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The liver is essential to your health, eliminating toxins and storing blood sugars that you need to live. Drinking too much and too quickly can lead to significant impairments in motor coordination, how does alcoholism kill you decision-making, impulse control, and other functions, increasing the risk of harm. Continuing to drink despite clear signs of significant impairments can result in an alcohol overdose.
- Going out for happy hour a few nights a month likely won’t cause any long-term damage.
- Even though alcohol doesn’t kill brain cells, it can negatively impact them long-term.
- Men are also twice as likely to develop cirrhosis and four times as likely to develop liver cancer.
- That’s not even taking into account all the trouble a person experiences when they try to drive or complete another task that requires concentration (not to mention that it’s illegal).
But if you find yourself drinking heavily or binge drinking often, consider reaching out for help. The good news is that when people stop drinking or just cut back, their blood pressure goes down. Alcohol is also linked to an abnormal heart rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation, which raises the risk of blood clots and stroke. Yes, alcohol, the 100% legal substance that kills more than 85,000 people each year. Binge drinking is dangerous because you’re taking in alcohol faster than your liver can process it. A common guide is to have one drink— determined by the proof of the alcohol—per hour and then have a glass of water as a spacer.
Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction
Although it’s uncommon, severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms can actually lead to death during the addiction recovery process. This can happen in a number of different ways, most commonly among alcoholics attempting recovery without medical supervision. Overdosing on alcohol is just as dangerous as overdosing on other drugs.
But drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time can also be deadly. It can cause alcohol poisoning or lead to other dangers like motor vehicle accidents. Heavy drinkers are at risk for developing alcoholic liver disease because they consume more alcohol in a shorter period. This increases the number of toxins in their bodies and the chances they will develop liver damage.
Dying from Alcoholism and How Alcohol Can Kill You
According to research, more men die from alcohol-related death than women. But women are more likely to experience domestic abuse or sexual assault when alcohol is involved. If you have a little too much alcohol once in a while, it probably won’t do lasting damage if you’re otherwise healthy. But it’s a different story if you regularly drink heavily. Alcohol can kill you if you drink it in a toxic form, and it’s important to understand what constitutes a toxic dose. The liver only has a limited capacity to metabolize alcohol, a single drink can cause significant damage if it contains more than about 20 grams (or about two shots) of pure alcohol.
It can lead to cancers in your liver, breast, and intestines. Alcohol can help cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco and other sources enter your cells more easily. Transcend Recovery specializes in recovery assistance for those people who abuse alcohol or drugs wishing to lead a life of sobriety and independence. We work closely with medical professionals ensuring that we can provide the best support there is in helping people dealing with drug or alcohol withdrawal. For people who are undergoing alcohol detox or addiction treatment, alcohol withdrawal is often one of the problems faced. However, this may be remedied with constant support and guidance from a recovery assistant expert.
Is the damage reversible?
Certain types of alcohol can kill you, by consuming too much of it in a short amount of time, or by continued long term alcohol abuse. Before you drink, you should know how dangerous these beverages are, and how alcohol can potentially be very damaging to your health. Alcohol poisoning is a serious — and sometimes deadly — result of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Drinking too much too quickly can affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex. Most people understand that drinking alcohol to excess is extremely harmful.