a desire to experience that pleasant feeling again and again with the consumption of alcoholic beverages, alcoholism arises.

The time it takes for addiction to set in varies from person to person. Some have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism and will need very little time, while others will need several weeks or months.

Alcohol and the brain

Here's how alcohol affects different areas of the brain:


Why does alcohol make you uninhibited?

Cortex

This area is where thought processes and consciousness are located. Alcohol suppresses inhibition centers, which makes a person feel less constrained. It slows down the processing of information we receive through the eyes, ears, mouth and other senses. It also suppresses your thought processes, causing you to think in a jumbled way.

Why do you become clumsy?

Cerebellum

Alcohol affects the centers of movement and balance, which leads to a staggering, unsteady gait that can ultimately result in a person falling completely.

Why do your sexual desires increase but you become powerless?

Hypothalamus and pituitary gland

The hypothalamus and pituitary gland coordinate brain functions and hormone production. Alcohol depresses the nerve centers in the hypothalamus that control sexual arousal and sexual activity. Although a person's libido may increase, their abilities in bed are significantly reduced.

Why do you become sleepy?

Medulla

This area of ​​the brain is responsible for automatic functions such as breathing, consciousness and body temperature. By affecting the medulla oblongata, alcohol causes drowsiness. It slows breathing and lowers body temperature, which can be life-threatening.

In the short term, alcohol causes short-term memory loss, where a person forgets what happened for a certain period of time. Long-term exposure to alcohol is even more dangerous.

The effect of alcohol on the human body

Let's look at how alcohol affects the brain with an example. You're casually chatting with friends at a party, and the waitress approaches you with glasses of champagne. You drink one, then another, maybe a few more.

After you do this, you laugh louder than usual and sway as you walk. By the end of the evening, you're too slow to get past the waiter with dessert, and you're having trouble speaking clearly. The next morning you wake up with dizziness and a headache. You find it difficult to remember everything that happened the previous night.

These reactions clearly demonstrate how quickly and powerfully alcohol affects the brain. The brain is a complex labyrinth of connections that keeps our physical and psychological processes running smoothly.

Disruption of any of these connections can affect the functioning of the entire brain. Alcohol also has long-term effects on the brain - changes in its structure and function, which leads to a number of problems. Most people don't realize how much alcohol disrupts brain function. But being aware of these potential consequences will help you make a more informed decision about the amount of alcohol that's right for you.

The brain has a complex structure. It includes a large number of systems that interact with each other to support the functioning of the body - from thinking to breathing and movement.

These many brain systems communicate with each other using approximately a trillion tiny nerve cells called neurons. Neurons in the brain convert information into electrical and chemical signals that the brain can understand. They also send messages from the brain to the rest of the body.

Chemicals called neurotransmitters carry messages between neurons. Neurotransmitters can be very powerful. Depending on the type and amount of neurotransmitter, these chemical compounds can either enhance or minimize your body's responses, your feelings and your mood. The brain works to balance neurotransmitters that speed up or slow down functions to keep your body functioning at the right pace.

Alcohol can slow down the rate of communication between neurotransmitters in the brain.

Detection of brain changes

We still know too little about how the brain functions and how alcohol affects it. Researchers are constantly discovering new things about how alcohol disrupts information transmission pathways in the brain and changes its structure, leading to effects on behavior and functioning. A variety of survey methods expand our knowledge in different ways:

Brain Imaging

Various imaging techniques, including:

  • structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
  • functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI),
  • diffusion tensor imaging (DTI),
  • positron emission tomography (PET),

– used to create images of the brain.

MRI and DTI create images of the structure of the brain, or what it looks like.

fMRI studies the functioning of the brain, or what it does. It can detect changes in brain activity.

PET scan studies changes in the functioning of neurotransmitters. All of these imaging techniques can be used to track changes in an alcoholic's brain. For example, they can show how this brain changes immediately after stopping drinking; they can be done again after a long period of abstinence from alcohol to check for possible relapses.

Psychological tests

Researchers also use psychological tests to assess how alcohol-related brain changes affect mental function. These tests demonstrate how alcohol affects emotions and personality, as well as how it impairs learning skills and memory.

Animal testing

Testing the effects of alcohol on the brains of animals helps researchers better understand how alcohol damages the human brain, and how abstinence can reverse that damage.

