How Alcohol Affects Your Body: What the Emergency Room Sees

Alcohol use is not only prevalent in our society, but often normalized, joked about, and even encouraged. Alcohol is frequently viewed as a necessary component of socializing, celebration, grieving, or just daily life. But its association with necessity, reward and pleasure can sometimes lead to unhealthy drinking habits and addiction.

As an emergency room medical team, we’ve seen a wide range of effects that alcohol can take on our patients, both internally and externally. While most people who drink in a moderate and controlled manner will not see dire consequences from drinking, there remain risks that are inherent with consuming alcohol.

When judgement is impaired

Alcohol is widely known for lowering inhibitions, and increasing reckless behavior, but it also distorts the drinker’s sense of judgement.

In the El Mirage Emergency Room, we see the effects of this impulsiveness in dire and tragic ways; in those who come in with sprained or broken limbs, injuries from car accidents, domestic abuse cases or other fights, concussions, and more. With long-term excessing drinking, someone can see a change or shrinking of the brain’s neurons which can lead to permanent cognitive decline, memory loss, and other conditions.

Compromised immune system

Alcohol consumption often takes a two-punch toll on the immune system. Drinking can impair the functioning of T cells and B cells and reduce antibody production. In addition, long-term drinking can cause the body to take longer to heal from illnesses. Excessive drinking can lead to increased vulnerability to respiratory illnesses.

In the emergency room, during flu season especially, we tend to see an increase in complications and infections related to influenza and COVID with habitual drinkers.

Increased risk to the heart

This one is not as simple, because studies show some benefits to heart health associated with moderate drinking. While medical experts can’t definitively explain the reason for moderate drinking being associated with better heart health, some point to alcohol’s ability to raise “good” HDL cholesterol. The line from helpful to harmful can be easily crossed, however. Heavy drinking can lead to heart disease including high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.

We’ve, unfortunately, seen patients arrive in the El Mirage Emergency Room with atrial fibrillation (which is a heart rhythm disorder) after binge-drinking. This phenomenon has been dubbed “holiday heart syndrome” due to its link to holidays and other events where people tend to drink excessively.

Stomach and pancreas pain

You may have experienced that alcohol can cause stomach irritation, especially if you’re prone to acid reflux. But you may not know that chronic alcohol use can lead to pancreatitis. Symptoms of this painful condition which is caused by inflammation of the pancreas include severe stomach pain, fever, and vomiting.

In our emergency room, it’s not uncommon for us to see people who come in with painful pancreatitis symptoms who report drinking frequently and/or heavily. In all cases of pancreatitis worldwide, chronic alcohol consumption is responsible for an estimated 17% to 25%.

As your El Mirage emergency room, we see firsthand the devastating and dangerous impact that overconsumption of alcohol can have. If you do drink, please do so safely, moderately, and responsibly.

If someone you know has consumed too much alcohol and you’re worried about their safety, please don’t hesitate to bring them to the El Mirage Emergency Room. Our team is available 24/7 and you can have confidence in our quick and skillful treatment of any urgent medical need.

And if you or someone you know is struggling with controlling their drinking, please reach out to a doctor, or call the free and confidential Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)