We’ve all heard somebody we know brag about being able to consume copious amounts of alcohol without feeling much of the effects. While this may lead to less short-term negative effects, such as the increased risk of injury while drunk or strong hangovers, it isn’t necessarily a good thing for their long term health. Due to the fact that people with a high tolerance to alcohol are likely to consume more of it, there are many ways that having a high tolerance can actually negatively impact your health. Here are some of the reasons why…
Incremental Physical Damage
Even if you don’t feel the effects of alcohol on your brain, as much, while you are drinking, it doesn’t mean that it still isn’t negatively impacting other organs in your body. Over time, high amounts of alcohol consumption will cause damage to your liver and kidneys. Simply because you have an easy time not getting drunk when you drink, it doesn’t mean that these factors are not affecting you. Anyone who has a naturally high tolerance for alcohol should be made aware of these medical risks, as they can often sneak up on people after years of chronic alcohol abuse.
Increased Tolerance Results in Increased Usage
While people with a low tolerance for alcohol certainly aren’t immune to the bodily effects of continuous alcohol use, they tend to drink a lot less than people with a high tolerance. Their low tolerance actually serves their body as an indicator of when they’ve had too much to drink. People with a high tolerance don’t have any such indications from their body, and therefore are more likely to drink more alcohol, which harms their body. In this sense, it is just as important for people with a high tolerance for alcohol to monitor their alcohol intake, rather than as a free pass to drink more.
Alcohol Dependence Develops Slowly
Due to the fact that people with a high alcohol tolerance are more likely to consume high amounts of it, they can eventually be caught off guard by the dependence that they will mentally develop for the substance. The more alcohol that one consumes, the more likely it is that they will start to feel signs of dependence, which means that they are starting to develop a medical addiction. This is more likely to happen in someone with a high tolerance for alcohol, as someone with a low tolerance tends to consume less alcohol and are more likely to moderate their intake.