Determining brain changes

Using brain imaging and psychological tests, researchers identified areas in the brain most vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. These include:

  • Cerebellum – This area controls the coordination of movements. Damage to the cerebellum causes loss of balance and stumbling, and can also affect cognitive functions such as memory and emotional reactions.
  • Limbic system – This complex brain system controls various functions, including memory and emotions. Damage to this area impairs each of these functions.
  • Cortex – Our abilities to think, plan, behave intelligently and interact socially originate from this area of ​​the brain. Additionally, the cerebral cortex connects it to the rest of the nervous system. Changes and damage to this area impair problem-solving, memory, and learning abilities.

Alcohol reduces the volume and impairs the function of brain tissue

Alcohol abuse - even in a single case - can disrupt the delicate balance of neurotransmitters. Alcohol can cause your neurotransmitters to transmit information too slowly, so you feel very sleepy.

Alcohol-related neurotransmitter imbalances can also cause behavioral and mood changes, including depression, anxiety, memory loss, and even seizures.

Long-term, heavy drinking causes changes in neurons, such as a decrease in the size of nerve cells. As a result of these and other changes, the volume of brain tissue decreases, and its internal cavities become larger. These changes can affect a wide range of abilities, including motor coordination, temperature regulation, sleep, mood, and various cognitive functions such as learning and memory.

One of the neurotransmitters called glutamate– Particularly sensitive to even small amounts of alcohol. Among other things, glutamate affects memory.

Researchers believe that alcohol interferes with the action of glutamate, and this may be the reason why some people temporarily "black out" or forget what happened during a party where they were drinking heavily.

Alcohol also causes increased release serotonin, another neurotransmitter that helps regulate emotional expression, and endorphins, which are natural substances that can cause a feeling of relaxation and euphoria along with intoxication.

Researchers now know that the brain tries to compensate for these disturbances. Neurotransmitters adapt, creating balance in the brain despite the presence of alcohol. But making these adaptations can have negative results, including creating tolerance to alcohol, developing alcohol dependence, and causing withdrawal symptoms.

What factors create differences in reactions to alcohol?

Different people react differently to alcohol. This is because the brain's response can be influenced by various factors. These factors include:

  • How much and how often do you drink? The more you drink alcohol, the more vulnerable your brain is.
  • Your genetic background and family history of alcoholism. Some ethnic groups may have stronger reactions to alcohol, and children of parents who drink heavily may be more likely to become alcoholics themselves.
  • Your physical health. If you have liver or nutritional problems, the effects of alcohol will last longer.

Are brain problems reversible?

Abstaining from drinking alcohol for several months and up to a year may allow structural changes in the brain to partially correct. Withdrawal may also help reverse negative effects on thinking skills, including problem solving, memory, and attention.

Other alcohol-related brain disorders

Liver damage that impairs brain function

Alcoholic liver disease affects not only the functions of this organ, but also disrupts the functioning of the brain. The liver breaks down alcohol and the toxins it releases. During this process, byproducts of ethyl alcohol metabolism damage liver cells.

These damaged liver cells can no longer function as well as they should, allowing too many toxic substances—particularly ammonia and manganese—to enter the brain.

These substances damage brain cells, causing a severe and potentially fatal disorder known as hepatic encephalopathy.

Hepatic encephalopathy causes a range of problems, ranging from less severe to fatal. These problems may include:

  • Sleep disorders
  • Changes in mood and personality
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Decreased concentration
  • Coordination problems, including asterixis, which results in flapping movements of the hand
  • Death

Doctors can help treat hepatic encephalopathy with drugs that reduce ammonia levels in the blood and devices that help remove harmful toxins from the blood. In some cases, people suffering from hepatic encephalopathy need a liver transplant, which usually helps improve brain function.

Alcohol can affect the brain at any stage of development – ​​even before birth.

is the full range of physical, behavioral and learning problems and other birth defects that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Fetal alcohol syndrome is characterized by abnormal facial features and is usually associated with severe impairment of brain function and overall growth.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is now the leading preventable birth defect associated with mental and behavioral disorders.

The brains of children with fetal alcohol syndrome are smaller than normal and contain fewer cells, including neurons. These deficits lead to lifelong learning and behavioral problems. Current research is examining whether the brain function of children and adults with fetal alcohol syndrome can be improved through comprehensive rehabilitation education, nutritional supplements, or medications.

