How does alcohol harm the nerves?

The nervous system coordinates and controls all body activities. The central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, is mainly responsible. Many people often drink alcohol during meetings, festivals or year-end parties. However, excessive consumption of this alcoholic beverage can cause serious harm to health, especially the nervous system.

BS.CKII Doan Thi Huyen, Department of Stroke Neurology, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that when drinking alcohol, the ethanol in alcohol quickly enters the blood and directly affects the brain. Depending on the amount of alcohol, these effects may vary.

Slows down nerve conduction

Alcohol inhibits the activity of neurotransmitters such as glutamate and enhances the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This effect reduces information processing speed, causing drowsiness and loss of concentration.

Loss of control over behavior and emotions

Alcohol affects the prefrontal cortex, the area of ​​the brain responsible for decision making and behavioral control. Therefore, people who drink a lot of alcohol often tend to be aggressive, lose control of their anger, or make unwise decisions.

Memory loss

Drinking alcohol, especially high concentrations, can easily cause temporary memory loss (blackout). Alcohol disrupts the brain’s ability to form new memories, preventing the process of transferring memories from short-term to long-term storage, called memory consolidation. Drinking too much alcohol damages the hippocampus – the brain area mainly responsible for memory and learning, leading to short-term and long-term memory loss and difficulty absorbing new knowledge.

Damage to the peripheral nervous system

Alcohol damages peripheral nerves, causing alcoholic neuropathy. A summary of 87 studies published in the American Library of Medicine shows that the rate of peripheral neuropathy in chronic alcoholics is more than 46.3%. Symptoms of this condition include numbness, pain or pins and needles in the limbs, muscle weakness, loss of coordination, impaired ability to sense temperature and pain, and susceptibility to injury. In severe cases, alcoholic neuropathy can lead to paralysis.

According to Dr. Huyen, the negative effects of alcohol on the nervous system can lead to irreversible damage such as brain degeneration, memory disorders… Long-term use of alcohol also causes mental disorders. Serious mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, sleep disorders, alcohol-induced schizophrenia…

To limit the harmful effects of alcohol, each person should build a healthy lifestyle, including reducing alcohol consumption, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep. Regular health check-ups to detect abnormalities early and treat promptly.

Doctor Huyen recommends that during holidays or meeting friends, men should drink less than two units of alcohol and women less than one unit of alcohol a day. One standard unit of alcohol (10 g of pure alcohol) is equivalent to 3/4 of a bottle or a can of beer 330 ml (5%), a glass of wine 100 ml (13.5%), a glass of draft beer 330 ml or a 30 ml (40%) glass of brandy.

To reduce hangovers, eat well before drinking alcohol. Foods containing starch and lipids help slow down the absorption of alcohol into the body. After sobering up, supplement adequate nutrients to help your body recover quickly. Foods containing a lot of starch, sugar… support faster health recovery.