Digestive System
Alcohol use increases gastric secretions. Excess stomach acid can cause heartburn, ulcers, gastritis, and intestinal bleeding. Symptoms may include nausea, pain in the upper abdomen, morning sickness, and vomiting blood. Alcohol use also decreases the flow of pancreatic digestive enzymes, which can lead to acute or chronic pancreatitis.
Chronic, excessive drinking decreases gastric motility, thus slowing digestion. Alcohol use also increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach. It can also irritate the esophagus, causing swallowing problems. In addition, alcohol use can lead to diarrhea and vomiting, resulting in dehydration and nutritional deficiencies.
Alcohol use also causes a steep rise in blood sugar. The pancreas responds by producing insulin, which causes a fast drop in blood sugar. This sudden drop produces symptoms of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.
Most alcoholics suffer to some degree from hypoglycemia, chronic low blood sugar, as a long-term effect of their drinking. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches, difficulty concentrating, depression, anxiety, light-headedness, tremors, cold sweats, heart palpitations, loss of coordination, and upset stomach. In time, the drinker's overworked pancreas may stop producing insulin and diabetes can result. Conversely, a person with a family history of diabetes may be more vulnerable to problems with alcohol.