Alcohol affects the immune system by weakening and suppressing its function, which makes the body more vulnerable to infections and diseases. Both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) alcohol consumption can impair immune responses in multiple ways.
How Alcohol Impairs the Immune System
- Alcohol suppresses immune cells' ability to respond to pathogens, reducing the body's defense mechanisms against infections.
- It damages the lungs' immune cells and fine hairs that clear pathogens from airways, increasing risks for respiratory infections and complications.
- Alcohol disrupts the gut microbiome and causes inflammation in the gut, weakening the gut barrier and promoting systemic immune dysfunction.
- Both innate immunity (immediate general defense) and adaptive immunity (immune memory and targeted response) are negatively impacted.
- Drinking 5-6 drinks in one session can suppress the immune system for up to 24 hours. Long-term heavy drinking leads to prolonged immune impairment.
- Alcohol alters inflammatory responses, cytokine production, and the function of various immune cells, increasing susceptibility to bacterial, viral infections, and cancer.
Health Consequences
- Increased risk and severity of respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and potentially COVID-19 complications.
- Alcohol use can worsen recovery from injuries and infections by impairing immune homeostasis.
- Chronic alcohol use can contribute to liver diseases and impair antiviral immunity in the liver.
- Alcohol-induced immune suppression also raises vulnerability to HIV transmission and progression.
In summary, alcohol consumption weakens the immune system's ability to protect the body from infectious diseases and to recover from injuries, with effects growing more severe with higher and more frequent consumption.