Does Alcohol Cause Inflammation?

Does Alcohol Increase Inflammation?

Does alcohol affect inflammation? Consuming alcohol can trigger inflammation across the entire body, including in the gut, liver, face, joints, and brain. Heavy drinking over an extended period causes several changes in the body that can lead to intestinal inflammation. Over the long term, this inflammation causes organ dysfunction throughout the body, especially in the liver and the brain.

Can alcohol cause inflammation? Heavy alcohol consumption contributes to systemic inflammation by interfering with the body’s natural defenses against the influx of gut microbiota and its products. Chronic alcohol use impairs the balance of microflora in the gut, the gut barrier function, the liver’s ability to detoxify bacterial products and to generate a balanced cytokine milieu, and the brain’s ability to regulate inflammation in the periphery. When these defenses are impaired, systemic inflammation ensues.

Does Alcohol Help with Inflammation?

Several studies suggest that drinking alcohol on occasion may lower your risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6, and TNF-alpha receptor 2 are three indicators of inflammation that are reduced by moderate alcohol use. One of the theories as to why alcohol appears to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in moderate drinkers is that it has anti-inflammatory properties. The important word here is moderation, which most people tend to underestimate when it comes to alcohol. It was discovered that there was a lower incidence of RA for women who drank between 5 and 10 grams of alcohol each day. However, that equals less than a glass of wine or beer.

Does Alcohol Cause Joint Inflammation?

Before answering the question, “can alcohol cause joint inflammation?”, it is important to note that people have used alcohol for pain relief for thousands of years. It has been proven to reduce pain in humans and animals by depressing the central nervous system. But despite this, experts do not recommend the practice as it can increase the risk for various other health issues. People with chronic pain should be particularly wary of using alcohol as pain relief because excessive intake can lead to alcohol use disorder.   

Alcohol Inflammation Joints

There are a few different ways that alcohol and joint inflammation may be connected. Alcohol can cause certain reactions in the body in sensitive people, people with arthritis, and people at risk for certain conditions. These include:

Gout – Beer and certain types of liquor are high in purines which can lead to increased uric acid levels. If you are at risk for gout, the increased uric acid levels can form uric acid crystals near the joints.

Nerve Inflammation – Heavy drinking over long periods can lower the immune system response and possibly cause inflammation of the nerves near the joints. This may increase the pain of arthritis if you already suffer from joint pain.

Reduced Medication Effects – How are drinking alcohol and inflammation in joints related? Drinking alcohol while taking arthritis medications may decrease their effectiveness and cause issues with your liver. If you take disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), you are at increased risk of alcoholic liver damage.

Dehydration – Alcohol pulls fluids from the body and is a natural diuretic. Your ligaments that hold your joints together use water to help cushion them from impact.

Alcohol and Osteoarthritis Inflammation

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips, and spine. The present study’s findings suggest that chronic alcohol exposure may increase susceptibility to the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Chronic alcohol consumption induces pathological changes in articular cartilage.

Alcohol consumption could be one potential risk factor because chronic alcohol consumption, highly common in Western and industrial societies, generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to systemic and tissue oxidative stress in humans and rodents, and alcohol is capable of inducing pro-inflammatory states in multiple organs such as liver, heart, central nervous system, and pancreas. 

Does Alcohol Cause Prostate Inflammation?

Prostatitis (prostate inflammation) causes painful urination, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) increase the risk of developing the condition. Prostatitis can be referred to as a prostate infection, but inflammation often occurs without a known infection. There are three main types of prostatitis: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis, and chronic nonbacterial prostatitis. 

Alcohol Prostate Inflammation

Can I drink alcohol if I have prostatitis? NO. Coffee, tea, and alcohol are irritants, thus affecting the digestive system and the prostate. For this reason, patients with problems of prostatitis, benign prostate hyperplasia, or urinary incontinence are recommended to avoid the intake of this substance since it increases the risk of suffering from infections in the prostate and can accelerate the growth of the prostate gland.

Can Alcohol Cause Bladder Inflammation?

Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by a bladder infection. It’s a common urinary tract infection (UTI), particularly in women, and is generally more of a nuisance than a cause for serious concern. Alcohol does affect the bladder in various ways. Even though you should avoid alcohol with a UTI, alcohol doesn’t cause these infections. It can, however, affect bladder function.

Alcohol Gallbladder Inflammation

Because it’s a diuretic, alcohol forces the kidney to release more sodium into your urine, which fills the bladder quicker and increases urination frequency. Individuals with extra sodium in their urine may take diuretic medications or water pills to help get rid of sodium in the body. People who tend to experience alcohol and bladder-related problems also struggle with kidney problems. Considering how connected these organs are in terms of function, any alcohol-related bladder damage can have a domino effect, starting with the kidneys.

Can Alcohol Cause Bowel Inflammation?

In large amounts, alcohol and its metabolites can overwhelm the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and liver and lead to damage both within the GI and in other organs. Specifically, alcohol and its metabolites promote intestinal inflammation through multiple pathways. That inflammatory response, in turn, exacerbates alcohol-induced organ damage, creating a vicious cycle and leading to additional harmful effects of alcohol both locally and systemically.

