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The respiratory system main job is to move fresh air into your body while removing waste gases. Alcohol effects the respiratory because you are more likely to developed pneumonia, tuberculosis and respiratory viruses.

Website: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6361413/#:~:text=Alcohol%20ingestion%20impairs%20glottic%20reflexes,in%20respiratory%20failure%20from%20oversedation.

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Digesting food requires teamwork between the digestive system and other organ systems including the nervous system, cardiovascular, and muscular systems. How this system is effected when alcohol is used in the stomach alcohol interferes with gastric acid secretion and the activity surrounding the stomach.

Website:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6826790/#:~:text=In%20the%20stomach%2C%20alcohol%20interferes,diarrhea%20frequently%20observed%20in%20alcoholics.

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According to healthline.com "By default, alcohol makes it harder for the immune system to gear up and defend the body against harmful germs."

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/can-alcohol-hurt-your-immune-system-during-covid-19-outbreak#:~:text=By%20default%2C%20alcohol%20makes%20it,serious%20infections%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Dr.

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Even a couple of drinks can make a person urinate more. Normally an average person would pee 4-6 times a day but this number can increase after some drinking. You can get urinary tract infection which can make you feel like you need to pee even when you don't.

https://www.molicare.au/advice-and-support/managing-your-incontinence/alcohol-and-the-impact-it-has-on-your-bladder-and-bowels#:~:text=Alcohol%20and%20the%20bladder,probably%20ramp%20up%20pretty%20quickly.

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Alcohol and the bladder

Alcohol is a powerful diuretic, and this means that even a few drinks can increase your urine production, and the frequency at which you need to pass urine. You have likely experienced this at the pub after a few drinks! Your urge to use the toilet will probably ramp up pretty quickly. Normally you empty your bladder 4 to 6 times per day, and you should be careful to empty it completely in order to prevent bladder and kidney infections. Ideally, you should drink enough water so that your urine is clear. However, when you drink alcohol, the excess urine production can lead to dehydration and much more concentrated urine. It is not uncommon for this urine to appear dark yellow, or even brown in colour.
Alcohol and the urinary tract and kidney infections
What's the problem with concentrated urine? It can wreak havoc on your urinary tract. Concentrated urine sits in the bladder, and it can cause irritation and inflammation in the lining of your bladder. You are far more likely to develop a urinary tract infection if your urine is concentrated, which can also spread to your kidneys.

Urinary tract infections (often called bladder infections) cause the urethra and bladder to spasm, leading to a burning and painful feeling, as well as the feeling that you need to empty your bladder (even when it is empty). You will also notice that your urine is cloudy, dark and smelly. These infections can also cause headaches, back pain, fever and general malaise. Cystitis is one of the symptoms of a bladder infection and it causes the inflammation and swelling of the lining in your bladder. You might feel sharp pain, see blood in your urine, and experience increased urgency or frequency.

These issues can really damage your quality of life, and prevent you from travelling, socialising, and a healthy sexuality. The best prevention for urinary tract infections is to drink a lot of water and clear fluids; you should also avoid the excessive consumption of alcohol.
Alcohol and bladder control issues
If you suffer from any kind of bladder control issue, it is a good idea to watch your alcohol intake. Beer, wine, spirits and all other alcoholic beverages can act as a bladder stimulant, and ultimately lead to incontinence.

Your over stimulated bladder will make you need to urinate far more often than usual; for people with incontinence paired with other physical issues, they may not be able to make it to the toilet in time.
Unintentional leakage
Although alcohol is defined as a "depressant," most people who drink in moderation consume it more for relaxation and its stimulant effect. But this can become problematic when it comes to urinary incontinence, as alcohol can also lead to the relaxation of the bladder muscles, thereby possibly inducing unintentional leakage.

This can especially be a problem if you usually get up in the night to use the toilet - if you have consumed a lot of alcohol and 'passed out' you likely won't get the signal that wakes you. It is not uncommon for people with leakage problems to wet the bed if they go to bed after having many alcoholic drinks. If this is the case, the individual should certainly cut down on their drinking, and use incontinence pads when they do imbibe before bedtime.
Impaired signals
Alcohol consumption can also cause the brain to send impaired signals to the rest of the body, confusing you as to when you need to go. This might mean that you think you need to use the toilet only to get there and find you don't, but it is much more likely that you won't get the warning you need to prevent an accident.

