The Effects of Alcohol Dependency on Digestive Health

From the first drink of alcohol, the body’s digestive health can begin a long road to peril. Alcohol can cause damage to a host of digestive organs with prolonged drinking—including the mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines. Because of the negative effects of alcohol dependency on digestive health, it becomes imperative that alcohol dependent individuals receive treatment at a successful inpatient alcohol rehab center to address health issues and prevent further damage to the digestive system.

The Effects of Alcohol Dependency on Digestive Health

Alcohol dependency can affect the mouth and throat, damaging or enlarging the salivary glands, inflaming oral tissues, contributing to oral cancer, and promoting tooth decay as well as gum disease. Alcohol enters the bloodstream quickly (and even faster on an empty stomach), through both the lining of the small intestine and the stomach. The esophagus can also be damaged by chronic alcohol consumption, causing heartburn. Alcohol can also cause gastrointestinal bleeding, inflamed stomach lining, and has even been linked to the development of esophageal cancer.

In the stomach, even moderate alcohol consumption can change gastric acid composition, creating further physical imbalances. The stomach can become less able to remove harmful bacteria, and more prone to hemorrhagic lesions—some developing even from a single night of binge drinking. Stomach muscles can become damaged when alcohol dependency persists without successful alcoholism treatment, causing diarrhea, constipation, and bloating.

One of the organs hardest hit by alcohol dependency is the small intestine. Alcohol dependency prevents proper nutrient absorption, creating less benefit from the foods you eat. Digestive enzymes also become impeded, making it harder to metabolize both food and drugs of any kind. Alcohol can also cause bleeding within the small intestine, as well as bacterial overgrowth. Many alcohol dependent individuals also find themselves becoming sensitive to high-sugar foods, and becoming more prone to bowel problems due to muscular issues in the small intestine.

Finding Digestive Healing at Inpatient Alcohol Rehab Centers

A reputable inpatient alcohol rehab center should provide you with diagnostic testing to assess your digestive function and uncover any potential damage alcohol may have done. Trained medical staff can help you create a course of healing to help the body repair the damage that alcohol may have caused to your digestive tract. Of course, the kindest and most healing thing you can do for your body—and its digestive function—is to seek a cure for alcoholism. Over time and with heavy use, alcohol consumption will only create further digestive problems for dependent individuals.

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