Print: Short Term Physical Alcohol Effects, Alcohol Poisoning

Short Term Physical Alcohol Effects, Alcohol Poisoning

Written by: Wendy Moelker, Psychologist in charge, tutor, Emergis center for mental health care, Goes, the Netherlands.

First version: 22 Jul 2008. Latest version: 19 Feb 2011.

Abstract:
This article describes the successive effects accompanying increasing levels of alcohol in the blood.

Question:

What are the alcohol effects?

Answer:

Alcohol is converted in the body into acetaldehyde. This substance is responsible for, among others, hangovers. These chemical conversions take place in the liver.

Furthermore, the following changes take place when drinking alcohol (Alcohol level in per mille, 1/1000):

Alcohol level	For women	For men	Effect
0-0.5	About 1 glass	About 2 glasses	The blood vessels under the skin dilate, causing a warm feeling. Taste, smell and vision are reduced a little, and also the sense of pain is reduced.
0.5-1.5	About 1 to 5 glasses	About 2-7 glasses	There is a change of mood and behavior. There is overestimation. A numbing effect starts to play a role. Memory decreases, judging situations become more difficult, and speed of reaction is reduced. Muscle coordination is affected, vision changes.
1.5-3	About 5-9 glasses	About 7-14 glasses	All the above-mentioned effects are enhanced. Behavior becomes excessively emotional. Self-criticism disappear. The face becomes red and gets swollen, pupils dilate. The chance of nausea and vomiting is high.
3-4	9-13 glasses	14-19 glasses	The senses get numbed. The drinker is totally confused. He hardly notices what he hears and sees.
4			The risk of unconsciousness is very high. There is danger to life. He or she can go into a coma and possibly die of a heart attack or respiratory arrest.

More Information

Definition of alcohol addiction Positive and negative effects of alcohol use Why do people drink alcohol? Long term alcohol effects Alcoholism: Becoming an alcoholic, Becoming an alcohol addict What happens to alcohol when it enters the body? Is alcohol addiction hereditary? Liver cirrhosis Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome and what can you do for somebody who has this disease Do people with an alcohol problem often have psychological/psychiatric problems? How long should I stop drinking to get rid of my dependence? The pressure of friends to drink alcohol Handling of withdrawal symptoms Helping people with an alcohol addiction Children of alcoholics Naltrexone (Revia, Trexan) medicine for treating alcohol addiction Antabuse/disulfiram medicines for alcohol addiction All articles about substance abuse

Sources, references: http://web4health.info/en/answers/source/add-alcohol-physical.htm



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