Alcohol and your bowels

Alcohol can cause either constipation or diarrhoea in different people, and sometimes one right after another for others!

Alcohol consumption and diarrhoea

Consuming alcohol can cause irritation and inflammation in the gut, which can in turn cause diarrhoea. Not only does diarrhoea make you feel exhausted and terrible, it can really damage your stomach lining and sap your body of important nutrients.

Alcohol irritates the delicate nature of your digestive tract, and can worsen your diarrhoea. It has been proven that this phenomenon most often occurs with wine, which can destroy the helpful bacteria found in the intestines. We're not suggesting that you give up your beloved glass of red wine with a fine meal, but don't overindulge on a regular basis.

Many people tend to find that alcohol affects them more when they have not eaten a solid meal, and this makes complete sense.

When you drink a beverage while eating food, the alcohol has a buffer. When the alcohol and food reaches your stomach, it is absorbed into your blood via the walls of your stomach. The food slows down the intoxicating effects of the alcohol. However, if you haven't eaten any food with your alcohol, the booze travels immediately to your small intestine and then passes more quickly into your bloodstream. This is why you feel much more intoxicated at a much quicker rate.

After most or all of the alcohol has been absorbed into the bloodstream, you will then excrete the rest through defecation and urination. When you defecate, your colon muscles move and spasm (peristalsis) in order to push the stool from the body. Alcohol causes these contractions to speed up, preventing your colon from absorbing water, resulting in watery diarrhoea.

Alcohol consumption and constipation

By now, you might assume that alcohol causes only diarrhoea, but it can also do the exact opposite. As you already know, alcohol can cause dehydration, slowing down your bowel motility.

It can seem a bit confusing to understand why alcohol dehydrates you - after all, beer is mostly water! So is a tall vodka soda - so what gives?

Well, when you drink a beer (or any alcoholic beverage), you urinate and defecate out the amount of water in the beer, plus more. The alcohol messes with the water levels in your body, preventing your pituitary gland from producing ADH (Anti Diuretic Hormone), something that prevents you from urinating. Alcohol stimulates your kidneys to produce even more urine, and you get dehydrated.
Peristalsis
We have already mentioned the contractions in your small intestine and bowel that cause you to have a bowel movement. Peristalsis is necessary in order to effectively propel food through the digestive tract. As alcohol is a depressant, it dampens the nerves needed to cause the process to happen. Chronic drinkers will find that they will experience constipation far more often than those who avoid overconsumption.

When you are drinking you are often more tempted to treat yourself with fatty fried foods, high carb meals and decadent sweets - all of which can lead to constipation (and/or diarrhoea) on their own. If you are planning to have a few drinks, make sure you eat a healthy meal beforehand. A stomach full of wholesome food will prevent the alcohol from absorbing too quickly into your bloodstream. Ideally, it will also prevent you from pigging out on junk food!
The bacteria in our gut
Our gut bacteria may be minuscule, but they are incredibly important when it comes to how you look and feel. While some alcohol can have positive effects on pathogenic bacteria (wine can combat and kill H. pylori ), it also destroys the positive bacteria as well. Without a solid amount of good bacteria, you end up with gut problems, soft tissue inflammation and poor digestion. Even a small amount of alcohol can throw these levels off, and lead to chronic constipation.
Alcohol and Bowel Conditions
For those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's Disease or ulcers, alcohol can cause a huge uptick in symptoms. Alcohol is particularly nasty for people with diarrhoea caused by IBS, and it can trigger an attack that can last for days. The body views the alcohol as a caustic substance, and for those with IBS the results can be prolonged and painful. In addition to causing problems for people with existing bowel and bladder problems, alcohol greatly increases one's risk of developing bowel cancer. One of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australia, almost 16,000 estimated new cases of bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) in 2022. [1]

While causes and factors that can lead to a diagnosis of bowel cancer are varied, increased alcohol consumption is one of the most commonly cited causes. If you are a heavy regular drinker, you are putting yourself at risk of cancer.
Summary
Whether you are prone to incontinence or simply want to prevent it from developing, it is a good idea to limit your alcohol consumption to a sensible amount.

