Effects Of Alcohol on the Endocrine System

The Endocrine System 

Organs in the Endocrine System

The endocrine system’s glands are where hormones are produced, stored, and released. Each gland produces one or more hormones, which target specific organs and tissues in the body.

The glands of the endocrine system include the:

Pituitary. The pituitary gland is located below the hypothalamus, and the hormones it produces affect reproduction and growth. They can also control the function of other endocrine glands.

Hypothalamus. While some people don’t consider it a gland, the hypothalamus produces multiple hormones that control the pituitary gland. It regulates many functions, including body temperature, sleep-wake cycles, and appetite. It can also regulate the function of other endocrine glands.

Pineal. This gland is found in the middle of your brain. It’s important for your sleep-wake cycles.

Thyroid. The thyroid gland is located in the front part of your neck. It’s very important for metabolism.

Parathyroid. Also located in the front of your neck, the parathyroid gland is important for maintaining control of calcium levels in your bones and blood.

Adrenal. One adrenal gland can be found on top of each kidney. These glands produce hormones that are important for regulating functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and stress response.

Thymus. Located in the upper torso, the thymus is active until puberty and produces hormones important for developing a type of white blood cell called a T cell.

Pancreas. The pancreas is located in your abdomen behind your stomach. Its endocrine function involves controlling blood sugar levels.

Some endocrine glands also have non-endocrine functions. For instance, the testes and ovaries produce hormones but have the non-endocrine function of making eggs and sperm.

How Does Alcohol Affect The Endocrine System?

Insulin, an important hormone that regulates blood sugar, can be severely affected by prolonged alcohol consumption. After heavy alcohol consumption, blood sugar often spikes dramatically. Insulin comes to the rescue by transporting this sugar (blood glucose) into the cells to be used as energy. When blood sugar spikes in a robust, dramatic motion, insulin will quickly bring it down similarly, typically resulting in low blood sugar. This can be particularly dangerous for type 2 diabetics, who are already at odds with maintaining normal blood sugar levels.

Alcohol and type 2 diabetes are closely linked. Chronic heavy consumption of alcohol deteriorates glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, which may well be one of the mechanisms involved in the malignant effect of alcohol about the development of diabetes.

Short-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Endocrine System

The effects of alcohol on the endocrine system interfere with all three sources of glucose, particularly with the hormones regulating glucose levels. There are many ways alcohol consumption affects the body’s glucose levels. Alcohol is known to:

• Augment insulin secretion, causing temporary hypoglycemia
• Inhibit glucose production while alcohol is being metabolized
• Impair the hormonal response to hypoglycemia with heavy drinking
• Limit intake of glucose by not eating the right diet when drinking

Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Endocrine System

Blood Sugar Levels

Chronic heavy alcohol consumption can increase the body’s glucose levels. Chronic heavy drinking can cause glucose intolerance in healthy people. It can also:

• Alter the effectiveness of medications for diabetes
• Lower survival rates for alcoholics with diabetes
• Cause both hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes in alcoholics
• Increase secretion of glucagon and other hormones that raise glucose levels
• Reduce the body’s responsiveness to insulin

Reproductive Functions

Many hormones in the body regulate the reproductive system. The two main hormones—estrogens (estradiol) and androgens (testosterone) —are synthesized in the ovaries and testes. These hormones affect various reproductive functions. 

Bone Structure and Calcium Metabolism

Hormones play an important function in maintaining calcium levels in the body, which is necessary not only for strong teeth and bones but also for communication between and within cells of the body. Several hormones—vitamin D-derived hormones, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and calcitonin—regulate calcium absorption, excretion, and distribution between bones and body fluids.

Drinking alcohol can interfere with these hormones and, therefore, calcium and bone metabolism in several ways, including:

These problems can cause calcium deficiency, leading to bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, a loss of bone mass, and therefore an increased risk of fractures.

Alcohol Abuse Statistics 

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) replaced the designations that had previously been separately defined as “alcohol abuse” and “alcohol dependence.” According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an alcohol use disorder (AUD) is defined as a “chronic relapsing brain disease” that causes a person to drink compulsively despite adverse consequences to daily life and overall health. 

Roughly 15 million people in the United States were diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder in 2018, including 19.2 million men, 5.3 million women, and 401,000 adolescents ages 12–17. 

Alcohol Abuse Statistics According to the National Institute of Health (NIH)

• Drinking causes distress and harm. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) can range from mild to severe. Severe AUD is sometimes called alcoholism or alcohol dependence [5]

• Alcohol use disorder is a disease that causes:
  • Craving – a strong need to drink
  • Loss of control – not being able to stop drinking once you’ve started
  • Negative emotional state – feeling anxious and irritable when you are not drinking
• Binge drinking is drinking so much at once that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08% or more. For a man, this usually happens after having five or more drinks within a few hours. For a woman, it is after about 4 or more drinks within a few hours. Not everyone who binges drinks has an AUD, but they are at higher risk of getting one.

• Too much alcohol is dangerous. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It may lead to liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. It can also cause damage to the brain (wet brain) and other organs. Drinking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Alcohol also increases the risk of death from car crashes, injuries, homicide, and suicide.

Alcohol Abuse Treatment Options

There is a strong link between mental health and alcohol abuse. Individuals who struggle with mood disorders like depression and anxiety are more susceptible to developing an addiction to drugs or alcohol, often to self-medicate symptoms of their underlying mental health condition. To determine the most effective ways to alcohol addiction, it’s crucial first to get an accurate assessment of all the symptoms. When a mental health professional has evaluated the symptoms, it may be determined that another form of mental condition is present and needs a particular treatment. Very often, some combination of psychotherapy, medication, and/or lifestyle changes are effective for coping with functional.

Medically-Assisted Detox

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

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can provide necessary medication and medical expertise to lessen cravings and the effects of withdrawals.

Psychotherapy for Depression and Anxiety

Several different modalities of psychotherapy have been used in the treatment of depression, 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 Behavior 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.” 
• Person-Centered Therapy – is a strategy that allows and encourages clients to understand and resolve their concerns in a safe, supportive environment.
• 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

Substance abuse and mental health disorders often co-occur. In many cases, traumatic experiences can result in a mental health disorder 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 largely on the treatment for both disorders done by the same team or provider.