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as the first line of contact with anything ingested into the body, is at particular risk for damage by toxins. Connecting the dots, anything that may cause GI damage may have consequences far beyond the intestines. Researchers have begun to discover that alcohol, particularly if consumed chronically and in larger amounts, induces a process initiated in the gut that promotes inflammation throughout the body [3].

This alcohol-induced intestinal inflammation may be at the root of multiple organ dysfunctions and chronic disorders associated with alcohol consumption, including chronic liver disease, neurological disease, GI cancers, and inflammatory bowel syndrome. Several lifestyle factors, such as smoking and diet, affect the incidence and severity of IBD, most likely by modulating gut inflammation. Alcohol consumption also may influence the course of IBD through associated gut inflammation.

Alcohol and Colon Inflammation

Alcohol can cause bleeding in your gut if you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). It can also irritate and inflame its lining, which helps keep toxins out and absorb nutrients into your bloodstream. Alcohol-induced bacterial overgrowth also may increase the risk of inflammation because intestinal bacteria can independently metabolize alcohol, producing excess acetaldehyde in the colon, which increases the production of proinflammatory alcohol metabolites. 

Can Alcohol Cause Intestinal Inflammation?

According to a recent Center for Disease Control [4] report, inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBD) is one of the five most prevalent gastrointestinal diseases in the United States. IBD alone results in more than 700,000 physician visits, 100,000 hospitalizations, and disability in 119,000 patients. In large amounts, alcohol and its metabolites can overwhelm the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and liver and lead to damage both within the GI and in other organs. Specifically, alcohol and its metabolites promote intestinal inflammation through multiple pathways.

Alcohol and Intestinal Inflammation

Drinking too much alcohol disrupts the production of mucus that lines the stomach, which can cause the stomach lining to become inflamed. This condition is called gastritis. Symptoms of gastritis include abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Alcohol and Stomach Inflammation

Alcoholic gastritis is a type of inflammation of the stomach lining. There are various types of gastritis, and alcohol is an irritant that can damage the stomach lining over time.  This damage may result in developing an acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) condition and may be referred to as reactive or erosive gastritis.

While alcoholic gastritis is caused by drinking alcohol, other factors can also trigger its symptoms. These can include other substances, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin, cocaine, spicy foods, and smoking cigarettes. Living a high-stress lifestyle can also worsen symptoms.  It can be difficult to predict how much alcohol it takes to develop alcoholic gastritis since it varies depending on the individual, their unique body chemistry, and whether they have any other medical issues.

Does Alcohol Cause Brain Inflammation?

Brain inflammation due to high alcohol intake may affect thinking, memory, and concentration. The abuse of high doses of alcohol is associated with cognitive impairment that, in extreme cases, can result in dementia. However, the mechanisms underlying the neurotoxic effects of alcohol on the human brain are poorly understood.  Chronic alcohol consumption promotes inflammation in tissues of the central nervous system. n. It was observed that immune cells called macrophages invaded the brain parenchyma (or tissue), particularly in the hippocampus — a region of the brain critical to learning and memory that is well known to lose volume in patients with chronic alcohol use disorder. 

Alcohol and Inflammation and Immune Responses

Prolonged, heavy alcohol consumption negatively affects immune cells and their production of cytokines and immune messages.  Alcoholics have significantly higher rates of bacterial and viral infections and remain hospitalized longer than those who do not abuse alcohol.  Alcohol not only kills key immune cells but excess amounts of alcohol results in an increased risk of autoimmune responses in which the body’s immune cells mistakenly attack the body’s healthy cells as foreign.

Does drinking alcohol decrease your immune system? The body constantly strives to maintain immune inflammatory homeostasis; to balance the amount of inflammation it produces to protect the body from infection.  Imbalances of inflammatory responses and loss of immune homeostasis result from excessive alcohol consumption. For instance, white cells, immune cells, search out and destroy and remove pathogens from the lungs.  After alcohol consumption, fewer immune cells respond to the call for “help.”  Those cells that do enter the lungs cannot kill microbes as effectively as cells from non-alcoholic animals.

Alcohol Inflammation Back Pain

For some people, alcohol acts as a painkiller and an anti-inflammatory. Yet, for others, it can cause pain and contribute to chronic inflammation. Sometimes pain in the kidneys after drinking can manifest as back pain. If you believe alcohol is causing your back pain, consider cutting back on your drinking. The location of the pain may indicate the source of the pain. Upper back pain when drinking alcohol is often caused by dehydration, muscle cramps, or decreased circulation, and it can be very difficult to sleep with upper back pain. Pain in the lower back can have similar causes.

Can Alcohol Cause Muscle Inflammation?

Yes. When alcohol enters the body, it takes out a percentage of the water and daily minerals. When this happens, it can often lead to inflammation in the muscles and joints. Muscle and joint pain symptoms include swelling, pain, and dehydration. Medical professionals understand that alcohol may harm muscles. However, studies have not yet shown clear reasons alcohol damages muscles, at least in humans.