Follow the Australian Department of Health's guidelines about reducing risks from drinking alcohol , and speak to your GP if you have any concerns.

Medical Advice Disclaimer / DISCLAIMER: This website does not provide medical advice.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

References

1. https://www.canceraustralia.gov.au/cancer-types/bowel-cancer/statistics

2. https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/alcohol/about-alcohol/how-much-alcohol-is-safe-to-drink

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How alcohol affects your bladder and bowels | molicare.au

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In this guide, learn about the impact that alcohol can have on your bladder and bowel and the link to incontinence. Read more.

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How does alcohol affect the circulatory system?

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How does alcohol affect the circulatory system?

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If you consume too much alcohol it damages the receptors in the blood vessels closest to the heart. When this happens it is harder for your body to keep a healthy blood pressure.

Website:

https://alcoholthinkagain.com.au/alcohol-and-your-health/long-term-health-effects/cardiovascular-disease#:~:text=Alcohol%20impacts%20receptors%20in%20blood,factor%20for%20high%20blood%20pressure).

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If you consume too much alcohol it can damage your live organ. It damages it by slowly killing cells the more you consume alcohol.

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About alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) refers to liver damage caused by excess alcohol intake. There are several stages of severity and a range of associated symptoms.

ARLD doesn't usually cause any symptoms until the liver has been severely damaged. When this happens, symptoms can include:

feeling sick

weight loss

loss of appetite

yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)

swelling in the ankles and tummy

confusion or drowsiness

vomiting blood or passing blood in your stools

This means ARLD is frequently diagnosed during tests for other conditions, or at a stage of advanced liver damage.

If you regularly drink alcohol to excess, tell your GP so they can check if your liver is damaged.

Read more about:

Alcohol and the liver

With the exception of the brain, the liver is the most complex organ in the body. Its functions include:

filtering toxins from the blood

aiding digestion of food

regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels

helping fight infection and disease

The liver is very resilient and capable of regenerating itself. Each time your liver filters alcohol, some of the liver cells die.

The liver can develop new cells, but prolonged alcohol misuse (drinking too much) over many years can reduce its ability to regenerate. This can result in serious and permanent damage to your liver.

ARLD is very common in the UK - the number of people with the condition has been increasing over the last few decades as a result of increasing levels of alcohol misuse.

Read more about the causes of ARLD.

Stages of ARLD

There are 3 main stages of ARLD, although there's often an overlap between each stage. These stages are explained below.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease

Drinking a large amount of alcohol, even for just a few days, can lead to a build-up of fats in the liver. This is called alcoholic fatty liver disease, and is the first stage of ARLD.

Fatty liver disease rarely causes any symptoms, but it's an important warning sign that you're drinking at a harmful level.

Fatty liver disease is reversible. If you stop drinking alcohol for 2 weeks, your liver should return to normal.

Alcoholic hepatitis

Alcoholic hepatitis - which is unrelated to infectious hepatitis - is a potentially serious condition that can be caused by alcohol misuse over a longer period. When this develops, it may be the first time a person is aware they're damaging their liver through alcohol.

Less commonly, alcoholic hepatitis can occur if you drink a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time (binge drinking).

The liver damage associated with mild alcoholic hepatitis is usually reversible if you stop drinking permanently.

Severe alcoholic hepatitis, however, is a serious and life-threatening illness. Many people die from the condition each year in the UK, and some people only find out they have liver damage when their condition reaches this stage.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a stage of ARLD where the liver has become significantly scarred. Even at this stage, there may not be any obvious symptoms.

It's generally not reversible, but stopping drinking alcohol immediately can prevent further damage and significantly increase your life expectancy.

A person who has alcohol-related cirrhosis and doesn't stop drinking has a less than 50% chance of living for at least 5 more years.

How ARLD is treated

There's currently no specific medical treatment for ARLD. The main treatment is to stop drinking, preferably for the rest of your life. This reduces the risk of further damage to your liver and gives it the best chance of recovering.

