What makes a person drunk when drinking alcohol. Why does a person get drunk? How the body processes alcohol

Alcohol affects people in different ways. Some drink without measure and do not get drunk, for others one glass is enough to experience the intoxicating effect of ethyl alcohol. The degree of intoxication depends on age, gender, health status. People who drink and do not experience symptoms of alcohol intoxication for a long time are worried about the question of why you do not get drunk from alcohol. Rare lucky ones can boast individual features organism.

We are talking about the low susceptibility of the central nervous system to ethyl alcohol. In the average citizen, ethanol quickly enters the bloodstream and gains access to the brain. At the same time, the concentration of the hormone dopamine increases, which causes a feeling of happiness and pleasure. However, the euphoria does not last long. The effect of alcohol and its decay products on the nervous system is expressed in eloquent symptoms:

Inadequate behavior, provoked by a violation of the balance of inhibition and excitation of the elements of the nervous system. Overstimulation of the nervous system provokes a person to act unreasonably, contrary to generally accepted norms of behavior. Instincts dominate the mind.
Deterioration of mental function. Parts of the brain that are responsible for rational, logical thinking are turned off.
Scattered attention.
Difficulty in perceiving external information. Drunk slowly decrypts data that come from the organs of sight, hearing, smell and touch.
Increased physical activity against the background of impaired coordination of movements.

Indifference to the surrounding reality, a sharp change in mood, inhibition of thought processes are signs of regular abuse of alcohol-containing drinks. If a person does not get drunk from alcohol, he wonders why this is happening. The loss of a sense of joy and euphoria, which usually accompanies the intake of a regular dose of alcohol, forces one to look for reasonable explanations for the changes taking place.

The effect of ethyl alcohol on the functions and systems of the body

Many people start drinking to experience the sense of relaxation and fun that alcohol initially provides. If a portion of a strong drink does not bring the desired effect, impossible to avoid obsessive thoughts like “why am I not drunk” and “what is wrong with me”. To understand the topic, you need to understand the mechanism of the effect of ethyl alcohol on the body.

Physiological processes involving and under the action of ethanol proceed in stages:

Stage 1. After entering the stomach, alcohol is actively absorbed into the blood. Red blood cells are blood cells that play the role of oxygen transporters to tissues and participate in immune reactions. The cell membranes of erythrocytes are destroyed under the action of ethanol, which mixes with blood cells and quickly enters the tissues of internal organs. Because of the broken outer shell red blood cells stick together. Several glued cells form blood clots.

Stage 2. Having reached the brain cells, ethyl alcohol destroys them. Accelerated production of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins provokes positive emotions, enthusiasm and cheerful mood. Pleasant sensations are short-lived. Soon the stormy delight is replaced by a feeling depression and sadness. The reason for the sharp change in the psycho-emotional background lies in the destruction of brain neurons. Blood clots from red blood cells clog blood vessels, oxygen ceases to flow into the brain tissue, oxygen starvation begins - hypoxia. Next comes tissue death cerebral cortex.

Stage 3. Damaged brain cells are unable to repair themselves. They die irrevocably. The decomposition of dead tissue areas leads to a protective reaction of the body. The cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the cranium dissolves dead and hazardous components. The fluid accumulation process causes pain in my head. That's why people get unbearable headaches when they're hungover.

After a fair dose of alcohol drunk the day before, a person is haunted by a feeling of dry mouth. Thirst is provoked by dehydration due to the need to remove dead neurons and alcohol breakdown products from the body. Each new portion of ethanol leads to the irreversible death of the next batch of neurons.

Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages results in personality degradation, loss of self-esteem, mental abilities, memory function, the ability to objectively assess the situation and find rational solutions. When a person does not get drunk from alcohol, he begins to look for reasons and tries to understand why this happens.

Reasons why a person does not get drunk from alcohol

The culture of drinking implies rules - do not mix drinks of different strengths, give up tobacco products, do not drink soda with vodka. If a person is familiar with them, it is easier for him to stay sober longer than other members of the company. The body provides protective system, which resists the negative effects of toxic elements. From the initial stage - entry into the bloodstream, until the removal of decay products, ethanol meets on the entire path of movement obstacle chain:

Decomposition by enzymes.
Blood-brain barrier.
The protective reaction of brain receptors, which, when a large dose of alcohol enters the bloodstream, turns off consciousness a person, immersing him in a physiological state similar to sleep.

