How Binge Drinking Affects the Body

Binge drinking is rarely considered a healthy behavior, regardless of age or gender. There are numerous studies that indicate binge drinking behaviors are a problem for women, as well as the older generations, perhaps even more so than the college-age drinkers who tend to be portrayed as the biggest binge drinkers of all. However, the actual demographics of binge drinking matter less than the effects of consuming more alcohol than the body can process within a limited time frame.  Binge drinking not only affects a person during the time of drinking, but, it can also have long-term effects on the body.

The body reacts to alcohol like it is a poison, which is what creates the feeling of a “buzz” or drunkenness if too much is consumed. This reaction is actually the body’s way of saying that it is consuming something unhealthy – almost a warning to stop drinking before further damage happens. Unfortunately, the buzz of drinking often leads to a person who is unable to make healthy choices, and can have the following long-term issues, and more, as a result:

• Liver, nerve, or brain damage.
• Injuries due to driving drunk, falling or other accidents.
• Violence, uncontrolled behaviors.
• Alcohol poisoning.
• Life-threatening heart conditions.
• Digestive conditions, diabetes and/or malnutrition.
• Death.

Binge drinking overloads the body with large amounts of alcohol that are too much to digest; leading to damage that continues to build with each episode that occurs. Most of the damage that is attributed to binge drinking cannot be reversed, and many people end up living with the consequences of too much drinking for the rest of their lives. With the damage that can occur by just limiting drinking to weekends or special events, including the risk of driving while intoxicated and the consequences of those actions, binge drinking remains a top health concern for everyone, regardless of age or gender.