If a person is dependent on alcohol, stopping drinking can be very difficult. However, support, advice and medical treatment may be available through local alcohol support services.

A liver transplant may be required in severe cases where the liver has stopped functioning and doesn't improve when you stop drinking alcohol.

You'll only be considered for a liver transplant if you've developed complications of cirrhosis, despite having stopped drinking. All liver transplant units require a person to not drink alcohol while awaiting the transplant, and for the rest of their life.

Read more about treating ARLD.

Complications

Death rates linked to ARLD have risen considerably over the last few decades. Alcohol is now one of the most common causes of death in the UK, along with smoking and high blood pressure.

Life-threatening complications of ARLD include:

internal (variceal) bleeding

build-up of toxins in the brain (encephalopathy)

fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites) with associated kidney failure

liver cancer

Read more about the complications of ARLD.

Preventing ARLD

The most effective way to prevent ARLD is to stop drinking alcohol or stick to the low-risk drinking guidelines.

Even if you've been a heavy drinker for many years, reducing or stopping your alcohol intake will have important short- and long-term benefits for your liver and overall health.

Read our drinking and alcohol pages for more information and advice.

Symptoms of alcohol-related liver disease

In many cases, people with alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) don't have any noticeable symptoms until their liver is badly damaged.

Early symptoms

If you do experience early symptoms of ARLD, these are often quite vague, such as:

Advanced symptoms

As the liver becomes more severely damaged, more obvious and serious symptoms can develop, such as:

yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)

swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, due to a build-up of fluid (oedema)

swelling in your abdomen, due to a build-up of fluid known as ascites

a high temperature (fever) and shivering attacks

very itchy skin

hair loss

unusually curved fingertips and nails (clubbed fingers)

blotchy red palms

significant weight loss

weakness and muscle wasting

confusion and memory problems, trouble sleeping (insomnia) and changes in your personality due to a build-up of toxins in the brain

vomiting blood and black, tarry stools due to internal bleeding

a tendency to bleed and bruise more easily, such as frequent nosebleeds and bleeding gums

increased sensitivity to alcohol and drugs (because the liver can't process them)

When to seek medical advice

ARLD doesn't often cause symptoms until it's reached an advanced stage. If you misuse alcohol, you may have liver damage, even though you have none of these symptoms.

Read about alcohol misuse (drinking too much).

Contact your GP for advice if you have a history of regular alcohol misuse.

A good way to assess your history and pattern of drinking is to use a short test known as the CAGE test, which consists of 4 questions:

Have you ever thought you should cut down on your drinking?

Have people annoyed you by criticising your drinking?

Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?

Have you ever drunk an 'eye-opener', which means: have you ever drunk alcohol first thing in the morning to get over a hangover and steady your nerves?

If you answer yes to 1 or more of the questions, you may have an alcohol problem and are advised to see your GP.

See your GP as soon as possible if you have symptoms of advanced ARLD.

Read more about how ARLD is diagnosed.

Causes of alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is caused by drinking too much alcohol. The more you drink above the recommended limits, the higher your risk of developing ARLD.

There are 2 ways alcohol misuse (drinking too much) can cause ARLD. These are:

drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time (binge drinking) can cause fatty liver disease and, less commonly, alcoholic hepatitis

drinking more than the recommended limits of alcohol over many years can cause hepatitis and cirrhosis, the more serious types of ARLD

Evidence suggests people who regularly drink more than the recommended maximum amounts are most at risk of developing ARLD.

Read more about alcohol units and how to calculate them.

Additional factors

As well as drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, other factors can increase your chances of developing ARLD. These include:

being overweight or obese

being female - women appear to be more vulnerable than men to the harmful effects of alcohol

having a pre-existing liver condition, such as hepatitis C

genetics - alcohol dependence and problems processing alcohol often run in families

Diagnosing alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is often first suspected when tests for other medical conditions show a damaged liver.

This is because the condition causes few obvious symptoms in the early stages.

If a doctor suspects ARLD, they'll usually arrange a blood test to check how well your liver is working. They may also ask about your alcohol consumption.

It's important to be totally honest about how much and how often you drink alcohol to avoid further unnecessary testing. This could lead to a delay in the treatment you need.