Drinking alcohol interrupts the flow of calcium in muscle cells. Calcium is a substance that is responsible for helping muscles contract. Therefore, doctors think drinking may reduce your strength by harming how calcium works in muscle cells.

Alcohol-damaged muscles release creatine kinase. This chemical, also known as CK, is released from muscle cells after injury. Most CK in the body lives inside muscle cells, where it helps to make energy for muscles to function. Therefore, if your doctor orders a blood test and it shows that your CK levels are high, this might mean that there is muscle damage. Alcohol harms muscles, and these damaged muscles then release CK.

Does Alcohol Cause Inflammation In Face?

Alcohol can cause water retention in your face. This makes your face look bloated and puffy. Moreover, alcohol can irritate the blood vessels on the surface of your eyes, making them bloodshot. Alcohol dries your hair and skin, making it more likely to break and split. Alcohol inflames the tissue, and systemic inflammation of the skin caused by alcohol creates a histamine reaction—that creates the redness, the flushing of the skin.

Alcohol Inflammation Face

How does drinking alcohol affect your face? Alcohol may stimulate the release of histamines, which can cause the blood vessels under the skin to dilate. This can make a person’s complexion look flushed or inflamed. At the periphery, alcohol, and acetaldehyde liberate histamine from its store in mast cells and depress histamine elimination by inhibiting diamine oxidase, resulting in elevated histamine levels in tissues.

Alcohol and Skin Inflammation

Researchers have found a link between alcohol and other skin conditions like rosacea. Studies also show drinking can make skin conditions like eczema worse. Studies have also found that people with eczema deal with alcohol use disorders more often than people without eczema. Whether you have a skin condition or not, alcohol can cause inflammation. It can also lead to dehydration and facial flushing, making your skin feel worse.

Alcohol Sinus Inflammation

When byproducts of alcohol don’t get broken down quickly enough, they accumulate to levels high enough to cause a mild allergic reaction. The second reason alcohol can cause sneezing and congestion is that wine, beer, and spirits contain histamine, which elicits an allergic response. Even though alcohol is a liquid, it makes you dehydrated. It also can cause your sinuses and the lining of your nose to swell, which makes your symptoms worse.

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Alcoholism Treatment

First and foremost, if you think a loved one is abusing alcohol, you should research the substances and their associated addiction to understand better what your loved one needs.  Next, you must plan an intervention to provide your loved ones with options to battle the effects of alcohol addiction in a safe and supportive environment. During this intervention, offer compassion and support instead of judgment. Lastly, show your support throughout the entire treatment process.

In addition, prolonged drug use can have severe physical and psychological effects on you, so it is essential to seek treatment as soon as possible. Inpatient drug rehab offers intensive care that can help you promptly get through the early stages of alcohol withdrawal. 

Alcohol Detox

Medical detox is often considered the first stage of treatment. It will help you navigate the complicated alcohol withdrawal but doesn’t address patterns of thought and behavior contributing to drug use. Various treatment approaches and settings can help provide the ongoing support necessary to maintain long-term sobriety after you complete the alcohol detox.

Cravings are very common during alcohol detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can give medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Inpatient Alcohol Rehab

There isn’t one treatment approach or style that will suit everyone. Treatment should speak to the needs of the individual. Inpatient rehab and addiction treatment aren’t just about drug use. the goal is to help the patient stop using alcohol and other substances, but alcohol rehab should also focus on the whole person’s needs.

Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. When someone or their family is considering different treatment facilities, they should account for the complexity of addiction and the needs of the individual. The objective of attending an inpatient rehab center for addiction treatment is to stop using the drug and re-learn how to live a productive life without it.

Following a full medical detox, most people benefit from inpatient rehab. Inpatient drug rehab can last anywhere from 28 days to several months. Patients stay overnight in the rehab facility and participate in intensive treatment programs and therapy. Once someone completes rehab, their addiction treatment team will create an aftercare plan, which may include continuing therapy and participation in a 12-step program like Narcotics Anonymous.

Psychotherapy 

Many rehab programs will also have early morning classes or programs. Group sessions occur during inpatient rehab, as do individual therapy sessions. Family therapy may be part of inpatient rehab when it’s feasible. Alternative forms of therapy may be introduced during inpatient rehab, like a holistic therapy program, yoga for addiction recovery, or an addiction treatment massage therapy.

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of mental health disorders along with addiction, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – is an effective treatment that involves changing both the patterns of negative thoughts and the behavioral routines which are affecting the daily life of the depressed person for various forms of depression.
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy – is a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse treatment program whose ultimate goal is to aid patients in their efforts to build a life worth living. The main goal of DBT is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” 
• Solution-focused therapy is an approach interested in solutions that can be quickly implemented with a simple first step leading to further positive consequences.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Drug abuse and mental health disorders often co-occur. Traumatic experiences can often result in mental health disorders and substance abuse. Dual-diagnosis rehabilitation treats both of these issues together. The best approach for the treatment of dual diagnosis is an integrated system. This strategy treats both the substance abuse problem and the mental disorder simultaneously. Regardless of which diagnosis (mental health or substance abuse problem) came first, long-term recovery will depend mainly on the treatment for both diseases done by the same team or provider.