Preview

How Alcohol Processes Through the Body

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
263 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Alcohol Processes Through the Body
Alcohol is consumed orally and depending on how strong the alcohol, your weight, gender, or you ethnicity determines how fast it travels through your body. Alcohol is classified as a depressant because it slows the body down. It affects your motor skills such as talking and perception.
Alcohol travels through the mouth down the esophagus directly into the stomach. There it is absorbed into the stomach and travels into the bloodstream. According to For Dummies.com says that a majority of the alcohol you drink is absorbed in the small intestine then goes to a large blood vessel leading directly to the liver.
For Dummies.com states,” The normal, healthy liver can process about 1/2 ounce of pure alcohol (that’s 6 to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounce of spirits) in an hour. The rest flows on to your heart.” Your heart contracts less when alcohol is in your system, lowering your blood pressure. Alcohol then flows through your hearts bloodstream to your lungs.
Alcohol can be smelled on your breath now, taking a breathalyzer test determines your BAL. For example, speech and the ability to walk are impaired the more you drink. Your vision may become blurred as well.
Alcohol abused for a lengthy period of time can be fatal to the body. According to WebMD.com excessive drinking can lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, anemia, depression, dementia, seisures, gout, high blood pressure, nerve damage, infectious disease, and pancreatitis. Alcohol abuse has costs that do not just drain your wallet, but your entire

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Alcohol is a drug found in beer, wine, and liquor that causes intoxication. Alcohol can impair a person’s physical and emotional state. Intoxication is the physical and mental changes produced by drinking alcohol (Friedman, Stine, and Whaten 2242). Some people believe that beer and wine are safer than liquor which leads them to believe that it is okay to drink. The truth is that one 12 ounce bottle of beer or a 5 ounce glass of wine is equal to the amount of alcohol in a 1.5 ounce shot or liquor and can cause the same effects (“Facts About Alcohol”). Short term effects of alcohol include nausea, vomiting, dehydration, coma, death, blackout, memory loss, poor vision, reduced reaction time, and loss of judgement along with self control (Friedman,…

    • 941 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Unit 1 Lab questions

    • 568 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Alcohol is a depressent that makes you drowsy and slows down your ability to think and react. Alcohol can slow your breathing, heart rate,…

    • 568 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    DATA Course Notes

    • 6252 Words
    • 26 Pages

    1. Alcohol does not need to be broken down into smaller molecules in order to be absorbed; can pass directly into bloodstream from mouth, esophagus, or stomach; stomach breaks down the molecules into smaller molecules and passes into large intestine that allows alcohol to go into bloodstream…

    • 6252 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    RSA Exam

    • 10133 Words
    • 82 Pages

     Drugs  Medication Effect of Alcohol by BAC Level BAC Level Effect 0.10 - 0.50 Average individual appears normal Mild euphoria, talkativeness, decreased inhibitions, decreased 0.30 - 1.20 attention, impaired judgment, increased reaction time Emotional instability, loss of critical judgment, impairment of memory 0.90 - 2.50 and comprehension, decreased sensory response, mild muscular incoordination Confusion, dizziness, exaggerated emotions (anger, fear, grief) impaired visual perception, decreased pain sensation, impaired 1.80 - 3.00 balance, staggering gait, slurred speech, moderate muscular incoordination Apathy, impaired consciousness, stupor, significantly decreased 2.70 - 4.00 response to stimulation, severe muscular incoordination, inability to stand or walk, vomiting, incontinence of urine and feces Unconsciousness, depressed or abolished reflexes, abnormal body 3.50 - 5.00 temperature, coma, possible death from respiratory paralysis Alcohol content in different drinks Drink Alcohol content Light beer…

    • 10133 Words
    • 82 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    It’s no secret alcohol consumption can cause major health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver and injuries sustained in automobile accidents. The world health organization estimates that more than two million people each year die from the effects of drinking, either through illness, overdoses or accidents. So that each person who drinks or thinking about drinking can make informed choices.…

    • 288 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Once you start to drink it starts to affect your body immediately, you might be a lightweight if you weigh less, but for heavier people it will take a few more. Approximately 20% of alcohol is absorbed through the stomach. The 80% other percent is absorbed through the small intestine. The way you get drunk is that you liver can only process a one ounce of liquor an hour. If you drink…

    • 590 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcoholism not only affects others but worst of all harms you and your family. Most of the harm you are doing is to your organs. Even a sip of alcohol can last up to two hours inside your body system. Drinking comes with having various…

    • 629 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. Alcohol affects every organ in the body. Individual reactions to alcohol vary and are influenced by many factors such as age, gender, physical condition, how quickly the alcohol was consumed, etc. Alcohol starts to affect the brain…

    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The alteration of behavior is the first effect of alcohol affecting the brain. The brain is the central control system that controls muscle movement and memory process. The effect of alcohol on the brain slows down its function and interferes with muscle movement and memory process. When the brain begins to slow down it interferes with speech, coordination, balance, and the ability to walk. According to a clinical study of Acute Effects of Alcohol…, “Alcohol consumption has immediate effects on multiple cognitive-motor processing domains and leads to damage of multiple attentional abilities” (Zheng, et al). When the effects of alcohol affect the memory it can lead to blackouts and short-term…

    • 719 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    enters the bloodstream it travels to the brain. Alcohol can affect millions of nerve cells…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Writing Assignment one

    • 859 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Alcohol is a powerful drug. It acts on the body primarily as a depressant and slows down the brain’s activities. If you continue to abuse alcohol it can lead to alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is also called alcoholism. You are physically or mentally addicted to alcohol. You have a strong need, or a craving, to drink. Long term heavy drinking harms your liver, nervous system, heart, and brain. It can cause health problems or make them worse. These problems include: cirrhosis or pancreatitis, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, including breast cancer, stroke, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Alcohol abuse also can contribute to stomach problems, interactions between medicines, alcohol, and sexual problems. It can lead to violence, accidents, social isolation, and problems at work, school, or home. Drinking also makes symptoms of mental health problems worse. When you have a drinking problem and a mental health problem, it is called a dual diagnosis. It is very important to treat all mental health problems, such as depression.…

    • 859 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Drug Education Paper

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's perceptions, emotions, movement, vision, and hearing. Alcohol can help a person feel more relaxed or less anxious. More alcohol causes greater changes in the brain, resulting in intoxication. People who have overused alcohol may stagger, lose their coordination, and slur their speech. They will probably be confused and disoriented. Intoxication can make someone very friendly and talkative or very aggressive and angry. People who are intoxicated may think they're moving properly when they're not. They may act totally out of character. When large amounts of alcohol are consumed in a short period of time, alcohol poisoning can result. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom of alcohol poisoning. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result. From a very young age, kids see advertising messages showing beautiful people enjoying life and alcohol. And because many…

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Bacon, Bruce MD. "What are the Myths vs. Facts About Alcohol & the Liver?" New York: American Liver Foundation. 2003…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, and liquor among others can take a serious toll on the human body. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (https://www.niaaa.nih.gov)…

    • 1295 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The student information site on drugs of Virginia Tech University state that a person’s brain is affected by even small amounts of alcohol. The most vulnerable cells of the brain affected by alcohol are those associated with memory, attention, sleep, coordination, and judgment. This is why you’re more likely to do things you might not usually do. Studying for a test can be hard even after one drink.…

    • 643 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays