Beer bellies, red noses and more

I thought it would be interesting to post some of the wierd things that happen to your body when you drink a lot, some of these are search terms that I keep seeing pop up.

So..

 Q: Why do some alcoholics have red noses?

A: Dry skin and broken veins
Alcohol causes the body to lose too much water. It also dilates the blood vessels near the surface of the skin causing red veins, especially around the nose and cheeks. 

Q: Why do many alcoholics have “beer Bellies”?

A: Alcohol is high in empty calories (a pint of beer or two glasses of wine carries around the same calories as a bar of chocolate.) 

Q: My husband smells bad, is it because of alcohol?

A: Ever woken up with bad breath? Between five and 10% of the alcohol you have drunk is excreted through your urine, breath and sweat. 

The above information came from: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Alcohol-misuse/Pages/Shorttermeffects.aspx?url=Pages/What-happens.aspx

Q: Why do people get hangovers?

A:

1. Drinking too much alcohol

Believe it or not, the number one reason we get hangovers

is because we drink too much alcohol. Our body can only

process one alcoholic drink per hour, so when we consume

multiple drinks in a short amount of time, we run the risk of a

nasty hangover.

2. Dehydration

Alcohol is a diuretic and causes our system to shed water.

The more water we lose the more dehydrated we get and the

more likely we are to experience a hangover. The headache

of a hangover is actually caused by the shrinkage of our

brain dura (the membrane that encases our brain) due to

dehydration.

3. Congeners

Congeners are natural by-products of alcohol fermentation.

They are impurities contained in alcoholic beverages that

enhance the symptoms of a hangover. Alcoholic beverages

that are darker in color contain more congeners.

4. Reduction in Vitamin B

Processing alcohol drains our system. We expend energy

metabolizing alcohol and its byproducts. One side effect

is the reduction in vitamin B. Without vitamin B we feel

fatigued and tired.

5. Not eating before drinking

Drinking on an empty stomach can increase the likelihood

that we will experience the irritating effects of alcohol in our

gastrointestinal tract. Eating something before you start

drinking can reduce the heartburn or upset stomach of a

hangover.

This is just something that I found interesting:

Effects of alcohol at various Blood Alcohol Concentration levels:

BAC (%) and Physical and mental effects

.01 – .03

No apparent effects. Slight mood elevation. In

California, you will test as legally impaired at

.01% BAC if you are under 21. It is illegal to

drive or bike at this level.

.04 – .06

Feeling of relaxation. Sensation of warmth.

Minor impairment of reasoning and memory.

.07 – .09

Mild impairment of balance, speech, vision,

control. In California, you will test as legally impaired

at .08% BAC if you are over 21. It is illegal to drive or

bike at this level.

.10 – .12

Significant impairment of motor coordination

and loss of judgment. Speech may be slurred.

.13 – .15

Gross impairment of motor control. Blurred

vision and major loss of balance. Onset of

dysphoria (anxiety, restlessness).

.16 – .20

Dysphoria predominates. Nausea may appear.

Drinker has the appearance of “sloppy drunk.”

.25 – .30

Severe intoxication. Needs assistance walking.

Mental confusion. Dysphoria with nausea and some

vomiting.

.35 – .40

Loss of consciousness. Brink of coma.

.40 and up

Onset of coma. Likelihood of death due to respiratory failure

The above information came from http://www.stanford.edu/group/aab/health&safety.htm

Hope that answered some questions. I know that I didn’t know a lot of the above information, so I’m learning as I’m going along as well.