We try to provide the most relevant and useful information for you and your health. The materials posted on this page are informational in nature and intended for educational purposes. Site visitors should not use them as medical advice. Determining the diagnosis and choosing a treatment method remains the exclusive prerogative of your attending physician! We are not responsible for possible negative consequences arising from the use of information posted on the website

Alcohol abuse provokes pathological changes in the brain: smoothing of convolutions, reduction in its size, resulting in the development of such dangerous diseases as alcoholic epilepsy and encephalopathy. It is a scientifically proven fact that alcohol has a negative effect on the human brain, and complications often arise even as a result of taking small doses of alcohol.

The mechanism of alcohol's effect on the brain

Alcohol contains substances that poison the entire body and disrupt its functions. The brain also suffers, in which various cells begin to die. Ethyl alcohol enters here through the vessels from the stomach, instantly attacking the cerebral cortex and disrupting its functions. As a result, a state of alcoholic intoxication develops, accompanied by damage and death of cells in different parts of the brain:

  1. In the occipital part with the vestibular zone.
  2. At the moral center.
  3. In the hippocampus.

Damage to nerve cells in the area of ​​the vestibular apparatus causes deterioration in coordination, as a result of which a drunk person develops a characteristic gait. The death of cells in the moral center leads to emancipation, the loss of feelings such as shame and fear. Under the influence of alcohol, the cells of the hippocampus responsible for memory also die. As a result, the next morning a person cannot reconstruct yesterday’s events: what he did, where he managed to visit.

Normally, blood in the brain circulates through very thin vessels and capillaries, due to which a sufficient volume of oxygen is supplied to each part of the organ. However, alcohol creates significant obstacles to normal blood circulation: the ethyl alcohol it contains constricts blood vessels and sticks red blood cells together, which promotes the formation of blood clots. Microscopic capillaries become clogged, and cells begin to experience oxygen starvation and die. At the same time, a person feels euphoria and does not even suspect the development of pathological processes.

Effects of drinking alcohol on the brain

If the liver is capable of regeneration after alcohol withdrawal, then the cells of the gray matter are not restored. How strongly alcohol affects a person’s brain always depends on the doses of alcohol: the larger they are, the faster personality degradation occurs. The patient himself does not notice the negative effects of alcohol, since the state of intoxication is accompanied by mild euphoria. However, pathological studies of deceased alcoholics confirm that systematic alcohol abuse causes irreversible changes:

  1. Decrease in organ size.
  2. Formation of voids.
  3. Straightening the convolutions.
  4. The appearance of microscopic hemorrhages.

For your information:

Even a single dose of alcohol causes damage and death of brain cells. The negative effect on the brain increases with liver disease, since it is in this organ that the breakdown of ethyl alcohol occurs.

With the help of many years of research, scientists were able to prove that when drinking 100 g of vodka, 8,000 brain cells instantly die. At the same time, the structure of the organ is damaged, which decreases in size and becomes covered with scars and ulcers. Under a magnifying glass, an alcoholic's brain looks like the lunar surface with its many craters.

Cognitive impairment

The destructive effect of alcohol on the human brain begins with the first glass, resulting in a decrease in the field of perception and other cognitive impairments. The person loses the ability to make an objective assessment and suffers from hallucinations that do not go away even after sobering up. Ethyl alcohol causes the most severe damage to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for higher nervous activity. In this case, characteristic symptoms are observed:

  • foggy thoughts;
  • decreased IQ;
  • cheeky behavior, lack of shame;
  • impaired coordination of movements;
  • memory impairment and confusion.

Ethyl alcohol also affects the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which reduces the production of vital hormones. The body gradually gets used to and adapts to the constant supply of alcohol, slowing down mental activity, “turning off” memory, attention, moral principles and creativity.

What brain diseases does alcohol cause?

Due to the harmful effects of alcohol on the human brain, severe physical and mental illnesses are formed, which cause disability. Pathological processes are based on two main factors: the neurotoxic effect of alcohol and vitamin B1 deficiency, without which normal brain functioning is impossible. For these reasons, particularly severe and dangerous diseases develop:

  1. Alcoholic encephalopathy.
  2. Alcoholic epilepsy.
  3. Korsakoff's disease.

Signs of encephalopathy appear at the last stage of alcoholism: the patient becomes emotionally unstable, indifferent to everything, and constantly experiences weakness. Symptoms of alcohol-induced epilepsy only occur during a hangover, and if they become regular, the person develops dementia. Since attacks are spontaneous and may be accompanied by fainting, alcoholics are prohibited from climbing to heights, swimming in rivers and driving vehicles.