The better the defense mechanisms work, the longer the drinking person remains sober. This is why some people do not get drunk on alcohol, while others quickly succumb to its effects. Some of the processes occurring in the body are not subject to adjustment. Genetic predisposition, heredity and the level of production of enzymes that are responsible for the metabolism of ethanol cannot be changed. But some ways will help you stay sober longer during the feast.

What factors can slow down the reaction:

Established resilience. When alcoholism enters the second stage of development, resistance to ethanol increases. The acquired property of the body indicates regressive changes that have occurred in the nervous system. Due to the death of a large number of neurons in the cerebral cortex, the vagus nerve stops transmitting signals to the areas responsible for the corresponding reactions. This is why an alcoholic does not get drunk from alcohol. If a person does not stop abusing alcohol-containing drinks, he facing serious complications- metal-alcohol psychosis and coma as a result of an overdose.

genetic predisposition. The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is involved in the breakdown of ethanol, oxidizing alcohols to ketones and aldehydes. Different people have different amounts of the enzyme. Residents of southern countries and regions from birth produce more alcohol dehydrogenase than the northern peoples. A daily glass of wine for a Moldovan or Georgian does not entail negative consequences associated with severe intoxication or alcohol addiction. What can not be said about the representatives of the peoples of the Far North, who instantly get drunk and drink too much in the shortest possible time.

Specific snack. Some foods inhibit the effect of alcohol on the body. Ethanol enters the blood through the stomach, duodenum and small intestine. The speed of the absorption process depends on the volume and quality of food that is being digested at that moment in the gastrointestinal tract. Fatty food (lard, fatty meat, vegetable and butter) slows down the flow ethyl alcohol into the blood. In order not to get drunk longer, some people specially drink 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or 4-5 tablets of activated charcoal before a feast with alcoholic drinks. If you eat a heavy meal before drinking alcoholic beverages, the state of intoxication will come significantly later than usual.

Ambient temperature. At low temperatures, blood vessels constrict, metabolism slows down. Man drinking vodka on the street frost in winter, does not get drunk for a long time.

state of stress. Under stress, the level of the hormone rises sharply adrenaline which is produced in response to external threats. The hormone provokes the mobilization of all the forces of the body. The enzymatic system that breaks down alcohol works faster, so the intoxicating effect of ethanol is reduced.

Anthropometric parameters. How long a person who drinks alcohol will remain sober depends on the height and weight values. The enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase is a specific liver enzyme. But a small amount of alcohol dehydrogenase is found in skeletal muscle, where the enzyme is also involved in the breakdown of ethyl alcohol. The more muscle mass person, the less toxic effect alcohol has on him.

If a person does not get drunk from alcohol, this is a serious reason to think about the state of health and alcohol addiction. To prevent irreversible changes in the brain, cardiovascular system, liver and other organs, it is better Seek medical attention in a timely manner. The specialist will conduct an examination and, if necessary, suggest a course of treatment.

It is widely believed that some people are not affected by even large doses of alcohol, while others get drunk from the mere sight of a filled glass. Resistance to strong drinks causes respect in the circle of drinking companions and gives rise to envy in the soul of "weaklings" who are trying in vain to understand why a person quickly gets drunk. And is intolerance to alcohol a sign of inferiority of a person?

The body's defense mechanism against alcohol

The effect of alcohol on the body begins after ingestion of its first sip. Passing through the small intestine of the body, due to the presence of a hydroxyl group in the structure, ethanol is almost instantly absorbed by the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and enters the bloodstream. Its molecules that have penetrated into the blood violate the integrity of the membranes of erythrocytes, which leads to their adhesion into thrombus-like clots, causing hypoxia of neurons of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Zones of neuron fields affected by hypoxia, or rather, their area and localization on the surface of the cerebral cortex, determine the manifestation of certain signs of intoxication, usually observed by others. The neurotransmitters generated by the affected neurons have an inhibitory effect on neighboring nerve cells, which leads to a pleasant nervous relaxation of the drunk person, and an excess of ethanol molecules speeds up the production of endorphins (happiness hormones).

