Pancreas Essay

The pancreas is a vital organ that lies in the upper abdomen, behind your stomach. It works closely with the liver and ducts that carry bile. The pancreas releases enzymes that help you digest food, especially fats and protein. The pancreas also secretes hormones that help manage your blood sugar.

4) The general effects of alcohol on the brain are blurred vision, weakened motor skills, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times and impaired memory. In the liver alcohol causes fat deposits to develop in the liver and cause inflammation even eventually liver disease. Similarly, in the pancreas prolonged use can cause inflammation which yields vomiting, fever, weight loss, and is potentially fatal. Lastly, in the kidneys alcohol can increase the risk of high blood pressure developing in chronic kidney disease.

The pathophysiology of Alcohol affects virtually every organ system in the body. Therefore, consuming to much alcohol in high

“Each year, acute pancreatitis sends more than 200,000 Americans to the hospital. Many of those who suffer from pancreatic problems are also heavy drinkers” (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact Your Health” 15). The pancreas is an important organ which aids in digestions and energy conversion. The pancreas directs enzymes to the small intestine to digest nutrients and it also secretes insulin and glucagon. The body’s main source of energy is glucose and insulin allows additional glucose to be stored away in the body properly. Too much alcohol damages cells in the pancreas, causing complications with insulin, leaving the organ open to inflammation. Alcohol causes the pancreas to discharge the enzymes intended for the small intestine back into the pancreas which can lead to inflammation and the swelling of tissues and blood vessels. Pancreatitis is the inflammation which causes the organ to malfunction and if one continues to drink, it can magnify into chronic pancreatitis when the inflammation is constant (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact Your Health” 15-16). Pancreatitis causing severe abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, and is not curable. Sixty-percent of circumstances result from alcohol; although, some have been linked to gallstones (Freeman).

Drinking can cause a person to have a complete personality change and become violent or hostile after drinking. They may also become irritable or panicky during times when a drink is expected. An alcoholic may drink to the point of black out; this is where they don’t remember what they’ve done or said that happened during a bout of drinking. A definite red flag for alcoholism is when a person has to have to drink in the morning when they first wake up.

It has long been known by researchers that the overconsumption of alcohol can lead to intestinal dysbiosis, which is when the amount of bad bacteria in the gut rises and good bacteria diminishes. Bernd Schnabl, a research gastroenterologist at the University of

After alcohol reaches the brain, it numbs the frontal lobe, which has direct control over the judgment, visual perception and decision making skills. Scientists believe this is what makes alcoholics believe they can conquer any task put before them. After drinking a good number of drinks everyday over a long period of time, many things can happen. Cirrhosis of the liver can occur, which means the liver tissues become hardened. Scientists also report that irreversible brain damage can occur before cirrhosis of the liver is even detected. Also, cancer of the liver, mouth, esophagus as well as lungs and pancreatic cancer often occur as a result of alcoholism. Alcohol also has an affect on the mind as well as the body. Alcoholics often report that they feel inferior to people and believe they can do anything. Many people believe that alcohol acts as a "social lubricant." Increased social pleasures, assertiveness talkativeness and even happiness are all expected by many, when they drink in these situations. Alcohol is said to reduce tension and anxiety. This in turn allows drinkers to feel more relaxed and comfortable in social situations. However, this also encourages the drinker to drink more when under more stress.

Alcohol consumption affects the nervous system in many different ways. In a more broad statement, alcohol affects the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, autonomic nervous system, motor nerves, and sensory nerves. The Public Health Agency notes that, after drinking alcohol, it enters the bloodstream within about 10 minutes. Alcohol affects the brain before any other part of the body. Alcohol causes the brain to start to dull certain parts. Drinking will first impair judgement. Drinking alcohol not only affects many

Alcohol consumption leads to much damage to the body. Damage to the body depends on how much alcohol one is drinking, size, age, gender and other ways. The way alcohol goes into ones body is the same for everyone. It goes into the body by first, through the stomach and small intestine. After, going through the stomach and small intestine it goes into the blood stream, and towards ones body organs such as the liver, brain, heart, and others. According to NIH(2012), “Alcohol is metabolized in the liver” (p. 1). The liver is what cleans and also removes toxins from the blood. Ethanol, the intoxicating substance will now be inside ones liver when consuming it. Once someone keeps on consuming alcohol overtime, it can lead to liver failure and it will also not be able to metabolize alcohol anymore. This then can lead to diseases such as cirrhosis, cancer, and others. Next, the brain is one of the most important organs of the body. This is because the way someone can be considered dead is by being brain dead. According to NIH(2012), “Alcohol can damage the parts of the brain that control ones memory, speech, and movement. It can also damage the brain by shrinking frontal lobes, which is in charge of thinking, memory, personality and more” (p. 1). Moving on to the heart, the organ assosicated with the number one leading cause of death in the United States. Alcohol

First of all, alcohol is a depressant, in other words it controls how slow your body functions. It could alter with a person’s movement, emotions, and vision. Alcohol impedes messages that your brain is trying to receive. You are more relaxed depending on how much you drink. The more you drink the more intoxicated you are and the more sick feeling you could get. Depending on the person, you could either be an angry, friendly or maybe a sad drunk, making you act not yourself. When you drink, you react to things slower, that’s why people should not drive intoxicated. Consuming too much alcohol in a short period of time can have a result of alcohol poisoning; the first symptom is usually vomiting. Resulting more symptoms such as extreme fatigue, difficulty breathing, low blood sugar, unconsciousness, or even death. Furthermore, there are aftereffects, known as a hangover, in other terms, it’s what happens after heavy drinking. An alcohol withdrawal can usually happen after just four or five drinks to get a hangover, which typically happens several hours after your last drink. These symptoms include headaches, nausea, fatigue, muscle pain, or mild anxiety. “When teenagers do use alcohol they may not just be affecting their brain for that night or weekend, but for the next 80 years of their life.” (“Henry Wechsler, PhD and Bernice Wuethrich”).

Chronic abuse can cause serious health problems like liver disease, phsyciatric problems, social problems, increased risk of cancer, or heart disease. Alcoholics that frequently drink tend to gain a tolerance.

Heavy drinkers may develop a tolerance or ?immunity? to certain amounts of alcohol. That said- the more often you drink, the more you can handle next time. The human body recognizes alcohol as a foreign substance and will use every method possible to

hallucinations along with loss of control of muscular functioning. When this condition develops and the alcoholic slows their drinking, withdrawal

Alcohol is considered a food as well as a liquid because it contains calories but these are considered empty calories because there is no positive use that the body can get out of it. Alcohol though is very different in the sense that it is not digested like other foods. Normal foods are processed and carried into cells and tissues to be used as energy. Alcohol on the other hand goes directly into the bloodstream. It is absorbed mostly through the small

Some people may think: 'it's only one glass, it's not that bad' However, ethanol enters your body in 5-10 minutes, meaning you still will get slower in your movements, even if just by a little bit.