Blood tests

Blood tests used to assess the liver are known as liver function tests. However, liver function tests can be normal at many stages of liver disease.

Blood tests can also detect if you have low levels of certain substances, such as a protein called serum albumin, which is made by the liver. A low level of serum albumin suggests your liver isn't functioning properly.

A blood test may also look for signs of abnormal blood clotting, which can indicate significant liver damage.

Lab Tests Online has more information on liver function tests.

Further testing

If your symptoms or liver function test suggest an advanced form of ARLD - either alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis - you may need further tests.

Imaging tests

Scans may be needed to produce detailed images of your liver. This may include:

Some scans may also measure the stiffness of the liver, which is a good indication of whether your liver is scarred.

Liver biopsy

During a liver biopsy, a fine needle is inserted into your body (usually between your ribs). A small sample of liver cells is taken and sent to a laboratory to be examined under a microscope.

The biopsy is usually carried out under local anaesthetic, either as a day case or with an overnight stay in hospital.

Specialist doctors will examine the liver biopsy tissue under the microscope to determine the degree of scarring in the liver and the cause of the damage.

Endoscopy

An endoscope is a long, thin, flexible tube with a light and a video camera at one end. During an endoscopy, the instrument is passed down your oesophagus (the long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach) and into your stomach.

Pictures of your oesophagus and stomach are transmitted to an external screen. The doctor will be looking for swollen veins (varices), which are a sign of cirrhosis.

Treating alcohol-related liver disease

Successful treatment for alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) often depends on whether someone is willing to stop drinking alcohol and make changes to their lifestyle.

Stopping drinking alcohol

Treatment for ARLD involves stopping drinking alcohol. This is known as abstinence, which can be vital, depending on what stage the condition is at.

If you have fatty liver disease, the damage may be reversed if you abstain from alcohol for at least 2 weeks. After this point, it's usually safe to start drinking again if you stick to the NHS guidelines on alcohol consumption.

If you have a more serious form of ARLD - alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis - life-long abstinence is recommended. This is because stopping drinking is the only way to prevent your liver damage getting worse and potentially stop you dying of liver disease.

Stopping drinking isn't easy, especially as an estimated 70% of people with ARLD have an alcohol dependency problem.

Nevertheless, if you have alcohol-related cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis and don't stop drinking, no medical or surgical treatment can prevent liver failure.

Withdrawal symptoms

If you're abstaining from alcohol, you may suffer withdrawal symptoms. These will be at their worst for the first 48 hours, but should start to improve as your body adjusts to being without alcohol. This usually takes 3 to 7 days from the time of your last drink.

Many people initially experience disturbed sleep when abstaining from alcohol, but in most cases their sleep pattern returns to normal within a month.

In some cases, you may be advised to reduce your alcohol intake in a gradual and planned way to help avoid withdrawal problems. You may also be offered a medication called a benzodiazepine and psychological therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), to help you through the withdrawal process.

Some people need to stay in hospital or a specialist rehabilitation clinic during the initial withdrawal phases, so their progress can be closely monitored.

If you're staying at home, you'll regularly see a nurse or other health professional. You might see them at home, at your GP surgery or at a specialist NHS service.

Preventing relapses

Once you've stopped drinking, you may need further treatment to help ensure you don't start drinking again.

The first treatment usually offered is psychological therapy. This involves seeing a therapist to talk about your thoughts and feelings, and how these affect your behaviour and wellbeing.

If psychological therapy alone isn't effective, you may also need medication to help you abstain from alcohol, such as:

Read our page on treating alcohol misuse for more information on the treatments offered.

Self-help groups

Many people with alcohol dependence find it useful to attend self-help groups to help them stop drinking. One of the most well-known is Alcoholics Anonymous, but there are many other groups that can help.

Read the alcohol support page for more information about the help available.

Diet and nutrition

Malnutrition is common in people with ARLD, so it's important to eat a balanced diet to help ensure you get all the nutrients you need.

Avoiding salty foods and not adding salt to foods you eat can reduce your risk of developing swelling in your legs, feet and abdomen (tummy) caused by a build-up of fluid.

