Alcohol or ethanol or ethyl alcohol is an ingredient that is found in wine, beer, or spirits. Alcohol is a ‘sedative hypnotic’ drug. This means it depresses the central nervous system at high doses. Here in this article, I will outline the truth about alcohol
Why do people drink alcohol?
There are various reasons why people drink alcohol. Some of them are discussed below. Here is the truth about alcohol.
Easily available
Another reason why people drink alcohol is that it is easily available in supermarkets.
Pressure from peers
This is one of the major reasons why people drink alcohol. Peer pressure or pressure from friends makes one drink alcohol because the user can feel isolated and often discarded from of group.
for recreation
Whenever there is a moment to celebrate then people opt for alcohol. Drinking with friends and close ones can be a rather fun activity. Even in social situations like at parties, people drink because it makes them feel happy and content. it is a fun experience for most people to have alcohol in their hands.
Types of alcohol
The various types of alcohol are listed below. Usually, alcohol is divided into two main categories they are:
- Undistilled Drinks: Beer, Wine
- Distilled Drinks (Liquors and Spirits): Gin, Brandy, Whiskey, Rum, Tequila, Vodka
The wine alcohol content is about 12%. Similarly, the vodka alcohol content is 40% and the champagne alcohol content is about 12 percent
How long does alcohol stay in your system?
The urine test can find alcohol within 12 and 48 hours after drinking. Whereas, more advanced techniques of testing can detect alcohol in the urine for 80 hours after the last drink. Likewise, alcohol breath tests can measure alcohol within a shorter amount of time which happens to be about 24 hours on average. so on average, to answer the question, how long does it take for alcohol to leave your system can vary.
How long does alcohol stay in your blood?
Alcohol can get removed at about 0.015 per hour. Alcohol can appear in a blood test for up to 12 hours after consuming it.
What is alcohol intolerance?
Alcohol intolerance can result in immediate reactions after drinking alcohol. The major signs and symptoms are as follows
- Facial redness (flushing)
- Red, itchy skin bumps (hives)
- Worsening of pre-existing asthma
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Low blood pressure
- Nausea and vomiting
Caffeine and alcohol
For more the truth about alcohol, we will take a look at the relationship between caffeine and alcohol. It is not recommended to mix caffeine and alcohol. Here is what you should know.
Caffeine is a stimulant that can make you alert and energetic. However, alcohol is a depressant that can result in sleep or less alertness.
When these two are mixed, the user may feel more alert and energetic as the stimulant can hide the depressants’ effects.
Does alcohol thin your blood?
Alcohol can cause an increase in the Good cholesterol level. Good cholesterol can also be called HDL. A recent study shows that alcohol can cause thinning of the blood.
Does alcohol kill brain cells?
Studies show that even with heavy drinking, alcohol does not kill the cells in the brain. however, it can damage the endings of the neurons, which are termed as dendrites, and thus leads to neurons having difficulty in relaying messages from one neuron to another neuron.
What is an Alcohol allergy?
If you have an alcohol allergy, your immune system over-reacts to alcohol. If you have alcohol intolerance, your digestive system doesn’t process alcohol properly
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
If you have an alcohol allergy, then the immune system overreacts to the consumed alcohol. Whereas, if you have alcohol intolerance, then your digestive system cannot process alcohol properly.
Some of the symptoms of alcohol allergy are as follows;
- Itchy mouth, eyes, or nose
- Hives, eczema, or itchiness on your skin
- Swelling of your face, throat, or other body parts
- Nasal congestion, wheezing, or difficulty breathing
- Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Dizziness, light-headedness, or loss of consciousness
Inflammatory damage
The liver helps to break down and get rid of harmful compounds from the body, including alcohol. In long-term drinkers, this process is disturbed. it can lead to chronic inflammation of the liver and also a high risk for developing liver disease. This is one of the truths of alcohol.
Sugar levels
The pancreas is an organ that regulates the body’s insulin usage and response to glucose. When the pancreas is affected by alcohol the pancreas gets damaged. This leads to the risk for low blood sugar or also medically termed hypoglycemia. a damaged pancreas can also lead to the body preventing from producing less insulin to manage the sugar. This can lead to hyperglycemia or high sugar amount in the blood.
So it is advised for people living with diabetes to stop drinking alcohol.
Central nervous system
Alcohol can cause slurred speech. Alcohol can limit brain and body communication. This can lead to communication more difficult. Balancing can get hard. so it is safe not to drive after drinking alcohol.
Dependency
Alcohol can cause dependency; usually, the dependency is physical and emotional. Alcohol withdrawal can be life treating. and people require professional help to break the chain of addiction to alcohol. Some of the common alcohol withdrawal symptoms include
- Anxiety
- Nervousness
- Nausea
- Tremors
- High blood pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Heavy sweating
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The Circulatory system
Alcohol can cause heart-related issues to a greater degree than those who don’t consume alcohol.
The Immune System.
The body’s natural immune function can get affected or reduced when the alcohol is consumed in large amounts
Final thoughts
Hence, Today We discussed the truth about alcohol. Alcohol is consumed in large amounts around the world. People use it for recreational purposes. The majority of them are dependent on alcohol because of their long-term usage of alcohol. It causes a great deal of distress in the health of the consumer. So it is best advised to limit or not even use or quit alcohol for good health. For more information on alcohol please visit this link
Useful Resources
- Northern Illinois Recovery
- North Jersey Recovery Center
- Kingsway Recovery Center
- New Directions For Women
- Free By The Sea
- Telstone IOP
- Achieve Wellness & Recovery