Alcoholic Beverages

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The blood alcohol level differs from person to person, which makes calculating sobriety and moderating particularly tricky. Weight is the main factor in how quickly one processes alcoholic beverages, yet metabolic rates, medication, food consumed that day and the type/amount of alcohol consumed all play a part in how intoxicated you become. Over time, some people find their tolerance increasing so what may have gotten them wasted last month now seems to do very little, prompting them to drinking more. The reality is that physical and mental impairment can be found at the bottom of the first drink. The legal limits for intoxication are defined as .08 to .10 in most states. This could be anywhere from 1-3 drinks in an hour, depending on alcohol content and weight. However, the recommended drinking rate is one drink per hour.

The alcoholic liver hardly resembles a healthy liver. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages often causes liver cirrhosis, fatty liver (steatosis) and chronic hepatitis -- all of which are part of alcoholic liver disease. The accumulation of fat within hepatocytes can lead to inflammation and scarring. Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by over-consumption and causes the degeneration of hepatocytes, inflammation with neutrophils and even aggregations of abnormal proteins.

These inner failures can manifest themselves as severe liver dysfunction -- in addition to jaundice, neurological dysfunction like hepatic encephalopathy, fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites), bleeding of the esophagus, blood clotting and comas. Cirrhosis can lead to liver disease death, blood coagulation, jaundice, ascites, edema, bleeding esophagus and a whole host of abnormalities. Alcohol-damaged liver cells allow excess amounts of harmful byproducts to enter the brain, which is why hepatic encephalopathy is linked to binge drinking. Alcohol abusers who typically consume alcohol without eating suffer an increased risk of liver damage.

Alcohol poisoning can occur from the over-consumption of alcoholic drinks -- notably beer. Typically the body can flush out alcohol in an hour or so. Drinking several beers in an hour will increase blood alcohol concentration, in which case the central nervous system's gag reflex, heart rate and breathing capacity are all diminished, leading to choking, comas and death. Binge drinking creates the same effect in the body as drinking ethanol alcohol, rubbing alcohol or household cleaners.

Someone with alcohol poisoning needs immediate medical attention, intravenous fluids, breathing support and vitamins. Symptoms can closely resemble normal inebriation, with confusion and stupor, vomiting and passing out. However, in some cases breathing becomes slow or irregular, seizures occur, the skin turns blue and the body temperature drops.

A new study revealed that roughly 50% of pregnant women in France are uneducated about the dangers of consuming alcoholic beverages while carrying an unborn baby. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most preventable prenatal disorder. Characteristics include facial abnormalities and decreased brain cell count, as well as learning and behavioral problems that can last life-long. While some people speculate that a glass of wine here and there won't do any damage, most doctors recommend to avoid any alcoholic drink altogether when pregnant, to avoid the chance.

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