Alcohol Quiz: Alcoholism & Health Effects
Long-term heavy alcohol consumption can cause:
Over time, heavy alcohol consumption can cause a number of problems, including pancreatitis, cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, heart disease, heart attack, some types of cancer, high blood pressure, and alcohol abuse.
Symptoms of alcohol poisoning can include seizures.
Alcohol is a depressant. Alcohol poisoning symptoms include confusion, vomiting, slow or irregular breathing, passing out, pale skin, low body temperature (hypothermia), seizures, and coma. If you suspect someone is experiencing alcohol poisoning call 911 immediately.
What are symptoms of alcoholism?
Symptoms of alcoholism, or alcohol dependence, include:
- Craving: Persistent thoughts about drinking with an irresistible urge to do so
- Loss of control: This includes not being able to stop drinking once started, drinking more than intended, or drinking despite saying you won't
- Physical dependence: Signs of dependence may include blackouts, and unexplained injuries, along with withdrawal symptoms (sweating, shaking, nausea, anxiety) when blood alcohol levels drop
- Tolerance: over time, a person's body needs more alcohol to get the same effects they used to with smaller amounts
In most states in the U.S., you are legally driving under the influence with a blood alcohol concentration of…
In the U.S., you are legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%. When you reach a BAC of 0.08% you are notably impaired. Even at a lower BAC of 0.05% your reflexes are slowed and coordination is affected. The only way to eliminate alcohol from the body is digestion, which takes time. An average person takes about 1 hour to rid themselves of the alcohol from an average drink. In BAC terms, it takes 45 minutes to lower BAC by 0.01%. Caffeine and cold showers won't do the trick and may only cause you to feel more sober than you actually are which could lead to accidents and other problems.
How long does it take to have enough alcohol in your blood to measure?
It takes about 30 to 60 minutes for alcohol to reach the bloodstream where it can be measured. When you first swallow a drink, it goes to the stomach, which breaks it down before passing to the small intestine. This happens very quickly on an empty stomach, but can take longer if you are full. From the small intestine, alcohol is absorbed directly into the blood where it is circulated until it reaches the brain. Other factors that influence how quickly alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream include how strong a drink is, your body weight, whether you are male or female, how fast you're drinking, medications you are taking, how much alcohol tolerance you already have, and illness.
What is the effect of alcohol on food?
Alcohol causes people to eat more. The reason is that when you drink, you increase your blood sugar (glucose) and the body responds by producing more insulin to remove the glucose. Low blood glucose is what is responsible for feelings for lethargy, tiredness, shakiness, dizziness, and sweating. This feeling causes the body to crave carbohydrates to help alleviate these symptoms.
If a woman and a man are the same weight, the woman will have a higher BAC because…
A woman will have a higher BAC than a man of the same weight because women tend to have more body fat and less water. This can cause women to reach higher concentrations of blood alcohol and become more impaired than men, even when drinking the same amount.
At a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.39%, we can infer that…
In a patient that is not a chronic alcohol abuser, a blood alcohol concentration of 0.39% is very high, and can result in death.
- 0.02% BAC (about 2 drinks): Slight loss of judgment, relaxation, feeling of warmth, mood changes
- 0.05% (3 drinks): Exaggerated behavior, impaired judgment, lower alertness, lowered inhibitions, usually feeling good
- 0.08% (4 drinks, legally intoxicated): Loss of balance, slurred speech, slowed reaction time, impaired reasoning and memory, lowered of self-control
- 0.10% (5 drinks): Slow reaction time, slurred speech, loss of coordination, slowed thinking
- 0.15% (7 drinks): Loss of balance, vomiting is possible, much less muscle control than normal
- At 0.29%: Severe motor impairment, irregular breathing
> 0.39 %: Death likely from low blood pressure, breathing stops, drowning in vomit
There are many types of alcohol. Intoxication as we know it is caused by…
Alcohol intoxication is caused by a type of alcohol called ethanol, which is one of the most commonly abused drugs in the world. There are other types of alcohols that are chemically related to ethanol but do not have the same effect on the body. Two-thirds of adults in the U.S. consume alcoholic beverages, and up to 10% abuse ethanol. A standard drink contains about 0.5 ounces of ethanol, which is equal to:
- 12 ounces of regular beer (which is about 5% alcohol)
- 5 ounces of wine (about 12% alcohol)
- 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirit (about 80% alcohol)
What is cirrhosis?