The damage to your liver can also mean it's unable to store glycogen - a carbohydrate that provides short-term energy. When this happens, the body uses its own muscle tissue to provide energy between meals, which leads to muscle wasting and weakness. Therefore, you may need extra energy and protein in your diet.

Healthy snacking between meals can top up your calories and protein. It may also be helpful to eat 3 or 4 small meals a day, rather than 1 or 2 large meals.

Your GP can advise you on a suitable diet or, in some cases, refer you to a dietitian.

In the most serious cases of malnutrition, nutrients may need to be provided through a feeding tube inserted through the nose and into the stomach.

Medication for symptoms

The use of medication to directly treat ARLD is controversial. Many experts have argued there's limited evidence for its effectiveness.

For people with severe alcoholic hepatitis, treatment in hospital may be necessary. Specific treatment with corticosteroids or pentoxifylline medication may be used to reduce inflammation of the liver in some people with this condition.

Nutritional support is also an important part of treatment in these cases.

Other medications that have been used to treat liver damage include:

anabolic steroids (a more powerful type of steroid medication)

ropylthiouracil (a type of medicine originally designed to treat overactive thyroid glands)

However, there's a lack of good evidence that these help and they're no longer used for severe alcoholic hepatitis.

Liver transplants

In the most serious cases of ARLD, the liver loses its ability to function, leading to liver failure. A liver transplant is currently the only way to cure irreversible liver failure.

A liver transplant may be considered if:

you develop progressive liver failure, despite not drinking alcohol

you're otherwise well enough to survive such an operation

you commit to not drinking alcohol for the rest of your life

Complications of alcohol-related liver disease

A number of serious complications can develop if you have alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD).

Portal hypertension and varices

Portal hypertension is a common complication of cirrhosis and, less commonly, alcoholic hepatitis. It occurs when the blood pressure inside your liver has risen to a potentially serious level.

When the liver becomes severely scarred, it's harder for blood to move through it. This leads to an increase in the pressure of blood around the intestines.

The blood must also find a new way to return to your heart. It does this by opening up new blood vessels, usually along the lining of your stomach or oesophagus (the long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach). These new blood vessels are known as varices.

If the blood pressure rises to a certain level, it can become too high for the varices to cope with, causing the walls of the varices to split and bleed.

This can cause long-term bleeding, which can lead to anaemia.

Alternatively, the bleeding can be rapid and massive, causing you to vomit blood and pass stools that are very dark or tar-like.

Split varices can be treated by using an endoscope to locate the varices. A tiny band can then be used to seal the base of the varices.

Ascites

A person with portal hypertension may also develop a build-up of fluid in their abdomen (tummy) and around the intestines. This fluid is known as ascites.

Initially, this can be treated with water tablets (diuretics). If the problem progresses, many litres of fluid can build up, which needs to be drained. This is a procedure known as paracentesis and involves a long, thin tube being placed into the fluid through the skin under local anaesthetic.

One of the problems associated with the development of ascites is the risk of infection in the fluid (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis). This is a potentially very serious complication and is linked to an increased risk of kidney failure and death.

Hepatic encephalopathy

One of the most important functions of the liver is to remove toxins from your blood. If the liver is unable to do this due to hepatitis or cirrhosis, the levels of toxins in the blood increase. A high level of toxins in the blood due to liver damage is known as hepatic encephalopathy.

Symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy include:

agitation

confusion

disorientation

muscle stiffness

muscle tremors

difficulty speaking

in very serious cases, a coma

Hepatic encephalopathy may require hospital admission. In hospital, body functions are supported and medication is used to remove toxins from the blood.

Liver cancer

Liver damage due to heavy drinking over many years can also increase your risk of developing liver cancer.

Over the past few decades, rates of liver cancer in the UK have risen sharply due to increased levels of alcohol misuse. It's estimated that, every year, 3-5% of people with cirrhosis will develop liver cancer.

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Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is liver damage caused by excess alcohol intake. Learn about ARLD symptoms and treatments.

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The muscular system can be affected because if you consume too much alcohol it can slowly break down your muscle tissue over time.

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/health-complications-addiction/muscular-system