When a person drinks alcohol, it passes through multiple parts of the body. Starting at the mouth, the alcohol travels down to the stomach and small intestine, and spreads to the heart, brain and liver, according to the University of Washington. Even in small doses, alcohol has significant effects on the body; however, long-term effects stemming from alcoholism can permanently damage vital organs.
Social Inhibition
One short-term effect of alcohol is social inhibition, such as an increase in talkativeness and ease in social interactions. The Partnership for a Drug-free America notes that the social inhibition effect is a reason why many people drink in social situations. In small amounts, alcohol can also cause dizziness.
Changes in Behaviors and Judgment
In larger amounts, alcohol can cause slurred speech and make the person feel sick, with nausea and vomiting. Alcohol can also affect the person's sleep, preventing him from getting a restful night of sleep. A danger with drinking alcohol is that it can impair judgment, which can result in drunken driving or other risky behavior. Another short-term effect of alcohol is an increase in aggressive behavior.
Liver Damage
When a person abuses alcohol, the liver, which processes the liquor, is damaged. The Merck Manual Home Edition states that three types of liver damage can occur with alcoholism: cirrhosis, fatty liver and alcoholic hepatitis. When a patient has cirrhosis, the effectiveness of the liver is decreased, making it more difficult for the liver to break down waste or remove toxins. A fatty liver or steatosis results in an enlarged and/or tender liver. Alcoholic hepatitis also involves an inflammation of the liver, where it is painful and tender; other symptoms include fever, jaundice and fatigue.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
A serious long-term effect of alcoholism is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which results from a deficiency in thiamine. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a two-part syndrome: Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff's psychosis. Symptoms start with coordination and movement problems, and then escalate to severe memory loss and confabulation, where the patient creates falsehoods to compensate for the memory loss.
