EFU - TP 4

MEDICINE

The Effects of Alcohol on the Body

Alcohol Use and Abuse
When one thinks about the effect that alcohol can have on a person, behavior is often one of the
first things that comes to mind. Alcohol and altered behavior have essentially become synonymous with
each other. The reason for this altered state that people under the influence of alcohol experience is how
the substance interacts with the brain. Alcohol interferes with how the brain communicates, thus changing
a person’s behavior and mood. The ability to think clearly is often inhibited, and enough alcohol
consumption can drastically affect motor functioning via its effects on the brain. Common effects on the
brain and the rest of the central nervous system (CNS) include slurred speech and issues with coordination.
Alcohol can have more drastic effects on the central nervous system in the long-term. Pain, odd
sensations, and numbness in a person’s hands or feet can arise due to the damage done to the CNS over
time. It can also have significant effects on the eyes in particular.
The heart is one of the most important organs in the human body, and it is also especially
susceptible to the effects of alcohol. While heart complications caused by alcohol are most common in
people who participate in excessive consumption for a prolonged period of time, drinking too much on a
single occasion can have negative effects on the heart as well. Some of the effects alcohol can have on this
organ include heartbeat Irregularity, increased blood pressure, stroke and stretching of the heart muscle
Some research has indicated that drinking very moderate amounts of alcohol can actually improve heart
health, but excessive consumption puts a person at risk for complications. Heart attack and heart failure
are very serious problems associated with long-term alcohol consumption.
Liver damage is commonly associated with the consumption of alcohol as well. Cirrhosis of the
liver is a condition that results in scarring of the liver tissue, according to the U.S. Library of Medicine.
Scarred tissue cannot perform the proper functions that healthy liver tissue can, such as cleaning the
blood and helping to fight infection. Alcoholism is the most common cause of this condition, and it can
also result in fatty liver, fibrosis, and alcoholic hepatitis. In 2013, nearly half of the deaths from cirrhosis
of the liver in the United States were due to alcoholism, and it accounted for about three-quarters of deaths
from cirrhosis in those aged 25-34.
The digestive system can suffer significantly due to the effects of alcohol. Beginning with the
mouth, alcohol can do significant damage to the salivary glands, gums, and tongue. Tooth decay is not
uncommon among heavy drinkers. Esophageal problems can arise in the form of ulcers, which can also
form in the stomach. The pancreas is affected by alcohol and could experience pancreatitis, which is
inflammation of the organ. Infection and permanent organ damage can arise as a result of this condition.
A woman can see the disruption of her menstrual cycle due to alcohol abuse, and menstruation can
even stop completely in some cases. Some women become infertile due to alcohol use, and the risk for
pregnancy and birth complications increases. A woman drinking while pregnant can lead to a fetal alcohol
spectrum disorder in the child, a range of conditions that can be physical and mental. The Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) estimates that between 0.2 and 1.5 infants per 1,000 births experience some
degree of fetal alcohol syndrome.
An individual’s immune system is often affected by alcohol use as well. This can make a person
more susceptible to a wide variety of viruses and illnesses, ranging from common to very serious.

1. READING COMPREHENSION
 1) Read the text and answer the questions.

a. What visible effects are immediately associated with alcohol?

b. Why does this happen?

2) Complete the chart with the long-term effects:

SYSTEM ORGAN / CAVITY CONDITION

Nervous Brain Pain, 1) _________

Circulatory 2) __________ Irregular 3)_____________, increased

blood pressure, stroke, stretching of the
heart muscle, risk of 4) ________
_________.

5) ______________ - Liver 6) _____________, fatty liver, fibrosis and

hepatitis.
- 7) ____________
Damage to the salivary glands, gums
- Esophagus, stomach and 8)______________. Also tooth
decay.
-10) ___________
9) _____________.

Pancreatitis.

Reproductive —-------------------------- Disrupted 11) ________ _________ and

infertility.

12) _____________ —-------------------------- Susceptibility to 13) ___________ and

illnesses.

2. LANGUAGE ANALYSIS

● Vocabulary

a) Match the words with their meaning:

1. Behavior(N) a. physical harm

2. Damage (N) b. the act of eating or drinking
3. Arise (V) c. the material that forms animal or plant cells
4. Consumption (N) d. the things that a person or animal does
5. Improve (V) e. to start to happen
6. Tissue(N) f. to make something better, or to become better

b) Can you form the noun or adjective of these words?

 NOUN ADJECTIVE
Behavior 1) Behavioural
2)……………… Susceptible
Esophagus 3).......................
Health 4)…………………….
5)…………………… Increased
Alcohol 6)………………………
7)……………………. Infertile

● Language Analysis.

c) Grammar

1. Find the following sentences in the text and complete them with ONE missing word:

a. The ability to think clearly ____________ often inhibited.

b. Liver damage is commonly ____________ with the consumption of alcohol.
c. The pancreas is affected ____________ alcohol.

2. Look at the examples again and revise the form for the present passive voice structure. How do you
form it in English? When and why is it used?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Find one more passive sentence in the text:

………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………

3. Highlight the correct options:

a. The subject of the previous sentences (see italics) has a passive/an active role.
b. The doer of the action (the agent) is always/not always mentioned because it is not important or clear
from the context.
c. They focus is on the action itself or on its effects/agent.

4. Complete the following passive sentences.

a. His eyes are affected (affect) by alcohol as well.

b. Heart failure _____ ____________(associate) with alcohol consumption.
c. The patient’s liver ____ ____________ (damage) and causes severe pain.
d. Both kidneys ______ ____________ (infect) and cannot function properly.
e. The girl’s menstrual cycle ___ _____________(disrupt) at the moment.
f. Many risk factors ____ _____________ (include) in the cause of the illness.

5. Turn the following into the passive:

a. Scientists analyse tissue samples in the laboratory.
Tissue samples are analysed in the laboratory.
b. They take the patient to another hospital every two years.
_____________________________________________ .
c. The doctors change his medication after six months.
_____________________________________________ .
d. The doctor observes her injury in the X-ray.
______________________________________________.
e. The virus alters the patient’s ability to smell.
______________________________________________ .

TP4 MEDICINE - The Effects of Alcohol on the Body

Translate the first paragraph of the text into Spanish:

When one thinks about the effect that alcohol can have on a person, behavior is often one of the first things that
comes to mind. Alcohol and altered behavior have essentially become synonymous with each other. The reason for
this altered state that people under the influence of alcohol experience is how the substance interacts with the brain.
Alcohol interferes with how the brain communicates, thus changing a person’s behavior and mood. The ability to
think clearly is often inhibited, and enough alcohol consumption can drastically affect motor functioning via its effects
on the brain. Common effects on the brain and the rest of the central nervous system (CNS) include slurred speech
and issues with coordination.

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