Alcohol consumption does not have to be chronic to have negative health consequences. In fact, research shows that acute binge drinking also affects the immune system. There is evidence in a number of physiological systems that binge alcohol intake complicates recovery from physical trauma (see the article by Hammer and colleagues).
Someone who drinks a large number of alcoholic beverages on one occasion or drinks frequently may experience hangover symptoms such as nausea, headache, and dehydration. However, alcohol can also weaken the immune system, cause serious health conditions and make the body more vulnerable to infections and viruses. Alcohol immunosuppression can cause someone to catch a simple cold easier than other people or develop a more serious condition such as cancer or septicemia. While binge drinking is typically more harmful than occasional drinking, any amount of alcohol can have adverse effects on the body and its ability to fight infections and diseases. Drinking every day or drinking too much alcohol at a time may affect the immune system more than drinking every other day or every few days, but the healthiest thing to do is abstain from drinking completely.
Hologic, Inc. is a global medical technology innovator primarily focused on improving women’s health and well-being through early detection and treatment. “With COVID-19, alcohol is likely to interfere with an individual’s ability to clear SARS-CoV-2 and cause people to suffer worse outcomes, including ARDS, which commonly results in death,” Edelman said. Alcohol has been flying off the shelves as people try to combat boredom during 5 potential dangers of taking suboxone and alcohol together lockdown, with some reports estimating that alcoholic beverage sales surged by 55 percent toward the end of March. Monocytes express Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, the PRR that is often responsible for recognizing LPS on the surface of Gram-negative bacteria. After binding to LPS, monocytes are activated and mature into macrophages that travel to the site of infection to secrete important cytokines for the inflammatory response.
Cellulitis, Post-Surgery Complications, and, Slow Healing of Wounds
This impairment can lead to sepsis and pneumonia and also increases the incidence and extent of postoperative complications, including delay in wound closure. Bagby and colleagues review substantial evidence that alcohol further disrupts the immune system, significantly increasing the likelihood of HIV transmission and progression. Alcohol also causes the body to metabolize toxic chemicals and increase hormone levels. When a person drinks alcohol, their body metabolizes it into acetaldehyde, a chemical that can damage DNA and prevent the body from repairing it. Since DNA controls cell function and growth, damaged DNA can cause cells to grow uncontrollably and develop tumors. Alcohol does not directly cause UTIs, but it can increase a person’s risk of developing a UTI and worsen the symptoms of an existing UTI.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. surgeon general have warned people to avoid drinking too much alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic. When someone is exposed to a virus, the body mounts an immune response to attack and kill the foreign pathogen. “Excessive alcohol consumption can cause nerve damage and irreversible forms of dementia,” Dr. Sengupta warns.
When alcohol hinders the body’s immune system, it also hinders its ability to fight UTIs because it allows bacteria to travel throughout the body faster. The white blood cells, tissues and organs that make up our body’s immune system are designed to fight off infections, disease and toxins. Although most research has focused on the effects of heavy alcohol consumption on the immune system, several studies have also confirmed that even moderate consumption can have significant effects on the immune system. For example, one study found that women who consumed 330 mL of beer for 30 days exhibited a significant increase in leukocytes, mature CD3+ T-cells, neutrophils, and basophils. In contrast, men who consumed a similarly moderate amount of beer for the same period exhibited a significant increase in basophils alone. The first point of contact for alcohol after consumption is the gastrointestinal (GI) system before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
You probably already know that excessive drinking can affect you in more ways than one. Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin’s deeper layers that causes pain, swelling, and, redness in the skin’s infected area. It’s a common infection, but it can cause serious health complications if left untreated and spread breaks in the skin, such as cuts, bites, ulcers, and puncture wounds, which can allow bacteria into the skin. People can develop a lung abscess when bacteria from the throat or mouth enter the lungs and create a pus-filled cavity surrounded by swollen tissue. A secondary lung abscess can develop from a lung obstruction or infection that begins in another body part.
If you drink every day, or almost every day, you might notice that you catch colds, flu or other illnesses more frequently than people who don’t drink. That’s because alcohol can weaken your immune system and make your body more susceptible to infection. To this end, heavy drinkers have been shown to exhibit an increase in both IgA and IgM levels when compared to both moderate and light male drinkers. The immune system is typically categorized into the innate and adaptive immune response systems, both of which are essential components in the body’s defense against pathogens. Alcohol use can cause respiratory complications such as pneumonia, empyema, respiratory syncytial virus, tuberculosis, lung abscess, and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). When ALD reaches its final stage, known as alcoholic liver cirrhosis, the damage is irreversible and leads to complications.
