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For many people, it may be because of work pressure, life or alcohol addiction that leads to drinking too much alcohol. However, not all are aware of the acute as well as the chronic health effects.
1. What is drinking too much alcohol?
Many people choose to drink alcohol because of its relaxing effects and as a healthy social experience. But sometimes, drinking too much alcohol in a short time causes alcohol poisoning, which can lead to serious health complications.
As a stimulant, the nervous system will not be easy for you to realize you are drinking too much alcohol because you lose control in movement, decision-making, nervous system control, brain, breathing rate. .., until more serious signs are encountered. Some symptoms of alcohol overdose include confusion, difficulty staying awake, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, irritated skin, slow reactions, low body temperature, and even fainting.
2. What causes drinking too much alcohol?
Alcohol is a stimulant that affects your central nervous system. It is considered a depressant because it slows down your speech, movement, and reaction times. It also affects all your organs. An alcohol overdose occurs when you drink more alcohol than your body can safely handle.
Normally, when you drink alcohol, the stomach and small intestine quickly absorb the alcohol, so the alcohol enters the bloodstream at a fast rate. The more alcohol you drink, the more alcohol enters your bloodstream. The liver then helps metabolize the alcohol, but it can only break down a certain amount at a time. What the liver cannot break down is redirected to the rest of the body.
Although everyone metabolizes alcohol at a different rate, the body can generally safely process about one unit of pure alcohol per hour (usually estimated as the amount of alcohol in a small glass of wine or half a liter of beer). If you drink more than this and your body can't break it down fast enough, it builds up in your body, posing a risk of alcohol poisoning.
Uống quá nhiều rượu trong một thời gian ngắn sẽ gây ngộ độc rượu
3. Risk factors for drinking too much alcohol
Anyone who drinks too much alcohol too quickly can be in danger. In addition, there are some common risk factors that can make alcohol poisoning worse:
Age: Young adults and adults are more likely to drink excessively, lead to more alcohol poisoning. This problem can be considered on the job characteristics, career stage and surrounding relationships. Gender: According to the results of some surveys, men are more likely to drink too much alcohol than women. Body size: Your height and weight determine how quickly your body absorbs alcohol. Smaller people are more susceptible to the effects of drinking too much alcohol than larger people. Other health conditions: If you have other health conditions, such as diabetes, you may be more at risk of alcohol poisoning from drinking too much. Drug use: If you combine alcohol and drugs, you may not feel the effects of alcohol. This puts you at risk of drinking more, leading to alcohol poisoning.
4. The danger of drinking too much alcohol
When alcohol abuse will lead to many serious harms to the health of the user. Drinking too much alcohol can damage your pancreas, which digests food and monitors your blood glucose levels. Low blood sugar can be a sign of alcohol poisoning. Besides, when entering the stomach, alcohol will weaken the protective epithelium of the stomach, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding due to drinking a lot of alcohol, causing stomach upset.
In addition, 90% of alcohol is metabolized in the liver, which is why the liver is especially at risk of damage from binge drinking. In the liver, alcohol is converted to acetaldehyde. This is toxic to most organ systems in the body. The liver then converts acetaldehyde to acetate by the enzymes ALDH and glutathione. Acetate is less toxic and is broken down by cells in the body into energy and CO2. However, the liver can only produce a certain amount of enzyme per hour. Therefore, when the amount of alcohol exceeds the metabolic capacity of the liver, acetaldehyde will stagnate in the body, causing diseases such as mental - behavioral disorders, nervous system degeneration, intoxication, stomach and heart diseases. circuit. In particular, acetaldehyde destroys liver cells, increasing the incidence of liver diseases, typically: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis.
Khi lạm dụng rượu bia sẽ dẫn đến nhiều tác hại nghiệm trọng đối với sức khỏe
5. How to handle people with alcohol poisoning?
People who drink too much alcohol are usually treated first in the emergency room. The emergency room doctor will monitor your initial signs, including your heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature. If you develop more serious symptoms, such as seizures, your doctor may need to provide additional treatments, including:
Intravenous fluids. Supplemental oxygen is given through a mask or a tube inserted into the nose. Take a nutrient supplement (such as thiamin or glucose) to prevent additional complications of alcohol poisoning, such as brain damage. Medicines to stop seizures. In addition, you should closely follow the development of the drunk person, do not leave them alone; Provide relevant information necessary for the doctor; support the patient to lie on their side to avoid apnea, induce vomiting...
6. How can you prevent drinking too much alcohol?
With the health risks mentioned above, it is extremely necessary to prevent drinking too much alcohol. You can prevent alcohol poisoning by limiting your alcohol intake. You might consider sticking with another beverage or abstaining from alcohol altogether. Seek help if you have problems with alcoholism.
If you have relatives and friends who often experience alcoholism, you can also give useful tips to support your loved one through this article.
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References: niaaaa.nih.gov, healthline.com,
