Many of us drink alcohol to relax and
socialise. Alcohol can be part of a healthy lifestyle if you drink in
moderation and also exercise and have a good diet. But drinking too much can
affect your physical and mental health.
Why
is alcohol a health issue?
Many Australians drink alcohol in amounts that
are harmful to their health. This kind of drinking can cause death, disease and
injury and is a major factor in ill health and social harm in Australia.
No level of alcohol consumption can be
considered safe for everyone. To minimise your risk of accident, disease or
death, the Australian Guidelines recommend healthy adults should drink no more
than 2 standard drinks on any day, and no more than 4 standard drinks on a
single occasion. A standard drink is a can or stubbie of mid-strength beer,
100ml of wine, or a 30ml shot of spirits.
However, some people need to take more care.
You are at greater risk of harm from alcohol if you are engaging in a risky
activity such as driving or operating machinery, if you are under 18, if you
are older than 65, or if you are taking other medicines or drugs.
During pregnancy, no level of drinking is
considered safe for the baby.
Drinking heavily can put you at risk of
short-term injury or illness. The effects can also accumulate, harming your
health over your lifetime.
Short-term
health effects of alcohol
Nearly a third of Australians drink more than
they should on a single occasion (known as binge drinking). In the short term,
drinking too much alcohol can lead to:
·
lack of judgement
·
loss of coordination
·
memory loss
·
vomiting
·
headaches and
hangovers
·
accidental injury (to
yourself or others)
·
being in a road
accident
·
deliberately harming
yourself or others
·
alcohol poisoning
(which can be fatal)
Long-term
health effects of alcohol
Drinking more than 2 standard drinks a day can
seriously affect your health over your lifetime. It can lead to dependence and
addiction, especially in people who have depression or anxiety,
and can increase your risk of suicide.
Here is how regular heavy drinking can affect
your body long term.
Brain: Drinking too much can affect your concentration, judgement,
mood and memory. It increases your risk of having a stroke and
developing dementia.
Heart: Heavy drinking increases your blood pressure and can
lead to heart damage and heart
attacks.
Liver: Drinking 3 to 4 standard drinks a day increases your risk of
developing liver cancer. Long-term heavy drinking also
puts you at increased risk of liver cirrhosis (scarring) and death.
Stomach: Drinking even 1 to 2 standard drinks a day increases your risk
of stomach and bowel cancer, as well as stomach
ulcers.
Fertility: Regular heavy drinking reduces men's testosterone levels, sperm count and fertility.
For women, drinking too much can affect their periods.
Watch this video from DrinkWise to understand better the
effects of alcohol on the body.
Drinkwise is an organisation established by
the alcohol industry to encourage a healthier and safer drinking culture in
Australia. To find out more about how alcohol affects your health, you can use
the Drinkwise tool.
Sources:
Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (Alcohol risk and harm), DrinkWise (Alcohol and your health), DrinkWise (Walking on the edge - The
risks of binge drinking), Alcohol and
Drug Foundation (Being there to reduce mental health and
alcohol problems), National
Health and Medical Research Council (To reduce health risks
from drinking alcohol), Department of Veterans Affairs (The Right Mix) (The
impact of alcohol on my body)
Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: December 2017
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