The clinical management of all of these conditions may be more challenging in individuals who misuse alcohol because of coexisting immune impairment. Women are typically more vulnerable to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases than men, and men have a higher risk of infections than women. 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. The impact alcohol has on the body is mainly due to the way the body processes alcohol.
Is There Any Amount of Alcohol That’s OK to Drink?
Drinking also makes it harder for your body to properly tend to its other critical functions, like fighting off a disease. When the body is unable to clear a pathogen, an infection can worsen and lead to more severe, life threatening complications. “Anything above that, regardless of time period, is exposing barbiturates your body to more alcohol than is ideal,” says Favini. Alcoholics Anonymous is available almost everywhere and provides a place to openly and nonjudgmentally discuss alcohol issues with others who have alcohol use disorder. Long-term alcohol use can change your brain’s wiring in much more significant ways.
- Without healthy gut bacteria, viruses and infections can worsen and develop into more severe complications.
- Women are typically more vulnerable to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases than men, and men have a higher risk of infections than women.
- Hologic, Inc. is a global medical technology innovator primarily focused on improving women’s health and well-being through early detection and treatment.
- But drinking can weaken this system, leaving us vulnerable to infections and diseases.
- Alcohol alters the makeup of your gut microbiome — home to trillions of microorganisms performing several crucial roles for your health — and affects those microorganisms’ ability to support your immune system.
- This exposure increases a newborn’s risk of infection and disease; additional evidence suggests that alcohol’s deleterious effects on immune development last into adulthood.
Alcohol can either activate or suppress the immune system depending on, for example, how much is consumed and how concentrated it is in the various tissues and organs. That dual action predisposes heavy drinkers both to increased infection and to chronic inflammation. These articles detail how alcohol affects the immune system and how researchers are harnessing this knowledge to help prevent and treat alcohol-related harm. Past research shows alcohol consumption leads to more severe lung diseases, like adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other pulmonary diseases, including pneumonia, tuberculosis, and respiratory syncytial virus.
Impact of Alcohol Abuse on the Adaptive Immune System
When alcohol damages the gastrointestinal tract’s barrier, bacteria and toxins can enter the bloodstream easily, potentially leading to septicemia and sepsis. Alcohol can have a range of harmful effects on the body, which can diminish a person’s immune response and put them more at risk for COVID-19. For those who have a risk factor for COVID-19, like heart disease or diabetes, he recommends drinking even less.
Contact Gateway Foundation for Help With Alcohol Addiction
So, your system prioritizes getting rid of alcohol before it can turn its attention to its other work. If alcohol continues to accumulate in your system, it can destroy cells and, eventually, damage your organs. A lack of sleep can also affect how long it takes for a person to recover if they do get sick, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Factors such as the amount of alcohol a person drinks, how often a person drinks, the type of alcohol they drink, and whether they are biologically male or female can increase or decrease how much it affects their immune system. “The good news is that earlier stages of steatotic liver disease are usually completely reversible in about four to six weeks if you abstain from drinking alcohol,” Dr. Sengupta assures. Heavy drinking can also lead to a host of health does gabapentin help you sleep concerns, like brain damage, heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver and even certain kinds of cancer. However, women who drink more than two drinks on one occasion and men who drink more than three drinks on one occasion may experience more health complications due to their excessive alcohol consumption. Gut barrier damage can make the body more vulnerable to food poisoning, and epithelial cell damage can hinder the intestines’ ability to absorb nutrients.
Molina and colleagues review research showing that alcohol impairs recovery from three types of physical trauma—burn, hemorrhagic shock, and traumatic brain injury—by affecting immune homeostasis. Their article also highlights how the combined effect of alcohol and injury causes greater disruption to immune function than either challenge alone. Some alcoholic beverages contain components that combat ethanol’s damaging effects.
If a person regularly drinks alcohol, their injuries, cuts, and surgical site wounds may heal slower than someone who avoids alcohol. They are also more vulnerable to developing cellulitis and surgical site infections. Overall, avoid drinking more than moderate amounts if you want your immune system in good shape, says Favini. And if you feel like you’re coming down with something or are sick, do not drink. Not only will drinking alcohol reduce your immune system’s strength, but alcohol also has a dehydrating effect. Healthy habits, such as being active, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep, can keep your immune system strong.