With Korsakoff's disease, there are signs of encephalopathy, dementia and polyneuritis. A person completely ceases to navigate in time and loses the ability to perform any arithmetic operations. Muscle atrophy gradually sets in, leading to severe disability. The patient can no longer care for himself and requires outside care.

For your information:

With constant consumption of alcohol, the structure of neurons is destroyed and connections between them disappear. As a result, the alcoholic not only has a decrease in intelligence, but at a certain point he completely degrades as a person.

Mental illnesses arising from alcohol abuse are detected in all alcoholics, although the pathologies themselves differ in diversity. Starting with insomnia and irritability, mental disorders progress and serious illnesses develop:

  1. Delirium tremens.
  2. Alcohol paranoia.
  3. Hallucinations.
  4. Delirium of jealousy.

Delirium tremens, also known as delirium tremens, develops after coming out of a long binge and is characterized by a pronounced clouding of consciousness - a person becomes dangerous to himself and to society. Paranoia and hallucinations also arise after a sudden cessation of alcohol: the patient hears certain voices that often threaten him, causing severe fear. Delusions of jealousy always occur in a chronic form, and only in old age do its manifestations weaken. The patient is jealous of his partner, provokes scandals, uses threats and physical force.

Brain swelling

The most severe complication after drinking alcohol is cerebral edema, which occurs as a reaction of the body to severe intoxication. Due to the high permeability of the vascular walls through which blood circulates, excess fluid accumulates in the brain tissue. This condition occurs with characteristic symptoms:

  • headache;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • dyspnea;
  • loss of sensation in some areas of the body;
  • coordination problems;
  • convulsions;
  • fainting;
  • memory impairment;
  • difficulty speaking;
  • high pressure;
  • paralysis.

The disease develops even due to moderate alcohol consumption. The provoking factors in this case are the general condition of the body, the stage of alcoholism, and individual characteristics. Depending on the location of the edema, it can affect vital centers of the brain, which directly threatens a person’s life. The only prevention of complications is a complete abstinence from alcohol-containing drinks.

Attention!

The information in the article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute instructions for use. Consult your healthcare provider.

Alcohol has a negative effect on the entire body, but its effect on the central nervous system, in particular on the brain, is especially negative. It is the abuse of alcoholic beverages that causes various disorders, including mental ones, that are difficult to treat.

The negative effect of alcohol on the brain causes its cells to begin to deteriorate, they are not restored, the functions of the entire nervous system are disrupted, and the personality quickly degrades. Such a negative effect on the brain can be prevented; treatment in late and advanced stages does not always produce results.

Vitamin B deficiency

For those who abuse alcohol, a lack of vitamin B1 poses a great danger. It is also known as thiamine; if its deficiency is not replenished, this can lead to the development of a dangerous syndrome. When it is neglected, irreversible damage is observed.

Vitamin B1 is necessary not only for the functioning of the brain, but also for the entire body. However, it is the brain that is damaged the most when it is deficient. Approximately 80% of alcoholics begin to suffer from memory loss, coordination problems and other disorders.

When alcohol abuse occurs, there is no proper diet, and metabolic processes are severely disrupted.

This leads to the fact that the content of all vitamins is reduced to a minimum. Therefore, during and after heavy libations, attention must be paid to nutrition. Thiamine is found in large quantities in foods such as nuts, grains, and legumes. You cannot give up meat, cereals, vitamin B1 can also be taken in the form of medications. For men, the recommended dose per day is 1.2 mg; it cannot be reduced in any way.

The mechanism of alcohol's effect on the brain

How does alcohol affect the brain and is it possible to stop its harmful effects? The alcohol contained in the drink is very quickly absorbed into the blood. Along with the bloodstream, alcohol reaches the brain, where its gradual destruction begins. With regular consumption of alcohol, the blood thins, and this negatively affects the mobility of red blood cells. The state of cell membranes changes greatly, which negatively affects the transmission of information within not only nerve cells, but also other organs. Further, the effect of alcohol on the brain is even more harmful. Cells lose their protective membranes, red blood cells stick together, which clog all capillaries, and oxygen supply becomes difficult. Sticking occurs from ethanol, and not from the products of oxidation: ethanal, acetic acid. The brain experiences oxygen starvation and dehydration. This effect is well felt during intoxication, a person can feel lightness, a feeling of “flight”, all solutions seem extremely simple. But in reality, all this is the consequences of oxygen starvation. This state of affairs is dangerous because a person simply does not understand all the consequences; they seem like a trifle at the moment. Brain bleeding, or ischemic stroke, occurs quite often.