Cirrhosis is a progressive disease in which the liver is damaged and becomes scarred (fibrosis). A healthy liver can regenerate if it becomes damaged. When the damage to the liver is severe or long-lasting, the liver scars. When scar tissue replaces healthy tissue, this creates a partial blockage of blood flow through the organ.
Two glasses of wine consumed by a pregnant woman twice per week has been found to be safe for the developing fetus.
There is no amount of alcohol that is safe for a fetus during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol any time while pregnant can cause problems for the baby such as premature birth, birth defects and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
About how many people die each year due to alcohol abuse in the United States?
About 88,000 people in the U.S. die each year as a result of alcohol abuse. Further, alcohol is a factor in more than half the homicides, suicides, and traffic accidents in the country.
Images provided by:
1. iStock
2. iStock
3. iStock
4. iStock
5. iStock
6. iStock
7. iStock
8. iStock
9. iStock
10. iStock
11. iStock
12. iStock
Sources:
CDC. Alcohol and Public Health. Fact Sheets- Alcohol Use and Your Health.
<http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm>
NIAAA. Alcohol Overdose: The Dangers of Drinking Too Much.
<http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/AlcoholOverdoseFactsheet/Overdosefact.htm>
Collegedrinkingprevention.gov. Facts About Alcohol Overdose (or Alcohol Poisoning).
https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/parentsandstudents/students/factsheets/factsaboutalcoholpoisoning.aspx
NCADD. Learn About Alcohol: Signs and Symptoms.
<https://ncadd.org/learn-about-alcohol/signs-and-symptoms>
Drinkdriving.org. Worldwide Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Limits.
http://www.drinkdriving.org/worldwide_drink_driving_limits.php
Drinkinganddriving.org. Blood Alcohol Content (aka BAC).
http://www.drinkinganddriving.org/Articles/blood-alcohol-content.html
NIH. Alcohol Alert.
<http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa22.htm>
Feinman, L. Absorption and utilization of nutrients in alcoholism. Alcohol Health & Research World 13(3):207-210, 1989.
Watson, R.R., and Watzl, B., eds. Nutrition and Alcohol. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1992. pp. 75-99.
Sato, M., and Lieber, C.S. Hepatic vitamin A depletion after chronic ethanol consumption in baboons and rats. Journal of Nutrition 111:2015-2023, 1981.
National Highway Safety Administration. A Guide to Understanding Blood Alcohol Concentration and Alcohol Impairment.
<http://www.nhtsa.gov/links/sid/ABCsBACWeb/page2.htm>
NIAAA. Alcohol Alert. Are Women More Vulnerable to Alcohol's Effects?
<http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa46.htm>
University of Notre Dame. Center for Student Health Promotion and Well-being. Absorption Rate Factors.
<http://oade.nd.edu/educate-yourself-alcohol/blood-alcohol-concentration/absorbtion-rate-factors/>
International Center for Alcohol Policies. Alcohol.
<http://icap.org/PolicyTools/Toolkits/ResponsibleHospitalityGuides/AServersGuide/Alcohol/tabid/142/Default.aspx>
University of Notre Dame. Your Body and Alcohol.
<http://oade.nd.edu/educate-yourself-alcohol/your-body-and-alcohol/>
CDC. Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).
<http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/Impaired_Driving/bac.html>
University of Minnesota. Boyton Health Service. Alcohol and Other Drugs.
<http://www.bhs.umn.edu/alcohol-drugs/blood-alcohol-concentration.htm>
California Courts Web Site. Myths about alcohol, other drugs and DUI.
<http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/stopteendui/teens/facts/societys-mixed-messages.cfm>
Medscape. Ethanol Toxicity.
<http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1010220-overview>
CDC. Alcohol and Public Health. Frequently Asked Questions.
<http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm>
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). Cirrhosis.
<http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/Cirrhosis/index.aspx>
March of Dimes. Smoking, alcohol and drugs. Alcohol during pregnancy.
<http://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/alcohol-during-pregnancy.aspx>
Medscape. Ethanol Toxicity.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1010220-overview
Uptodate.com. Ethanol intoxication in adults.
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/ethanol-intoxication-in-adults
NIAAA. What is a standard drink?
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/what-standard-drink
This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information: 
THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the RxList Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.
&Copy 1996-2022 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved.