Does Alcohol Lower Your Immune System?

Alcohol addiction has profound effects on a person’s physical health, emotional health, mental health, and even spiritual wellness. However, the effects of excessive alcohol use do not end with these personal challenges. Not only can there be immediate physical ramifications of drinking alcohol, but heavy drinking and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to lasting effects on a person’s immune system, continuing to inform physical health problems. Understanding the lasting impacts of alcoholic beverages on the body’s immune system is part of creating an effective plan to address these risk factors and develop a personalized program to overcome substance use. 

Alcohol affects the body in many ways, with alcohol-related effects on the immune system being just one way in which alcohol affects the body’s ability to process alcohol and its various health risks. However, how alcohol intake will impact a person’s immune system depends on various factors, including the amount of alcohol used and whether a person is engaging in moderate drinking, excessive drinking, or binge drinking. Combining alcohol with other substances like illicit drugs can further these effects. Some ways in which chronic alcohol use weakens the immune system include:

There are also short- and long-term effects of alcohol on the body’s immune system. Healing the immune system takes time and effort, with dedicated healing programs at Hawaii Island Recovery being designed around not just treating the effects of addiction, but providing comprehensive addiction treatment and nutritional support for holistic recovery. We aim to treat the emotional, mental, physical, and immunological challenges associated with alcohol misuse and abuse.

Some effects of alcohol on the immune system can be profound but may begin to heal once a person stops drinking alcohol and engages in nutritious dietary habits and recovery. These short-term effects of alcohol use on the immune system include:

However, other effects of alcohol addiction can be more long-lasting, leading to prolonged health challenges that demand a medical professional to address and overcome throughout the recovery process. Living with some long-term effects of alcohol on the immune system is challenging, and talking with a medical professional in recovery is paramount to explore potential long-term effects. These effects include:

Prolonged heavy levels of alcohol use can lead to many of these lasting challenges alongside continued physical effects, such as high blood pressure and damage to the liver, stomach lining, and more, even after stopping the use of alcohol and engaging in an effective detox program. Even after a person stops drinking alcohol, autoimmune disease, an increased risk of infectious diseases, and a compromised ability to fight off illness are all common side effects of prolonged alcohol use. Excessive drinking can also lead to heavy drinkers experiencing damage to the stomach, allowing microorganisms and harmful bacteria into the body that can bring additional challenges to a person’s physical health and wellness. 

Working with professionals in addiction recovery, as well as medical professionals and doctors, to explore potential short- and long-term effects of alcohol consumption is paramount to creating an effective treatment plan. 

Both the red and white blood cells can be impacted by persistent alcohol use. Depending on how much alcohol is ingested and for how long, alcohol can interfere with the production of new red blood cells, potentially leading to anemia and fatigue. It can also exacerbate the destruction of red blood cells in the body, furthering these challenges. Red blood cells that are produced also have an increased risk of being abnormally large, reducing their ability to transport oxygen throughout the body effectively and facilitating further health challenges. 

White blood cells can be equally as impacted by alcohol use. Reduced white blood cell count and production can compromise the body’s immune response and increase the risk of autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases affecting the body, as well as slowing the healing processes. 

Alcohol addiction can affect anybody. However, it can impact a person in many more ways than they may realize. Asking “Does alcohol lower your immune system?” is an important question, but asking the question at all means that a person is ready to learn more about potential treatment, having already taken a huge step toward recovery and healing. 

Identifying signs of alcohol use is paramount, and there are some signs to look for that can indicate the need for professional treatment to address alcohol addiction. 

Many people may count the number of drinks in a sitting to determine their relationship with alcohol. However, this can leave a lot of information unaccounted for. How heavy each drink is, the frequency of drinking, and the reasons behind drinking alcohol are all important considerations. Recognizing drinking habits is more than just how often or how much a person drinks, but also if they are more likely to drink related to stress, or especially if drinking preemptively in expectation of stress. Others may find that their drinking habits change to justify alcohol use, such as drinking to cope with stress or drinking to celebrate a good day, leading to excessive alcohol use. 

Many of those living with alcohol use disorder (AUD) may recognize the need for change, realizing the negative effects of alcohol on their physical health, mental health, and even asking more poignant questions like “does alcohol decrease immune system?” indicating a recognition of alcohol’s myriad negative effects. However, addiction is a disease, and despite mounting negative consequences, many of those living with AUD may still find it difficult to stop. An inability to stop drinking, or failed attempts at sobriety or to decrease alcohol consumption, can indicate the need for professional treatment to support a person’s sober goals. 

