The short-term effects of alcohol consumption are outlined below. This information is based on the assumption that you have a normal tolerance to alcohol. Dependent drinkers with a higher tolerance to alcohol can often drink much more without experiencing any noticeable effects. After drinking 1 to 2 units of alcohol, your heart rate speeds up and your blood vessels expand, giving you the warm, sociable and talkative feeling associated with moderate drinking.
After drinking 4 to 6 units of alcohol, your brain and nervous system starts to be affected. It begins to affect the part of your brain associated with judgement and decision making, causing you to be more reckless and uninhibited. The alcohol also impairs the cells in your nervous system, making you feel lightheaded and adversely affecting your reaction time and co-ordination.
After drinking 8 to 9 units of alcohol, your reaction times will be much slower, your speech will begin to slur and your vision will begin to lose focus. Your liver, which filters alcohol out of your body, will be unable to remove all of the alcohol overnight, so it's likely you'll wake with a hangover.
After drinking 10 to 12 units of alcohol, your co-ordination will be highly impaired, placing you at serious risk of having an accident.
The high level of alcohol has a depressant effect on both your mind and body, which makes you drowsy. This amount of alcohol will begin to reach toxic poisonous levels. Your body attempts to quickly pass out the alcohol in your urine.
This will leave you feeling badly dehydrated in the morning, which may cause a severe headache. The excess amount of alcohol in your system can also upset your digestion, leading to symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and indigestion. If you drink more than 12 units of alcohol, you're at considerable risk of developing alcohol poisoning , particularly if you're drinking many units over a short period of time.
It usually takes the liver about an hour to remove one unit of alcohol from the body. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of one drink per day for women and one or two for men.
A drink might be less than you think: 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine or 1. Some people should avoid even that much, McEvoy adds. He advises patients not to drink at all if they have certain heart rhythm abnormalities or have heart failure. Heavy drinking, on the other hand, is linked to a number of poor health outcomes, including heart conditions.
National Health and Medical Research Council. Australian Alcohol Guidelines. Health risks and benefits. Buckman, J. Immediate and complex cardiovascular adaptation to an Acute alcohol dose. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 39 12 , Shi, P. Biomedical Engineering Applications, Basis and Communications, 26 3 , np-np. Alcohol-induced hypertension: Mechanism and prevention. Heart Foundation Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hypertension in adults.
Zakhari, S. Alcohol and the Cardiovascular System. Guo, R. International Journal of Public Health, 7, National Heart Foundation. Podrid, P. Cardiac Arrhythmia: Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Management, p. Tonelo, D. Holiday Heart Syndrome Revisted after 34 years, 2. Vanputte, C. In this section Impact of alcohol on teenager health How alcohol causes harm to teenagers Why alcohol affects teenagers differently to adults The impact of alcohol on the developing brain Tips for parents about teenagers and alcohol Alcohol laws for under 18s Tips for Parents The role of the environment on teenage drinking Parental influence on teenagers attitudes towards alcohol Teenage parties and tips for parents Sipping alcohol and children Talking to your teenager about alcohol Reducing harm for your teenager Leavers Week Preparing for Leavers Reducing harm leavers Information for Parents.
Help Campaigns Resources About Us. Alcohol and Cardiovascular Disease Alcohol consumption increases an individual's risk of cardiovascular disease. How alcohol can damage the cardiovascular system The heart and blood vessels form part of the cardiovascular system.
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