When are too many alcoholic drinks too much?

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Alcohol offe... 

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There really is no set answer to this question, because people metabolize alcohol at a different weight. Someone with a slender build may not be able to drink but one drink before she starts feeling the effects of the alcohol, while someone with a larger frame can consume several drinks before any effects are even noticeable.

It has been said that women can’t “hold their liquor” as well as men. The same characteristics—height, build, and overall physical condition—enter into the picture where alcohol metabolism is concerned, no matter if the drinker is male or female.

About the only way to determine if a person has had too much to drink is by observing physical signs of drunkenness. These can include slurred speech, loss of coordination, red eyes, and in some instances, skin flushing. This last may be more apparent in very fair-skinned people than in those with darker skin.

Changes in temperament—a normally quiet person becomes noisy and raucous, a relatively even-tempered person becomes angry at the slightest provocation—can also be indicators of excessive alcohol consumption.

Marked drowsiness or even losing consciousness completely are definite signs of too much alcohol. If these are present, the person should be watched closely, as he not only may be intoxicated, but may also be suffering from alcohol poisoning.

If you even suspect that a person has had too much to drink, do not let that person drive away. Take the keys, disable the car in some way, or do whatever it takes to keep him from getting behind the wheel and possibly killing himself or someone else.

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Learning About our Drinking Habits

Drinking patterns are hard to pin down, but scientists have discovered certain factors that affect how much or how little we drink (or if we even choose to drink at all). A thousand different factors can affect if we’ll drink on a given day, how much we’ll drink, and how fast we’ll drink.

A recently published study of Californian young men followed over 350 white males at age 20 and interviewed them every five years for 30 years. 25 percent of these men went on to develop a severe drinking problem by age thirty. In studying the family histories of these men, the researchers found that other drinking problems within the family were a significant factor in developing a drinking problem later in life. Men who either were divorced earlier than most men or received a lower level of education were also more likely to develop serious drinking problems.

Women tend to see alcohol as a better stress reliever than men do. Women generally believe that alcohol will reduce their stress levels (and women are more prone to feeling the effects of stress than men). Women also believe drinking tends to improve upon social situations and relieve tension or awkwardness in a given situation. Whereas women drink to further enjoy their social interactions, men tend to prefer solitary drinking. Another recent study examined women’s relationships with their mothers in terms of developing a drinking problem later in life. Women who said they had a poorer relationship with their mother were more likely to develop an alcohol dependence.

Other studies have discovered that a drinking environment affects the way we drink. People who drink alone at a bar drink the most, but stay the shortest time. Other studies have showed that music with rhythms closest to a person’s heart beat while resting produces the fastest drinking, while fast music slows our drinking down.

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Tips about Drinking and Hangovers

When it comes to drinking alcohol, no one wants to wake up the next morning with a hangover. It can include a headache, nausea, dizziness, throwing up, and more. It comes from the poison that is found in alcoholic drinks, and if you get enough poison in your system, the result is a hangover. But many people don’t know what causes a hangover or what you can do to reduce your risk of experiencing one.

So here are some tips to help you reduce the chances of hangovers:

Watch how much you drink. Many believe that only those who binge drink will get a hangover, but you could feel the effects after only a few drinks. It all depends on your body composition and how much water is in your system. Women are more likely to feel the effects of alcohol with the same amount of drinks since they typically weigh less and therefore have less water in their systems, which can dilute the alcohol. If you drink other drinks in between alcoholic drinks, such as juice or water, you’ll consume less alcohol and less likely get a hangover.

Drink beer or clear liquors. Wine is more likely to trigger hangovers and malt liquors will increase your chances of severe hangovers. Bee and clear liquors, such as vodka or gin, will reduce your chances of a hangover.

It’s the amount of alcohol that matters. Some think that if you drink liquor first and a beer second, you’ll be okay or if you drink diet cocktails, you’ll less likely have a hangover, but these are just myths. It has been found that drinking beverages with sugar (such as fruit juice) will decrease hangover intensity, though.

Eat fatty foods before drinking alcohol. Having food in your stomach helps reduce the body’s absorption of alcohol, especially food with fat, but it only helps if you eat before you drink.

Avoid caffeine. Many think a coffee will help you with a hangover, but actually anything with caffeine can make it worse and can cause dehydration (which you may already be experiencing because of the alcohol).

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