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For example, alcohol can reduce the ability of respiratory epithelium cells to remove mucous from the lungs, which can directly damage lung tissue and weaken the proper functioning of the lungs over time. Although this chronic weakening of lung function may not cause any immediate symptoms, these effects can manifest when a severe respiratory infection occurs. And it’s not just that you’re more likely to get a cold — excessive drinking is linked to pneumonia and other pulmonary diseases.

Alcohol abusecan suppress your immune system, making you more vulnerable to infections caused by bacteria and viruses which might raise your risk of a bacterial infection such asurinary tract infections . The immune system is complex and made of many cells and proteins that recognize infections and attack them. Often, the immune system takes time to recognize and build up a full response to an infection.

How Long Does It Take Your Immune System To Heal After Alcohol Abuse?

Finally, alcohol can dehydrate you, and you should be drinking more fluid if you’re sick. So all in all, you should skip the alcoholic beverages if you’re under the weather.

It can also lead to a wide range of health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease, liver disease, and increased risk of cancer. Many of these diseases make sense given how alcohol impacts the body. One often overlooked condition stemming from alcohol abuse is lung disease. Heavy drinkers often report more frequent cases of pneumonia does alcohol weaken your immune system due to the immune system’s inability to fight off infections within the lungs. Alcohol use over prolonged periods of time will create long-term immune system problems. While alcohol’s actual effects on the immune system are complex at a chemical and cellular level, chronic alcohol use has been shown to affect every area of the immune system.

Alcohol-Related Diseases

Remember, alcohol can make your body feel warmer than it actually is. You are drinking alcohol in excess decreases the effectiveness of Interferon. Your immune system produces https://ecosoberhouse.com/ this protein in response to an infection or virus. However, excessive drinking can decrease the production of T cells which results in a weaker immune system.

Studies on lab rats have shown that alcohol impairs the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory. Alcohol can also interfere with your body’s response to infection by inhibiting cytokines’ production. These are proteins that help communication between cells, disrupting red blood cells’ ability to transport adequate amounts of oxygen around the body.

Is It Possible To Improve Your Immune System?

Damages the epithelial cells that line the lungs, putting you at risk for a complication called acute respiratory distress syndrome . Individual factors in adults that can moderate the effect of alcohol consumption on immunity. Let our team steer you in the right direction of successful recovery. Our safe and supportive environment in California makes it easier to complete treatment. Unfortunately, the pandemic has caused many people to feel depressed and anxious. Drinking at this time may actually lower immunity and make a person more susceptible to the disease. Daily alcohol intake may turn an ordinary case of COVID-19 into a condition that requires hospitalization or that causes fatal results.

Long-term alcohol abuse can trigger autoimmune disorders, such as insulin-dependent diabetes and liver disease. The body fights off this infection by flooding the lungs with fluid containing immune cells. While necessary to fight the infection, the immune response can essentially cause someone to drown as they fight the infection. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains that heavy drinking is defined as consuming more than three to four drinks each day. Even though this large amount of alcohol can dampen immunity, it has been shown that moderate drinking can have similar effects as well. In the end, the best way to keep drinking from lowering the immune system is to quit consuming alcohol.

Lung Diseases

It’s also important for your immune health that you lead a generally healthy lifestyle. Try to eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and get at least minutes of moderate exercise a day. If you currently smoke cigarettes or use other tobacco products, it may be worth trying to quit for the sake of your immunity. You should also try to minimize psychological stress; relaxation exercises like meditation or yoga may help. Besides avoiding alcohol, there are other things you can do to boost immunity, such as taking supplements.