How alcohol can affect men's health | 5 things you should know

Collaborative Post | A person won't necessarily feel alcohol's impact on his body immediately. However, it begins the moment he takes his first sip. Did you know continuous and heavy alcohol use may harm your liver? It contributes to low levels of testosterone and high levels of oestrogen, ultimately leading to erectile dysfunction. Alcohol alters the chemicals in your brain, including the part associated with inhibition.
 
Men drink more excessively than women. Excessive drinking is linked with significant risks to men's health. The risks increase as the amount of alcohol intake increases. If you drink, you probably had some experience, from the warm buzz that quickly kicks into the wine headache or the hangover that happened the following day. However, these effects don't last long; you might not worry much, especially if you don't drink often.
 
Drinking any amount of alcohol may potentially lead to undesirable health issues. Those who binge drink or drink heavily may have more health effects sooner. However, alcohol also poses risks for people who drink in moderation.

Photo by Kevin Kelly on Unsplash

Short term effects of alcohol

Short-term effects you might notice while drinking alcohol (or shortly after) are:

• Lowered inhibitions
• A sense of euphoria
• Feelings of relaxation or drowsiness 
• Changes in mood
• Impulsive behaviour
• Slowed or slurred speech
• Nausea and vomiting 
• Diarrhoea 
• Changes in vision, hearing, and perception
• Loss of coordination
• Loss of consciousness 
• Trouble focusing or making decisions
• Head pain 

 
These effects may not last long, but that doesn't make them insignificant. Impulsiveness, loss of coordination, and mood changes may affect your judgment and behaviour and contribute to more far-reaching effects, like accidents, injuries, and decisions you later regret.

Appearance and weight gain

​Drinking alcohol adds to the overall calories you consume daily from everything you eat and drink. However, calories from alcohol are empty calories, and they have little nutritional benefit. Therefore, consuming extra calories through drinking alcohol lead to weight gain.
 
Different alcoholic drinks have other calories, and most are high in sugar. So a pint of lager contains the same calories as a pizza slice or a large wine glass, the same as an ice cream sundae. Alcohol also replaces the amount of fat your body uses for energy. However, as you can't store alcohol, your body prioritises its metabolism over absorbing nutrients and burning fat.
 
Men show weight gain around their middle, which is how the term 'beer belly' arises. Fat around the centre of our bodies is harmful as it is directly on the organs inside your abdomen (belly), including the liver. Weight gain from any cause, including drinking, as well as alcohol's effect on men's hormones, may also show around the chest in men, causing the breasts to get bigger. This is often referred to as a man's boobs.
 
All alcoholic drinks are calorific; the more we drink, the more likely we'll gain weight.

Liver damage and pancreatitis

The liver breaks down and removes toxins and harmful substances like alcohol from the body. Unfortunately, long-term alcohol use interferes with this process. It also increases the risk for chronic inflammation and alcohol-related liver disease:
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• Alcohol-related liver disease is a potentially life-threatening condition that results in toxins and waste buildup in the body.
• Chronic liver inflammation may cause scarring or cirrhosis. When scar tissue forms, it can permanently damage the liver.

​When it comes to processing the alcohol you drink, your liver does most of the work. But, of course, it's not invincible, and years of dealing with large amounts of alcohol may eventually lead to cirrhosis. It is a severe form of liver damage that prevents it from working correctly. While cirrhosis doesn't always cause symptoms in the early stages, you should see a doctor if you notice symptoms like:

• Tiredness
• Nausea
• Poor appetite
• Lack of sex drive
• Yellow, itchy skin
• Very dark poo
• Coughing up blood
• Swelling in your legs or stomach

 
Cirrhosis can't be cured, but treatment may slow the damage down. Too much intake of alcohol over time can cause inflammation of the pancreas, ending in pancreatitis. Pancreatitis may activate and release pancreatic digestive enzymes, which cause abdominal pain. Pancreatitis may become a long-term condition and cause serious complications.

Sugar levels
The pancreas regulates how the body uses insulin and responds to glucose. Suppose your pancreas and liver do not work correctly due to pancreatitis or liver disease. In that case, you may have low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.
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A damaged pancreas may also prevent the body from producing enough insulin to use sugar. This can lead to hypoglycemia or too much sugar in the blood.
 
Suppose your body can't manage and balance your blood sugar levels. In that case, you may experience more significant complications and side effects of diabetes. Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol if you have diabetes or hypoglycemia.

Effect on the circulatory system

​Chronic drinking may affect your heart and lungs, raising the risk of developing heart diseases.

Circulatory system complications are:

• Irregular heartbeat 
• Difficulty pumping blood through your body
• Stroke 
• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Heart failure 
• High blood pressure 
• Difficulty absorbing vitamins and minerals from food may cause fatigue and anaemia. In this condition, you have a low red blood cell count.

How does alcohol affect a man sexually?

Excessive alcohol use can intervene with testicular function and male hormone production. This interference results in erectile dysfunction and infertility. If you are sexually suffering from alcohol intake, you may buy Viagra pills.
 
Men who drink excessively have increased chances of risky sexual activity, like unprotected sex, having multiple partners, or sex with a partner with sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, men may lessen the amount of alcohol to reduce the risk of health problems and other harm.
 
Erectile dysfunction
​Drinking large amounts of alcohol may make it hard to get or keep an erection. It is called erectile dysfunction (ED). Alcohol intervenes with the brain's messengers, signalling the penis to get blood. It may also happen because alcohol reduces the production of testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone that controls male sexual functions.

Problems with orgasms
Alcohol interferes with your ability to feel sexual stimulation. It does this by interfering with the signals between the brain and the genitals.
After heavy drinking:

• Men may find it hard to ejaculate (come) or may ejaculate too quickly
• Women may find it harder to orgasm, or their orgasms may feel less intense

 
Sex drive (libido)
Drinking heavily over time can lead to a lower sex drive (libido). This is because it reduces your levels of testosterone.
 
Shrinking of sex organs
High-risk drinking over a long time may cause a man's testes and penis to shrink.
 
Fertility
Lowered testosterone can affect sperm production. This can reduce fertility. Women who drink heavily for a long time may find they stop ovulating. Even small amounts of alcohol can affect fertility.
 
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Alcohol lowers your inhibitions and affects your judgment. As a result, it increases your chances of having unprotected sex. Alcohol also puts you at risk of sexually transmitted infections.

Conclusion

Heavy alcohol intake reduces the body's natural immunity. A weaker immune system has a more challenging time protecting you from germs and viruses. Alcohol use may begin to take a toll on men's physical and mental well-being over time. These effects may be more severe and noticeable if you drink regularly and tend to drink more than moderately.


​Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post