Alcohol affects the human brain in the following ways:

  1. The occipital part, i.e., the vestibular apparatus, is severely damaged, and coordination of movements is impaired.
  2. The cells that control a person’s behavior and his morality are destroyed, that is, “alcoholic emancipation” occurs.
  3. Memory, perception of information - all this is not only impaired, sometimes irreversible consequences are observed that can no longer be restored.

Effect of alcohol on neurons

The negative effects of alcohol have a bad effect on the general condition of the nervous system. However, the reaction itself may be different. All this depends on the body’s sensitivity to alcohol, on how much and how it will affect a particular person. A separate role is played by the state of health and the level of alcohol consumption, the effects of which can cause various disorders. Compassion and inexplicable bouts of generosity are replaced by unmotivated aggression and irritability. Such people are dangerous to others, since their mood swings are unpredictable. Most often, people prefer the relaxing effect of alcohol, which allows them to forget about responsibility. Alcohol has a deplorable effect, it is necessary to act in a timely manner so as not to aggravate the situation.

It is the effect of alcohol on the brain that in most cases becomes the cause of conflicts when aggression from verbal turns into physical. And the stronger the degree of intoxication, the worse the consequences will be for all participants in the feast or those around them. What does alcohol do to personality? The patient stops taking into account the consequences of his actions; the mechanism for making decisions and understanding the situation simply does not work. All the worst things come out, often the alcoholic becomes aggressive, suspicious, for no reason he can even beat his own children, without completely understanding what exactly is happening.

It is for these reasons that doctors recommend isolating an alcoholic from others so that appropriate treatment can begin. At any stage of alcoholism, when the patient is not aware of his condition, alcohol continues its destructive effect even if drinking alcohol is not available. The problem is that the toxins have already penetrated the internal organs and continue their destructive effect. Treatment always begins with the body being cleansed of toxins; only after this can therapy begin, aimed at restoring all functions.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

The effects of alcohol are quite dangerous; studies show that about 80% of all alcoholics are susceptible to a disease such as thiamine deficiency. This syndrome is also called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and manifests itself in one of the following forms:

  1. Wernicke encephalopathy, characterized by short-term exacerbations.
  2. Korsakov's psychosis, a calmer, long-term state that greatly depletes the body.

As a result, a person experiences problems with coordination, optic nerve paralysis, and severe clouding of consciousness. At the same time, attacks are observed more and more often, they disrupt normal life activities, and become the reason that a person literally turns into a disabled person.

In difficult cases, a person cannot even leave the room or move without assistance. But this disease is dangerous because not all symptoms can be observed at the same time. Therefore, when visiting a doctor, you must immediately undergo the most thorough examination, and do not delay it. Sometimes it turns out that the cause of death was Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, although during life its classic symptoms were not observed in full.

The effect of alcohol on the brain in 80-90% of cases leads to Korsakov's psychosis becoming severe. A person experiences severe and long-term memory loss, and learning new information is difficult. The patient quickly loses his temper, becomes forgetful, and experiences almost constant depression. Coordination of movements is difficult, often the person cannot even walk independently. Also, the effect of the disease is the appearance of retrograde amnesia, anterograde amnesia, gradually the patient ceases to think coherently, to be aware of what is happening around him.

How to treat Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome?

The problem in this case is that the lack of thiamine greatly affects the perception and processing of information. The effect of alcohol on the brain is that attention and concentration are greatly deteriorated, and memory lapses are observed. For treatment to be effective, doctors prescribe special medications with thiamine. But recovery is possible under the following conditions:

  • complete cessation of further alcohol consumption;
  • initiation of treatment in the early stages of the syndrome.

If the influence of alcohol has already become the cause of an organic change, i.e. the nature of the damage is irreversible, then the treatment already pursues completely different goals. It is not the restoration and normalization of the general condition that is carried out, but only the care of the patient and the maintenance of the maximum possible vital activity. The effects of alcohol are so harmful that nothing can be changed. Therefore, you cannot trigger the disease if you know how alcohol affects you. Treatment must be timely.
A small percentage of patients suffering from thiamine deficiency may have a genetic predisposition to it. A person who begins to abuse alcohol and has a similar predisposition will most likely have a problem with thiamine deficiency. Regular examinations are required so that the disease does not reach a stage where it can no longer be cured.