The natural reaction of the body is an attempt to localize the excess of ethanol molecules with its subsequent utilization. This problem is solved by carrying out the procedure of double metabolic transformation of its molecules. At the first stage, ethanol, with the help of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, produced mainly by the liver and in small doses by individual nodes of the immune system, is converted into an intermediate metabolic product - acetaldehyde.

Acetaldehyde is the strongest poison, the effect of which causes signs of poisoning characteristic of the hangover stage:

headache,
nausea,
dry mouth
depressive mental state.

The appearance of acetaldehyde serves as a starting point for the beginning of the second stage of metabolic transformation. At this stage, the main active enzyme is acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, also produced by the liver. Reacting with acetaldehyde, this enzyme converts the toxic compound into acetic acid, which decomposes into water and carbon dioxide, which are naturally removed from the body along with urine, sweat and exhaled air.

Genetic factors and ethanol metabolism

In accordance with the two-stage metabolic processes for the processing of ethanol, the body's reaction to the intake of alcohol can also be considered as a two-phase process: intoxication and hangover. At the same time, by evaluating the activity of enzymes that prevail in each of these phases, one can get an answer to the sacramental question of “weaklings” about rapid intoxication.

The activity of enzymes (enzymes of alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase) primarily depends on their genetically predetermined structure, the matrix of which is stored in the DNA molecules of the human body. The structure of the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme is determined by the ADH genome, and the structure of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is determined by the ALDH genome.

In the process of evolutionary development of man as a biological species, under the influence of a number of factors, both external, related to geographical location, and internal, due to the historically established way of life, mutations of the ADH and ALDH genomes arose in the genotype of certain peoples (historical communities). These mutations caused some change in the structure and properties of the enzymes produced in the body in accordance with the modified matrix.

In organisms not aggravated by the consequences of mutations, a dynamic equilibrium is established in the course of metabolic processes using alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. That is, all acetaldehyde obtained during the primary processing of alcohol is immediately converted into non-toxic acetic acid.

Of course, the emergence of this balance is possible only in the case when the simultaneous consumption of alcohol does not reach exorbitant doses that exceed the physical capabilities of the body to process them. People whose genotype has not been affected by mutations of this kind feel intoxicated and hangover for a short time and are the most pleasant companions during a feast.

Mutation of the ALDH genome leads to disturbances in dynamic balance associated with a lag in the rate of acetaldehyde processing and its accumulation in the human body. This leads to alcohol intolerance and the appearance of hangover symptoms even when taking small doses of alcohol.

One of the most popular ways to code patients for alcohol is the use of toxicotherapeutic drugs such as disulfiram, which block the action of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. This leads to a loss of positive sensations from drunk alcohol and causes its instant rejection.

Mutation of the ADH genome forms the psychotype of a person who does not experience the painful consequences of drinking alcohol associated with a hangover. He can drink a lot and with taste, while being in a state of euphoria and bliss. Here, it would seem, is the ideal drinking buddy! However, the fate of such people is unenviable. The presence of such a genotype, with continued frequent drinking, with a high degree of probability dooms them to the development of alcoholism.

The most unpleasant situation is the mutagenic damage to two genes responsible for the formation of enzymes involved in the processing of alcohol. A person with a similar genotype willingly takes part in drinking bouts, but after the first glass he is covered by a wave of a long hangover, often accompanied by palimpsest phenomena, that is, a fragmentary loss of memory about individual details of what happened to him during the period of drinking alcohol. These phenomena are usually characteristic of the initial stage of alcoholism.

External factors

Genetic prerequisites are the most important, but not the only factor that determines the degree of alcohol tolerance and the likelihood of a hangover. The rate of processing of ethanol molecules in the human body also depends on a number of external factors.

Body weight largely determines the rate of onset of intoxication, since the concentration of ethanol in human blood depends on it. This is well illustrated by Eric Widmark's world-renowned formula:
c = A / m x r
where c is the concentration of ethanol in human blood in ppm;
A is the mass of the drink drunk in terms of pure ethanol in grams;
m - body weight of a person in kilograms;
r - Widmark distribution coefficient, which takes values for men - 0.7, for women - 0.6.
The same formula indicates the need for gender adjustments, due to the relatively low levels of anti-alcohol enzymes generated by women's livers compared to men's livers and lower water content. That is why the female body is more sensitive to drinking alcohol.
Age is also a factor in determining alcohol intolerance. Alcohol can cause significant harm to the brain of a young person at the stage of its formation. Older people become more susceptible to the effects of strong drinks due to the appearance of fatty deposits and a lack of water in the body, which reduce the efficiency of splitting ethanol molecules.
It should be borne in mind that people suffering from various ailments, leading a sedentary lifestyle, are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol compared to healthy individuals. Chronic alcoholics get drunk much faster, because undermined health does not allow them to resist alcohol intoxication.
Particular attention should be paid to the type of consumed strong drink. The use of counterfeit alcohol, home-made strong drinks containing fusel oils and higher alcohols, not only causes faster intoxication and a painful hangover, but often leads to irreversible changes in the health of careless consumers.

