What happens when you drink alcohol

If you drink alcohol, you can’t digest alcohol. It is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and then travels to every body part. The brain is the first to be affected by alcohol, and then the kidneys, lungs, and the liver. The effects on your body’s health are dependent on your gender, age, and weight, as well as the type of alcohol you drink.

The way that alcohol moves through your body

Your bloodstream transports alcohol swiftly to your kidneys, brain, and lungs, as well as your liver. It is estimated that the liver takes about approximately an hour to break down the alcohol in one unit. This is contingent upon:

• Your weight
• your gender
• Your age
• the speed at which your body converts food into energy
• how much food you’ve had
• the strength and nature of alcohol
• any medication you’re taking

Weight

If you are overweight, it is possible to feel any effects from alcohol quicker due to the fact that you have less tissue that can absorb alcohol.

Age

The majority of children and youngsters are smaller and weigh less than adults. Alcohol can have a devastating effect on them. The brains of children and young people continue to develop, which means even tiny amounts of alcohol could cause harm.

Your body’s shape changes as you get older. You’ve gained body fat and less water. This alters the way your body handles alcohol. If you consume the same amount of alcohol that you consumed in your adulthood, You feel the effects more intensely. People who are older and drink alcohol excessively are more susceptible to mental and physical health issues, which include:

• stroke
• heart disease
• cancer
• depression
• confusion
• dementia

Gender

Women are more affected by alcohol than males. Women are typically smaller and weigh less than males, and also have less tissue that can take in alcohol.

A woman’s body contains greater fat and, as a result, has less water in it than a man’s body. If both have the same height and consume the same amount of alcohol, the alcohol will be stronger in the female’s blood than in the male’s. The woman will be drunk faster and experience the effect for a longer time.

Alcohol stays in women’s blood longer. Women have lower levels of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol.

Women experience the effects of alcohol faster when they are having a period and also during Ovulation. Contraceptives can cause the opposite effect, as it takes longer to remove alcohol from the body. Women who are in this situation could drink more alcohol than they realize before she is able to feel the consequences.

Stomach

You absorb 20 % of alcohol in your bloodstream via your stomach and the remainder in your bloodstream via the small intestinal.

Consuming a small amount of alcohol increases your appetite as it enhances digestion. The consumption of a large quantity of alcohol reduces your need and may result in the development of malnutrition.

It is possible to develop stomach ulcers after drinking excessive alcohol. It can occur when the gastric juices stimulated by alcohol are mixed with the high alcohol content and irritate the stomach lining.

Bloodstream

When alcohol gets into the bloodstream, it expands the blood vessels. This can lead to:

• the skin is blushing due to more blood flow to the skin’s surface
• an intermittent sensation of warmth
• rapid drop in body temperature
• a decrease in blood pressure

Brain

Alcohol sluggishes the parts of your brain that regulate the way your body functions. It affects your actions as well as the ability to make decisions and keep your mind in check. Alcohol affects your mood and may cause you to feel depressed or irritable.

When the amount of alcohol present in the bloodstream grows, the way you behave and your bodily functions alter. In the beginning, you’ll be feeling more relaxed and happier; however, after a few drinks, you’ll likely:

• slur your words
• are experiencing blurred vision
• Lose your balance

There is no quick method to get sober. It takes a while before your body can go through the process of metabolizing alcohol. In the morning, following a hard night of drinking, you’re likely to have an elevated amount of alcohol within your bloodstream.

It is possible that you are not drunk or able to operate a vehicle. The legal limit for alcohol consumption for driving is how much alcohol is present in your blood, breath, or urine.

Kidneys

The diuretic effect of alcohol is that it increases and can increase the amount of urine produced. If you drink alcohol, you will need to go to the bathroom more frequently. This can cause dehydration and thirst.

Lungs

When alcohol is fizzy, you can breathe it in. Through your lungs, the alcohol is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream.

Liver

If you consume liquor, the liver oxidizes 95 percent of it. It is the reason your liver transforms alcohol into water or carbon monoxide. The liver is able only to process 1 unit of alcohol in an hour.

Drinking on an empty stomach or with an

In the event that you take a drink on an empty stomach, it will pass directly into the bloodstream. If you’ve eaten prior to drinking, the alcohol level absorption decreases but does not end.

Different types of drinks

Alcohol, when mixed with water or fruit juice, is absorbed more slowly. Alcohol mixed with mixers or fizzy drinks is absorbed much faster.