5 Health Related Reasons to Give Up Alcohol

Alcohol abuse and dependence can wreak havoc on your brain and body. In addition to increased risks for liver damage, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and other health challenges, alcoholism can interfere with your everyday health, wellness, and quality of life.

Fortunately, the reverse also holds true. Once you give up alcohol, you can begin to enjoy some substantial, noticeable health benefits even as you lower your chronic disease risks. Take a look at five ways abstinence can brighten your everyday life not long after you commit to sobriety.

1. Better Digestion

Alcohol irritates the digestive system and upsets its function, as you may know all too well if you've suffered from recurring bouts of heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. This substance can also trigger irritable bowel syndrome in susceptible individuals and interfere with your body's ability to absorb nutrients.

Once you stop ingesting alcohol, you may find that your annoying digestive issues begin to subside. As your digestive system goes back to absorbing nutrients more normally, your overall wellness may also improve in noticeable ways.

2. Healthier Skin

Alcohol's damaging effects can prove especially noticeable on your skin. Individuals who suffer from heavy alcohol abuse often struggle with skin issues such as jaundice, dryness, psoriasis, and loss of collagen (which makes the skin look loose and saggy). Alcohol can also create broken veins on the nose and other parts of the face.

Sobriety gives your skin a much-needed break from these problems. As your body recovers from the effects of excessive drinking, broken veins will fade, yellowish discoloration will gradually disappear, you'll have less trouble with dryness or flakiness, and your skin can start to rebuild its depleted stores of collagen.

3. More Restful Sleep

Your body and brain need regular, restful sleep for optimal performance. Unfortunately, alcohol interferes with the various phases of sleep, causing you to wake up frequently or feel exhausted the next day. You may increase your risk for sleep apnea, which interrupts both your sleep and your breathing.

Studies show that heavy alcohol intake can reduce sleep quality by over 39 percent, although even low levels of drinking can reduce sleep quality by 9.3 percent. Once you get past any initial withdrawal symptoms, you'll find that alcohol abstinence helps you enjoy longer, deeper, more refreshing periods of sleep.

4. Stronger Disease Resistance

Alcohol can suppress your immune system in multiple ways. For instance, it damages the immune cells responsible for removing invading germs from your body, which makes you more susceptible to colds, cases of flu, and even pneumonia. Alcohol also reduces the number of healthy bacteria in your gut, raising your risks for various illnesses.

Some people have increased their alcohol consumption as a response to the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this increase could actually make them even more susceptible to complications from COVID-19 infection. By contrast, an alcohol-free lifestyle gives your immune system the best possible chance to perform as it should.

5. Improved Memory

As anyone who has experienced a drink-related blackout can attest, alcohol can interfere with short-term memory. Even if you never experience the periods of amnesia associated with blackouts, you may find yourself forgetting important dates or repeating stories without realizing it.

One reason for these memory issues involves alcohol's effects on a part of the brain called the hippocampus, a key player in your ability to learn and remember new things. Heavy drinking can shrink and impair this part of the brain. It can also block your brain's normal process of turning short-term memories into long-term memories.

Abstinence from alcohol can stop this destructive process from occurring and help you reverse your memory troubles. Research indicates that after just a few months of sobriety (or up to a year, in more severe cases), the brain can regain memory, focus, problem-solving, and other skills lost to alcohol abuse.

If you want to experience these health improvements for yourself, ask Oak Harbor for assistance. We can provide effective, compassionate treatment for alcohol dependence that allows you to stop hurting and start healing. Contact us today to learn more.