As long as there are persistent alcoholic traditions in society, we can only talk about a conditional norm in the relationship between a person and alcohol. For a person who drinks little, alcohol is not of particular value, it does not serve as a means of regulating his condition. He rarely drinks, only on really significant occasions, knows how to refuse harshly, not exceeding a personal - very moderate - dose, and always controls his behavior. Morning well-being after drinking is normal, and the offer to "get drunk" is rejected.

The word "drunkard" is not a scientific term. We talk about everyday drunkenness when we see that a person has created his own "systemic" relationship with alcohol, the continuation of which can lead to illness. The "domestic drunkard" drinks for more and more different reasons and occasions, more and more often. Sometimes he is wild in hops or gets drunk to the "position of the rhymes", to the complete "stink". The morning after the "execution", painted in gloomy tones, shows itself as lead in the head and chest, "abomination" in the mouth and throughout the body. The first call to illness is memory loss. Sobering is perceived with pleasure and provides obvious assistance to the body "raped" by alcohol.

An alcoholic drinks constantly or - which is much more often - drinking binges. He didn’t drink, he didn’t drink, but he drank - and he can no longer stop - he drinks a lot, anywhere, anytime and with anyone. In the morning - a severe hangover and an obligatory hangover (it does not matter - right away, at lunchtime or lasted until the end of work). "Mistakes" of memory - all the time. Stops in drinking - after a powerful "binge". Then - vows to quit, forgotten before or after the first glass.

A normal person practically does not drink at all and can not drink as much as he wants. The drunkard drinks almost always when he can, but he may not drink, even for long enough. An alcoholic can't stop drinking. The craving for alcohol is stronger than his will and determines his whole life.

Three symptoms of alcohol addiction:

- Primary pathological attraction - it arises even in a sober state: unexpectedly, often in a completely inappropriate environment. A person painfully wants to drink, and without any objective reason, he feels that he "is missing something", his imagination draws pictures of drinking, one sweeter than the other. All thoughts are concentrated only on the bottle. Anything that counteracts the irresistible desire to drink causes irritation. In terms of strength, this attraction can be compared with a feeling of hunger or intense thirst.

- Secondary pathological attraction appears already during drinking. After a "critical" dose, there is a desire to drink more, to achieve obvious intoxication. At the same time, a person does not control the amount of alcohol consumed, the situation in which he is, cannot correctly assess the circumstances, his own actions. He is in a hurry with the next toast, in order to quickly knock over a glass, he demands to "drink to the bottom." It doesn’t matter to him what to pour, he strives to use all the alcohol that is on the table, in the house, and drink until he runs out. Often leaves the table to add to a secluded place.

- The third variant of pathological attraction is the desire to get drunk during withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal syndrome (alcohol withdrawal syndrome)

Many domestic and foreign experts regard this syndrome (colloquially, the syndrome of the second day) as an indicator of fully formed alcoholism, the most obvious evidence that a physical dependence on alcohol has appeared.

It is unlikely that someone feels good the next day after drinking - headache, nausea, dry mouth, thirst. The soul is bad, instead of yesterday's fun and lightness - gloom, depression, anxiety, anxiety, fear, as well as guilt, remorse, shame.

And this is natural - the body cannot remain indifferent to the poison with which it was poisoned the day before. And he protests, takes revenge on us for the test to which we subjected him. The brain, heart, blood, liver, stomach, nervous system rebel. Our medical condition is called post-intoxication disorder.

With alcoholism, all of the above symptoms intensify, bad sleep with nightmares, hallucinations, tremors (i.e. trembling) of the fingers, eyelids, head, tongue, sweating, palpitations, weakness, melancholy, hysteria and anger are added to them.

