The number of fatalities tied to alcohol-related liver disease among people ages 25 to 34 tripled between 1999 to 2016. This how to stop binge drinking coincides with rising rates of binge drinking across the country. As far as long-term effects, binge drinking can also lead to internal damage, especially if you’re regularly engaging in binge drinking episodes. Large amounts of alcohol consumed over a long period of time can negatively impact the parts of your brain that deal with judgment, balance and coordination.
Heart
Also, men who binge drank over 12 times annually had a 121.8 mm Hg average systolic blood pressure compared with 119 and 117.5 for less frequent and non-binge drinkers, respectively. Among those who reported binge drinking, frequent binge drinkers had a total cholesterol level up to 10.1 mg/dL higher than non-binge drinkers. Over the long run, alcohol increases the risk of several cancers, including cancer of the liver, mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, colon, and rectum. Even a few drinks a week is linked with an increased risk of breast cancer in women. First, the analysis is limited to articles sourced exclusively from the Scopus database.
The Prevalence of Binge Drinking in College
After a heavy drinking session, people are more likely to have unprotected sex, which could result in unintended pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection. Remember, the total number of drinks is important but the other part of that equation is the time in which you have them. Too often, people will have their drug addiction first few drinks quickly, which usually leads to intoxication and additional drinks. As previously stated, most men can have four drinks in a two-hour period without bingeing.
- A 2011 study of adolescent binge drinking found that it can affect behavioural functioning and cognitive performance, particularly in young women (7).
- Notably, heavy alcohol consumption can also diminish the effectiveness of antidepressants.
- If and when your loved one is ready to make a change, you can take several steps to support them.
- The short-term effects of binge drinking include miscarriages, shorter attention span, sleepiness, hostility, dehydration, low blood pressure, depression, or slower breathing.
Other chronic diseases
If you’re a binge drinker, the first step to changing your drinking problem is to understand what factors drive your behavior. Depending on your age, different factors may come into play, but some motivations are common among all age groups. If you have trouble stopping drinking once you start, these tips can help you build a healthier relationship with alcohol.