This past Sunday I was in Traffic School. Although we did not follow page by page on the handbook we were given, it was more of discussion on different points and traffic laws, there is some info we did not go over. It may be because it is obvious information or because we ran out of time, but I think it is still important to know this so here goes this info. This information is as found on the NTSI handbook we got.
How Alcohol Affects the Body Organs
Organs (Long-term effects)
Brain: Brain cells are altered and many die. Memory formation is blocked and the senses are dulled. In the long-term irreversible damage occurs.
Heart: Deterioration of the heart muscle can occur. Chronic heavy drinking increases the risk of myocardial disease and high blood pressure.
Stomach and Intestines: Alcohol consumption leads to gastric irritation and an eventual loss of part of the intestinal lining. The damaged intestine is less able to absorb lactose and certain nutrients, including thiamine and folic acid. A thiamine deficiency will affect the body's inability to replace worn-out body tissues.
Liver: The liver suffers more than any other organ. It filters most of the alcohol out of the blood stream and breaks it down. Because of its high caloric content alcohol displaces key nutrients sometimes causing malnutrition. Also, liver stores excess calories as fat. This is one of the earliest signs of alcoholic liver disease. Eventually the liver cells die, resulting in cirrhosis, a degeneration of the organ.
Other: Alcoholic males may experience shrunken testes, reduced testosterone levels and even impotence. Sustained drinking sometimes disrupts women's menstrual cycles and can render them infertile. Among expectant mothers, drinking can produce birth defects and cause mental retardation. Even the immune system's efficiency is reduced by alcohol. People who drink regularly increase their risk of developing cancer in the liver, mouth, esophagus, pancreas, intestine, prostate, and lung.
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