Alcohol affects every part of daily life. Realizing that alcohol use is impacting relationships, either through strained relationships or self-isolation, or is impacting workplace efforts through compromised performance, attendance, and more, means treatment may be necessary. The effects of alcohol are not limited to one part of daily life. Rather, they can create interconnected challenges that need to be addressed. 

Hawaii Island Recovery offers comprehensive care for those overcoming alcohol addiction. We understand that it is not an isolated disease, and we create holistic healing programs to address all aspects of healing. 

Overcoming addiction is not about addressing a collection of individual symptoms. Rather, comprehensive care with a variety of healing options is necessary for holistic, transformative treatment in recovery. Our comprehensive rehab programs offer:

Our programs also put you in control of your healing, providing resources and opportunities to find what works best in your healing journey. Each person can also pivot to new ideas and opportunities at any point, ensuring that there are always new therapies to try with the support of professionals and a community of like-minded and supportive peers. 

Taking the first step into detox can be exceptionally challenging. Withdrawal symptoms, uncertainty, and change are all common during this time, and there is no “easy” way to navigate these effects. However, with the right support, it is always possible to overcome detox and withdrawal symptoms and transition to further transformative care. Hawaii Island Recovery offers around-the-clock supervised medical detox, tending to physical, emotional, and mental needs during this time. We also provide therapy, comfort, care, support, and medication-assisted treatment to address specific symptoms and challenges depending on each person’s unique needs and challenges in detox. 

After detox, each person will transition to residential treatment to further their recovery goals and skills to maintain a healthy, sober life. Our intimate, eight-person residential facility in the beautiful Hawaiian landscape offers a unique place to manage stress while focusing on your own sober goals and healing. Each person’s time in residential care is also personalized with a blend of evidence-based therapies and holistic healing options for a robust approach to lasting change, healing both the emotional aspects of addiction and tending to the damage alcohol may have done to the body and immune system. 

Hawaii Island Recovery uses up-to-date and effective proven therapies to support sober change. A base of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and other therapeutic modalities can all be used to create a personalized healing program. We also offer trauma support, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and more to empower each person to achieve their own goals in healing, both in overcoming the effects of alcohol use and addressing the underlying causes of addiction in daily life. 

We combine these proven programs with unique experiential and holistic healing options. Nature-based therapies and oceanic healing opportunities on Hawaiian beaches are available to you, with nature hikes, community and cultural outreach and engagement, yoga, meditation, and various spiritual healing practices all part of a robust and effective treatment plan. These are backed by a supportive community and the spirit of aloha that permeates our programs, bringing people together without judgment to support each other, share in challenges, and pursue new levels of healing and community in sobriety. 

Overcoming addiction requires a holistic approach to healing, from both the mental and emotional impact of addiction to the physical ramifications of alcohol use on the body. Hawaii Island Recovery blends nutritional guidance and support into each healing program through our on-site chef, Chef Cheryl, to create a healthy diet to support immune system support and healing. This focus on nutrition as a core part of effective healing also includes:

Your journey overcoming alcohol addiction does not begin or end at our walls. Rather, it is an ongoing journey of healing and discovery, and we offer robust continued care and aftercare support to our alumni to maintain sober change, prevent relapse, and overcome new challenges in sobriety. Our ongoing outpatient programs and telehealth options are always available, ensuring we are just one call away to help celebrate your milestones or overcome new challenges. We can also work with families to further support healing — both through emotional support and nutritional guidance for comprehensive healing at home — strengthening physical health, emotional healing, immune system support, and even communication in each recovery journey. 

Each journey with alcohol addiction is unique, and there is no one, single path toward a healthy life. Every person has their experiences, challenges, skills, and goals to reach. Talking to a professional about your experiences and goals, as well as the effects of alcohol on your life, is the best way to explore what a personalized healing program looks like for you. Calling to talk to our staff about needs and options, or to learn more information about our programs that can support you or your loved one, is a major step in healing from the effects of alcohol addiction. We are always available to pick up the phone and help you take that first huge step. 

Alcohol can damage the body and mind, with its effects on your immune system leading to further challenges to your health. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we understand the need for comprehensive change to embrace a life of health and sobriety, working with you to treat not just the immediate effects of alcohol addiction but also explore fundamental change in treatment. Each of our programs is built around your unique needs, tending to the unique health challenges that you face while exploring your most effective therapeutic options, all backed by the pristine healing environment of Hawaii. To learn more about how we can help create a plan to heal the emotional, physical, and immunological effects of alcohol, call (866) 390-5070.