The Effects of Alcohol on the Brain

Alcohol has long been part of human socialisation. In most gatherings and parties, beer, cocktail and wine, among others, are staples. Add to that Saturday nights with colleagues at the bar, sharing a few drinks to end the long day’s work or maybe catch up with friends over a couple of bottles.

But did you know that while chilling out with a few glasses may help you release stress, excessive drinking may result in adverse long-term effects on your brain health and overall wellbeing?

Too much alcohol consumption has been linked to brain impairment, affecting memory and overall brain function. Well, you already know that having too much of a drink can lead to forgetting last night’s events. A research on the harm caused by drugs has also shown that people under the influence of alcohol have a 70% possibility of causing harm, both to themselves and to others. But these obvious implications are just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

What Goes on In the Body

When we drink, a large amount of our alcohol intake is absorbed in the small intestine, while the remaining part is absorbed in the stomach. Alcohol then enters our blood stream, which causes a rise in blood alcohol levels. The liver and kidney, on the other hand, removes alcohol from our body through urine, however, only about 10% of our intake is taken out.

If you are drinking more alcohol than the amount that your body can flush out, this can result in intoxication. As alcohol enters our body, it increases the activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitters, which cause difficulty in balance, slurred speech and short-term memory lapses. As the blood alcohol levels continue to elevate, the effects worsen – blurry vision, confusion, vomiting and loss of consciousness.

If the blood alcohol concentration is too high, this can lead to difficulty in breathing, slower heart rate and even death.

Habitual Excessive Drinking and Its Long-term Effects

Excessive drinking doesn’t just mean binge drinking – or drinking more than four to five glasses under two hours – it could also mean habitually drinking too much alcohol, which builds accumulated effects on your system.

Most alcoholic individuals don’t just engage in binge drinking, but even more so on regular excessive drinking. They also develop alcohol dependence over time.

The long-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption to the brain and nervous system include:

·        Increased risk of stroke

·        Thiamine deficiency resulting in a state of confusion

·        Dementia

·        Tremors

·         Chronic insomnia Major depressive disorder

Drinking Alcohol during Pregnancy

Alcohol does not only affect the drinkers; for pregnant women, excessive alcohol can also hinder the optimal growth of their babies. Women who are pregnant are advised not to drink alcohol, or at least limit their intake to one glass per week if they are going to drink. Children with physical or developmental defects that are linked to the mother’s excessive alcohol intake during pregnancy are known to have Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

Children with foetal alcohol syndrome may show signs such as:

·        Physical deformities, affecting especially the face and head

·        Developmental delay

·        Learning difficulties

·        Behavioural problems

Avoiding Alcohol Dependence

The recommendation for alcohol intake is no more than 3-4 units per day for men, and no more than 2-3 units per day for women. If you’ve had an excessive intake, alcohol should be avoided for 48 hours. Alcohol may also not be advisable if you are suffering from certain medical conditions, so be sure to check with your doctor.

In conclusion, although you may not be able to avoid alcohol completely, the trick is to keep your consumption in moderation. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will also help minimise the effects of alcohol and promote an overall wellbeing.

Simple Things to Do Every Day to Improve Memory

So you just walk into the dining room ready to get something that you need…but suddenly it dawned on you that you don't even remember what it was you were going to get. Later during the day, you get out of the house to drive to the supermarket, but as soon as you reach for your key inside your pocket, it's not even there… and you don't remember where you've left it.

Aren't these circumstances all too familiar? Perhaps you've even experienced being introduced to someone and just after a minute, you've totally forgotten his or her name. Certainly, you can't be the only one (yep, that happened to me too!). And while you may feel annoyed, disappointed and even embarrassed over these situations, you'll be glad to know that there are tricks that you can do every day for your memory improvement.

Pay Attention to Details

One of the main reasons why we easily forget is because we don't pay much attention to what's happening, what we're hearing or even seeing. This causes us to miss intricate details and get our thoughts drifted away by another event. This is what usually happens when suddenly you forget where you placed your book or you can't recall the name of your new neighbour.

So when you are doing something, talking to someone or listening, pay better attention. In the end, doing so will work in your favour.

Scribble it Down

This one's a classic. Back in the day, with almost any information you want to keep, you write it down. And even nowadays, in the age of smartphones and tablets, you save details in your device. So why not scribble it down or note it down whenever you want to remember something? Even the visual picture of what you've written down can help improve your memory. If an idea suddenly pops into your mind, go ahead and take notes. You may not implement it anytime soon, but at least it won't just disappear into thin air.

Keep Reminders

Do you have an appointment? Do you have a due date? Will you need to mail something to the post office? Find a way to keep reminders – and it doesn't have to be just written reminders. Set the alarm, mark your calendar, leave a note on your refrigerator door, tape the letter on your bedroom door – just anything you can come up with that will act as a reminder for you.

Sometimes, the reason why we don't remember things is simply that there is nothing to remind us of it. So if there is nothing to remind you about it, then make one.

Say it Aloud

This works perfect especially for names of people you've just met, phone numbers or address, or even dates. Saying it aloud will allow you to refresh your mind about the detail. Not only that, if there are any errors to the information you got, then you can be corrected immediately. And it's okay to repeat the details, even just inside your head. This trains your mind to have an improved recall of details.