Alcohol is a depressant and it has significant impacts on the nervous system. When it comes to alcohol consumption, it does not matter the amount you take. Whether little, moderate or uncontrolled, nervous system is negatively affected. The brain and spinal cord functions are highly affected where they become weak and fail to work to their full capacity. The nervous system is made of;
- Central nervous system – Consist of the spinal cord and brain and are protected by the spine and skull
- Autonomic nervous system – work automatically like regulating the natural body processes such as body temperature, blood pressure just to mention a few.
- Peripheral nervous system – Made of the nerves that work outside the brain and spinal cord.
- Sensory nerves – They are messengers. Sensory nerves carry information to the brain and spinal cord for interpretation and feedback.
- Motor nerves – These are nerves helps in the control of the muscle functions such as movement and originate from the spinal to the respective muscles.
Therefore, if you consume alcohol these components of the nervous system will be greatly affected. Here is how alcohol addiction can affect the nervous system.
Body coordination
Alcohol damages the nerves by replicating the number of neurotransmitters and the higher the number of neurotransmitters the limited number of neuron. In that case, neuron communication is affected and it takes more time before the intended signal gets to the brain and to the other parts of the body.
Memory loss and dementia
These are long-term effects. When brain cells are destroyed, it can be temporarily if alcohol consumption is moderate and can be reversed with the use of multivitamin and thiamine supplements. However, if the effects are not noticed early enough and you continue taking alcohol the effects become permanent and cannot be reversed. The ability of your thinking logically will also be affected.
Damage of the feet and legs nerves
When these nerves are damaged, you lack sensation and tend to tremble. You may feel pain, numbness and tingle just to mention a few around the feet. Therefore, if you continue ingesting alcohol, the situation gets worse. However, you can prevent this nerve damage by administering a healthy diet and avoiding alcohol.
Muscle damage
Alcohol consumption causes muscle weakness which can be painless especially around the pelvic area and upper legs. You may experience symptoms such as difficulty in getting up or off a chair and going upstairs among others. Intervention page has more on alcohol effects on muscles. Also, you will get slow muscle reaction.
Visual impairment
Alcohol affects absorption of vitamins such as B-1; however, it also affected the nerves that are around the eyes that help in coordination. With time if you are alcoholic, there are high chances that you will go blind.
Alcohol effects on the nervous system is not a matter of the amount you ingest since even if you take little with time you will start to experience some of the effects. Therefore, to stay safe from these effects stop and avoid alcohol. If you have been taking it, its time to take a u-turn and start eating healthy to help reverse some of the reversible effects and prolong your life.
The post How Alcohol Addiction Can Affect Your Nervous System appeared first on Fitnistics.com.