The whole complex of these symptoms is the withdrawal syndrome or hangover syndrome. It can last 2-5 days, and sometimes up to two weeks.

After intoxication, an occasional drinker and even a regular drinker, but who has not crossed the line of alcoholism, cannot look at alcohol in the morning - he is sick! And if he drinks, then through force.

With withdrawal syndrome, the craving for alcohol is always present and never weakens, although a person may not necessarily get drunk in the morning, but also in the middle of the day or even in the evening.

Alcoholic "doesn't need much"

With regular use of alcohol, a change in TOLERANCE occurs, i.e. tolerance, endurance. Tolerance is the ability to endure the maximum dose of alcohol without pronounced intoxication. One has a low tolerance - two or three glasses, the other has a high tolerance - a bottle. Endurance to large doses of alcohol is usually perceived with pride, as a sign of strength, masculinity. With the acquisition of alcohol experience, it usually rises - physiologically, the body adapts to tolerate ever larger doses of poison. And if usually it increases in comparison with the primary doses by 2-3 times, then with alcoholism it grows by 8-10. But with the development of the disease, this high tolerance begins to noticeably decrease - an alcoholic "does not need much", he instantly gets drunk literally from one glass, he is quickly affected not only by vodka, but also by wine and beer. This is due to the fact that the functions of the body are violated, its regenerative abilities are depleted. If tolerance decreases, this is a sign of the development of alcohol dependence.

Three stages of alcoholism:

— The first stage. It is characterized by mental dependence on alcohol. The protective gag reflex disappears, tolerance increases, and control over the amount of alcohol consumed decreases.

— The second stage. Its main symptom is the formed withdrawal (hangover) syndrome. There is a pathological craving for alcohol. The drinker is no longer able to control the situation. As well as the amount of alcohol absorbed: he drinks as long as there is something to drink. There are memory lapses. Tolerance is still high, it reaches its maximum.

— The third stage. Tolerance decreases, binges begin, appetite is almost completely lost. Changes in character, degradation of personality become obvious. Exacerbated old and new diseases appear. Alcoholics who have lost their jobs and families sink to the very bottom. For the sake of a sip of alcohol or some kind of surrogate, they are ready for anything.

People get drunk in different ways. Surely many have asked a similar question - why does one person get drunk immediately, while another can drink almost a liter of alcohol and nothing will happen to him?

And the point here is not only the nature of the snack or the fact that someone drank on an empty stomach, but someone ate hearty before that. Although these factors also play an important role.

The root of the problem is much deeper, and you need to look for it in the characteristics of your body. Let's try now to find out the whole essence of the question - why do people get drunk in different ways?

Many people, knowing that a feast awaits them, resort to various methods to hold out during the feast as long as possible.

There are all sorts of ways: pills, infusions, special foods or products that help you stay in line for a long time. But, as they say, you can't fool yourself.

No matter how many ways and methods were invented, but there is a category of people who will lie down after one or two glasses. What factors play a primary role? No matter how strange it may sound, age, gender, body composition and even the nationality of a person are important here.

To find out all the reasons gotta deal with it, How does the process of intoxication take place?. The fact is that while drinking alcohol, a substance such as ethanol enters the human body. It is he who leads to dope in the head.

Once in the stomach and intestines, it seeps through the mucous membrane into the blood. In the blood, ethanol does its insidious work. It directly affects red blood cells, which begin to stick together. As a result, clots form.

They slow down blood circulation, clog the brain, dull the work of many organs, make a kind of oxygen starvation to the brain. Hence the strange behavior of a drunk person - uncontrolled movements, inappropriate behavior and much more.

Some lovers of frequent feasts specially train their body, gradually improving the level of their “skill” in this difficult field.

But no matter how hard they try, each organism has a boundary limit when it can no longer withstand toxins. For example, people of large dimensions, who are both tall and large, get drunk more slowly.

The fact is that in such people the volume of blood in the body will be much higher than in small people with a fragile physique. This ultimately affects the rate of distribution of ethanol in the blood.

Hence the conclusion that a huge person can drink more than a small one. Also, big people will have a larger liver, and therefore it will more actively cope with alcohol, removing toxins from the body.

The rate of drinking also affects the level of intoxication..