Thus, alcoholic drinks have an extremely negative effect on the brain. With alcohol abuse, various disorders can be observed, including a lack of vitamins, microelements, memory loss, and a lack of thiamine. All this leads to the fact that the quality of life is greatly deteriorated. If you do not start treatment and do not give up alcohol, the central nervous system will undergo irreversible changes that cannot be treated. Only timely cessation of alcohol will allow you to avoid numerous troubles, completely undermined health and destroyed family relationships.

Thank you for your feedback

Comments

    Megan92 () 2 weeks ago

    Has anyone succeeded in ridding their husband of alcoholism? My drink never stops, I don’t know what to do anymore ((I was thinking about getting a divorce, but I don’t want to leave the child without a father, and I feel sorry for my husband, he’s a great person when he doesn’t drink

    Daria () 2 weeks ago

    I have already tried so many things, and only after reading this article, I was able to wean my husband off alcohol; now he doesn’t drink at all, even on holidays.

    Megan92 () 13 days ago

    Daria () 12 days ago

    Megan92, that’s what I wrote in my first comment) I’ll duplicate it just in case - link to article.

    Sonya 10 days ago

    Isn't this a scam? Why do they sell on the Internet?

    Yulek26 (Tver) 10 days ago

    Sonya, what country do you live in? They sell it on the Internet because stores and pharmacies charge outrageous markups. In addition, payment is only after receipt, that is, they first looked, checked and only then paid. And now they sell everything on the Internet - from clothes to TVs and furniture.

    Editor's response 10 days ago

    Sonya, hello. This drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence is indeed not sold through pharmacy chains and retail stores in order to avoid inflated prices. Currently you can only order from official website. Be healthy!

    Sonya 10 days ago

    I apologize, I didn’t notice the information about cash on delivery at first. Then everything is fine if payment is made upon receipt.

    Margo (Ulyanovsk) 8 days ago

    Has anyone tried traditional methods to get rid of alcoholism? My father drinks, I can’t influence him in any way ((

    Andrey () A week ago

    I haven’t tried any folk remedies, my father-in-law still drinks and drinks

It is no secret to many that alcohol negatively affects our health, and in particular our brain. We will consider the effect not of the substance that the brain produces, but of the one that enters the body from the outside. The negative effects of alcohol are felt throughout the body.

What happens to alcohol in the human body?

Alcohol enters the human stomach and intestines through the esophagus, from where it enters the bloodstream through decomposition. In the normal state of our blood, erythrocytes - red blood cells - have a negative charge on their surface, this is due to their ability to carry oxygen. Also, the negative charge pushes red blood cells apart, preventing them from sticking together. When a group of positively charged ethyl alcohol molecules interacts with the negative surface of a red blood cell, repulsion no longer occurs and the red blood cells stick together to form clots. This causes blockage of the thinnest vessels of the circulatory system - capillaries.

First of all, the brain suffers from capillary blockage, in which the capillaries supply oxygen to the nerve cells through the blood. In a matter of seconds, hundreds of thousands of cells die, which affects the functioning of the parts of the brain responsible for speech, the musculoskeletal system and other parts. Alcohol selectively accumulates in the brain, where its concentration is 75% higher than in the blood.

A person in the stage of severe intoxication experiences difficulties in coordinating movements and speech. This may indicate a malfunction of the nervous system. Drinking alcohol is dangerous during low temperatures because it leads to frostbite of the extremities due to a decrease in blood flow to the surface tissues.

Returning to what has already been described in the blog, we would like to remember that the brain is the organ responsible for memory, attention, speech and other functions. These functions operate through a complex mechanism of interaction between neurons and their connections. By disrupting these connections - we destroy brain cells with the consequences of drinking alcohol - we lose abilities and their qualitative potential. The brain must receive vitamins and nutrients for high-quality and comfortable activity.

As described in the article The Brain Diet, nutrients and vitamins are carried by the blood and absorbed through the intestinal wall. Before the necessary nutritional element is released from the food, the food goes through stages of digestion in the stomach and intestines.

Alcohol disrupts the digestion process by destroying the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines and, as a result, disrupting the full cycle of food digestion, when it is excreted from the body with waste products without “giving away” nutrients and vitamins.

Regular consumption of alcohol leads to the formation of chronic diseases, including stomach and intestinal cancer, which cannot have a beneficial effect on the activity of your brain and the quality of processes in it.