Question: Does alcohol really cause brain damage? If it really causes brain damage, then why do so many people who drink seem to be perfectly healthy?
Answer: Yes, alcohol really does cause brain damage! (It’s not exaggerated; those scientists are telling the truth). But the “how” and “to what extent” alcohol does this is dependent on a variety of factors. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism lists them as
- how much a person drinks
- how often a person drinks
- the age at which an individual begins drinking
- a person’s family history of alcoholism (Can alcoholism be inherited?)
- a person’s risk as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure
- a person’s general health status
So, if you’re asking this question, it could be because you don’t know any long-term heavy drinkers.
The evidence that alcohol causes brain damage is compelling. Conditions include
- Brain Shrinkage
- Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (“Wet Brain” Syndrome)
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
While brain shrinkage may be reversible with abstinence, Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome and hepatic encephalopathy are irreversible conditions.
If you’re a heavy drinker and “nothing’s happened” to you yet, each day you are putting your health at risk. Find out how much alcohol you get in each drink
Even though you may not consider yourself a heavy drinker, remember that any drinking can lead to undesirable consequences. Brain damage is just one of them.
This blog post is part of our Commonly Asked Question series. Each post attempts to answer commonly asked questions about addiction, drugs, alcohol, recovery, and treatment.