If you quickly pour several glasses in a row into yourself, then blood clots will very soon cling to the brain and disrupt its normal functioning. Therefore, it is better to drink slowly, then you can drink a little more.

Also snacks play an important role. Food is able to absorb some of the ethanol. Therefore, during the feast it is better to have a good snack. But it's also not worth eating from the belly.

Since in the morning there can be not only a hangover, but also heaviness in the stomach from food stagnation. It is not for nothing that they say that you should not drink on an empty stomach, you need to at least “lay a little”.

This statement is absolutely correct. If there is food in the stomach, then the alcohol will first be absorbed by it. It serves as such an absorbent sponge that filters alcohol and promotes its slow absorption.

Drinking alcohol properly is also important.. Most immediately after the glass sips water from the glass. But this should not be done. After all, a liquid, especially one that has bubbles, contributes to the faster spread of alcohol through the blood. As a result, you will get drunk faster.

That's why champagne often hits the balls. Indeed, in its structure an explosive mixture is obtained - alcohol and bubbles in tandem.

The speed of intoxication is affected by enzymes that are in the body of each person. The whole process depends on their number - the fewer of them, the faster you will be drunk.

According to statistics, such enzymes are more in the representatives of the stronger sex, but this fact has not been scientifically proven. Enzymes are found in the liver. It is they who fight alcohol in our blood. In some people, these enzymes have a more active form. As a result, they quickly cope with alcohol.

But the owners of passive enzymes just the same and quickly get drunk. There is no way to influence this factor. It is easy to reduce the number of such enzymes or dull their activity.

The fact is that the possibilities of this kind of substances are not unlimited. Frequent use of alcohol will lead to their depletion.

Another fact in favor of men in the process of intoxication is that there are fewer fat cells in their body. But women have plenty of them. It is these cells that are generally indifferent to alcohol - they do not absorb it.

As a result, this leads to the fact that the blood is saturated with ethanol faster and denser. That is why women are not so strong in alcoholic competitions.

Young people are more resistant to intoxication. Unlike older people, they can drink more because they have more fluid in their bodies.

In the body of an elderly person, the amount of fluid decreases, which, when consuming alcohol, leads to a rapid saturation of the blood with alcohol. In addition, many organs and cells of old people are already worn out, and therefore much more vulnerable.

The process of intoxication also depends on the genetic structure of the body. For example, Asians get drunk much faster than others. Because there is another harmful component in alcohol, which genes must cope with.

The liver must expel acetaldehyde from the body. But the presence or vice versa, the absence of certain genes, can slow down this process.

The speed of intoxication is also influenced by the physiological characteristics of the body.

A person who is often ill is physically exhausted, often gets into a bad mood and will give up after two or three shots.

Also, a lot depends on the company, the current mood, the psychological mood, and even the reason to “sit down”. In addition, the frequency and regularity of alcohol consumption also has its consequences.

For example, people who abuse alcohol get intoxicated faster in the head. After all, their body is oversaturated with ethanol and is no longer able to resist alcohol poisons.

In addition, the enzymes of such people have long gone on a well-deserved vacation, as they are unable to cope with the amount of alcohol they drink.

All the reasons and factors were put on the shelves. Now you know for sure why some mow down after a glass of champagne, while others can drink all night long.

And no auxiliary substances will help to deceive your body - the norm is the norm.

The use of alcoholic beverages is largely due to the result obtained in the form of intoxication. A person becomes cheerful and liberated, and this happens due to the effect of the decay products of alcohol and ethanol itself on the central nervous system. There are no special receptors for alcohol, but after the product enters the body, a cascade of enzymatic reactions is triggered. The released neurotransmitters contribute to the feeling of intoxication and create a feeling of euphoria.

Mechanism of development of intoxication

Alcohol intoxication develops in all people according to the same principle, but at different speeds and strengths. Ethanol after entering the body begins to be partially absorbed in the oral cavity and penetrate into the blood. The rest is absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then the algorithm or mechanism of the process is described in terms of physiology and biochemistry:

ethanol is carried through the bloodstream and mixed with lipids and water;
the substance crosses the blood-brain barrier into the brain;
the neurotransmitter GABA is activated there, which triggers the processes of inhibition of the central nervous system;
at the same time, the neurotransmitter dopamine is released, which gives a feeling of pleasure;
at the same time, the enzymes alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase are activated;
enzyme systems break down ethanol to acetaldehyde and acetic acid.

