Serious illnesses

Cancers

Alcohol is a factor in many different cancers: upper respiratory tract cancers, mouth cancer, laryngeal and pharyngeal cancers, oesophageal cancer and liver cancer.

Nervous disorders

Alcohol destroys neurons (nerve cells used in information transmission, thought processes and memory formation) by:

• having a direct harmful effect when strong doses of alcohol are absorbed by the body,
• inhibiting the proper absorption of vitamin B, which is needed for the nerve tissue to work properly.

The effects of neurons being destroyed include:

• permanent balance problems,
• short-term memory problems,
• alcohol-related dementia, the most well-known example of which is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.

Liver disease

Excess alcohol is toxic for our liver – the organ that eliminates the alcohol from our body.

Alcoholic steatosis (fatty liver disease)

Excessive consumption of alcohol first causes the build-up of fats in the liver (alcoholic steatosis).

Alcoholic steatosis is one of the first signs that the liver is being damaged by alcoholism. It can be separate from or associated with alcoholic hepatitis and often develops into cirrhosis.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is the most well-known disease. This is when the liver is scarred by the chronic and excessive consumption of alcohol.

Cirrhosis is frequently unnoticed by the sufferer in the early stages, as the symptoms can take years to appear. The liver slowly stops working properly, ultimately causing death.

Alcoholic hepatitis

Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by excessive alcohol intake. It can result in the destruction of hepatic tissue if the patient continues to drink. It can also develop into cirrhosis of the liver.