Author: Gary Jackson

How Much Alcohol Can Kill You? A Look at BAC, Standard Drinks, More

It can be hard to decide if you think someone is drunk enough to need medical help. But it’s best to take action right away rather than be sorry later. You may worry about what will happen to you or a friend or family member, especially if underage. But the results of not getting help in time can be far more serious. Alcohol poisoning also can occur when adults or children accidentally or intentionally drink household products that contain alcohol.

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  1. If someone is experiencing any of the above symptoms during or after drinking alcohol, a person should call 911 or get them emergency medical care.
  2. Generally, once your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.40 percent or over, it’s dangerous territory.
  3. That can lead to pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas.
  4. And that’s on top of the toll that alcohol use can take on relationships, not to mention the potential for financial strain and legal troubles.
  5. If you drink heavily or notice signs of liver damage or other health issues that may be related to drinking too much alcohol, talk to your doctor about it.

You probably already know that excessive drinking can affect you in more ways than one. Everybody has different limits, and what’s fatal to one person might not be for another. However, there are ways to prevent yourself from getting into a position where your life might be at risk. The effects of alcohol are felt a little differently from person to person as a number of factors influence the amount of alcohol each person can withstand.

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Ethyl alcohol poisoning generally results from drinking too many alcoholic beverages in a short period of time. Alcohol poisoning is a serious — and sometimes deadly — result of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Drinking too much too quickly can affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex. So it’s your liver’s job to detoxify and remove alcohol from your blood. The liver breaks down alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic substance that scars and inflames the liver.

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Some of these effects, like a relaxed mood or lowered inhibitions, might show up quickly after just one drink. Others, like loss of consciousness or slurred speech, may develop after a few drinks. Since those effects don’t last long, you might not worry much about them, especially if you don’t drink often.

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But the amount of alcohol in one drink may be much higher than those in the list above. For example, some craft beers may have four times the amount of alcohol that’s in a regular beer. Be aware of the alcohol content of what you’re drinking and adjust how much you drink based on this knowledge. If you think that someone has alcohol poisoning, seek medical care right away. It’s not necessary to have all the above symptoms before seeking medical help. A person with alcohol poisoning who has passed out or can’t wake up could die.

It also can harm your liver, which plays an important role in your immune system by making antibacterial proteins. Drinking alcohol on a regular basis can also lead to dependence, which means your body and brain have grown used to alcohol’s effects. With these conditions, you’ll only notice symptoms during alcohol intoxication or withdrawal. These symptoms typically improve quickly when alcohol use stops.

A person should seek emergency medical care to treat an alcohol overdose. Pancreatitis can be a short-term (acute) condition that clears up in a few days. But prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, which can be severe.

But once the sedative effect wears off, it can disrupt or lower the quality of your sleep. Binge drinking too often can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. It can also increase snoring and sleep apnea, making it hard to get a good night’s rest. This form of arthritis results from painful buildup of uric acid in the joints. You can get gout from eating too much food high in chemicals called purines, which include red meat, shellfish, and alcohol — especially beer and liquor.

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Heavy drinking also has been linked to intentional injuries, such as suicide, as well as accidental injury and death. Drinking also adds calories that can contribute to weight gain. And drinking raises the risk of problems in the digestive system. Medical professionals may recommend additional treatment, such as medications and therapy, for someone who has experienced an alcohol overdose. An alcohol overdose occurs when a person has so much alcohol in their bloodstream that certain bodily functions may begin to shut down.