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How Alcohol Can Affect Your Immune System

The symptoms of a COVID-19 infection are very similar to many cold and flu viruses. Examples of common viruses include the common cold, influenza, and pneumonia. Symptoms may also be mistaken for that of other respiratory illnesses such as tuberculosis or coeliac disease. Ensure that after your recovery finishes, you stay away from drugs and alcohol altogether. In that case, there’s a good chance people will give you gifts at your leaving party and even think it’s OK for you to drink alcohol during the day due to celebrations. If you drink regularly, you are at higher risk of developing an ulcer in the lining of the stomach or esophagus, or even cancer within either area.

does alcohol weaken your immune system

Women are less vulnerable to infections because they have higher levels of estrogen during their pre-menopausal years, which helps the body boost the immune system and fight disease. The frequency at which a person drinks also determines how much it affects the immune system. A person who drinks every day is more likely to have a weakened immune system and experience health complications than someone who rarely drinks or only drinks on occasion. Heavy drinking is more likely to affect a person’s immune system than moderate drinking. Women drinking fewer than two drinks at a time and men drinking fewer than three drinks at a time is considered moderate drinking. Alcohol’s effect on the immune system can also affect cancer recovery.

Decreasing Risk for People With Addiction

As you can see, alcohol does affect the body’s ability to fight off infections such as COVID-19 and reduce the efficacy of the vaccine itself. The facts are worrying, but you can make a positive change in your drinking habits if you know https://curiousmindmagazine.com/selecting-the-most-suitable-sober-house-for-addiction-recovery/ the consequences. Alcohol is known to cause inflammation in the body, leading to an immune deficiency. Drinking alcohol to excess weakens your immune system and makes you more prone to COVID-19, and it also lengthens its duration.

does alcohol weaken your immune system

This can lead to other unpleasant effects and cause discomfort or medical problems. Please also list any non-financial associations or interests (personal, professional, political, institutional, religious or other) that a reasonable reader would want to know about in relation to the submitted work. This pertains to all the authors of the piece, their spouses or partners. But when you’ve ingested too much alcohol for your liver to process in a timely manner, the toxic substance begins to take its toll on your body, starting with your liver. “The oxidative metabolism of alcohol generates molecules that inhibit fat oxidation in the liver and, subsequently, can lead to a condition known as fatty liver,” says Dr. Menon. Your liver detoxifies and removes alcohol from the blood through a process known as oxidation.

How your liver breaks down alcohol in your body

Excessive drinking reduces the number and function of three important kinds of cells in your immune system–macrophages, T and C cells. They eat anything that’s not supposed to be there, including cancerous cells, and they sound the alarm if pathogens are present. They are the reason vaccines work and why you can’t get chicken pox twice.

  • When the symptoms have been evaluated by a mental health professional, it may be determined that another form of mental condition is present and needs a particular type of treatment.
  • First, it’s important to know that the microbes living in your intestines, your gut’s microbiome, plays an important role in fighting diseases.
  • To this end, one study analyzed IL-10, IL-6, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels in 25 non-treating seeking heavy drinkers after they had consumed an alcoholic drink.

You may be more likely to get serious lung infections, such as pneumonia. The United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that more than 88,000 people pass away in the country each year as a result of alcohol-related causes. In addition, alcohol remains one of the most avoidable causes of death in the country, right behind tobacco, a bad diet, and a sedentary lifestyle. Invading germs and microorganisms enter the body through different entry points, such as the nostrils or a cut on the skin’s surface.

How Long Does It Take Your Immune System To Heal After Alcohol Abuse?

Cut down on your alcohol consumption over time, take it slow, and always seek a doctor who can advise you on how best to do so. Since prolonged exposure to a virus such as COVID-19 (including those addicted to alcohol) can spread infections in healthy people and those with immune deficiency, this activity is risky. Your risk of developing alcohol addiction increases with every drink you consume. Alcohol makes you feel pleasure by releasing dopamine, a hormone you produce when you accomplish something, such as eating or winning a race. This rush of dopamine can give you a “high” feeling that makes it enjoyable for some people to drink often. However, excessive drinking can decrease the production of T cells which results in a weaker immune system.

Also, long-term changes in immunity include the creation of inflammation, especially in the intestines. In the long run, it may lead to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Alcohol also impairs the inner lining of the lung, making it harder for the lungs to get rid of bacteria or viruses that could cause pneumonia.

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We offer free and fully confidential consultations for you or a loved one you’re concerned about. Infections that you may not typically be at risk for can start to pop up and alcohol-induced inflammation can also occur. If you have other medical conditions, these issues can exacerbate them beyond their normal severity. Many who drink alcohol to excess rely on others’ help and support and cannot self-isolate.

What alcohol is the healthiest?

Red wine is widely recognized as one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks out there. Poon notes that it's "relatively low in calories and also offers some health benefits."9 She adds that red wine is rich in antioxidants such as resveratrol and proanthocyanidins and can promote cardiovascular health.