Then acetaldehyde - an intermediate breakdown product (highly toxic) - enters the brain and combines with dopamine, forming a morphine-like substance. It is it that gives a feeling of intoxication, disrupts coordination of movements, memory, dulls the receptors of the sense organs. A person can behave atypically and even aggressively.

If the secreted enzymes become insufficient to neutralize ethanol, and alcohol continues to flow, defense mechanisms are triggered. A person gets drunk from alcohol, falls into a dream. Less commonly, loss of consciousness or respiratory arrest occurs due to blockage of the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata. Inhibition processes predominate until all the alcohol is converted into acetic acid and excreted by the kidneys or lungs.

Why does a person get drunk quickly

The speed of intoxication depends not only on the amount of alcohol consumed and its strength, but also on other reasons. The timing of loss of sobriety is influenced by genetic factors. Microbiologists have studied the activity of enzymatic systems for processing alcohol and realized that it depends on the suppressor gene. This gene suppresses the production of alcohol dehydrogenase.

The population in Asia has this genetic code, so they get drunk quickly. Enzymes simply do not have time to break down alcohol. Representatives of the Caucasian race get drunk slowly, respectively, they can drink more drinks. They are dominated by a fast cleavage complex and alcohol dehydrogenase is turned on faster.

The most dangerous option, which is typical for residents of the CIS countries, is the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase and a small amount or suppression of the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase. Then the toxic substance acetaldehyde accumulates in the blood, giving a severe hangover syndrome.

A person quickly gets drunk at an older age, after 40 years, due to a slowdown in metabolic processes. Women are faster than men due to the high activity of the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme in the liver and its lack in the gastrointestinal tract. Light weight and calmness of the body are another reason for the rapid loss of control.

In overweight people, alcohol binds to fats, leaving the bloodstream, while in thin people, it only binds to water, circulating in the blood. In addition, an excited mood helps to speed up metabolism and activate all metabolic processes even after drinking alcohol. But in a balanced state, people get drunk quickly.

How to drink and not get drunk

It must be remembered that alcohol begins to be absorbed into the blood from the oral cavity. Therefore, taking the drink in slow sips will lead to rapid intoxication. In order not to lose control, you need to drink in one gulp.

Do not mix different types of alcohol. If the evening begins with champagne, then it is not recommended to eat it with sweet foods. This will speed up the process of intoxication. Also, don't drink on an empty stomach. Before the feast, it is recommended to eat protein foods or, for example, drink yogurt.

Activated charcoal will help you get drunk more slowly. It should be drunk half an hour before the start of drinking alcohol in age doses. Additionally, while eating with ethyl, you can drink a tablet of Pancreatin or Mezim, this will speed up the metabolism of other substances (lipids, proteins). Each glass of wine (or a glass of strong drink) should be diluted with a glass of clean water.

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Each of us is familiar with the picture when the feast is almost over: one participant is already sleeping, the second is falling asleep, and the rest of the guests demand to continue and are full of energy for fun! Why does a person get drunk, does it really all depend on the “ability to drink” or do you need to know some secrets to stay sober for a long time? In fact, everything is quite simple - the degree of susceptibility to alcohol is influenced by many factors, the biochemical processes of each individual organism, on which intoxication depends.

The mechanism of the effect of alcohol on a person

After alcohol enters the stomach, it begins to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Having the properties of a solvent, alcohol destroys the film membrane of erythrocytes, as a result of which the blood cells stick together and hardly move through the vessels. Such "plugs" impede the flow of blood and oxygen to individual organs, which leads to oxygen starvation.

The brain begins to "think badly" and a drunk person ceases to navigate in space with the necessary clarity. Each subsequent dose of alcohol only increases the formation of clots and provokes more and more oxygen starvation. This is dangerous, since large blood clots, “getting stuck” in the bloodstream, can lead to irreversible consequences: brain neurons die, the necessary substances are washed out, and it is almost impossible to restore normal function. Therefore, chronic alcoholics are no longer interested in the question "why do I get drunk", but only "how to get drunk quickly."

Causes of rapid intoxication

Considering not chronically drinking people, but drinking alcohol on a one-time basis, it can also be noted that someone gets drunk faster than others. And if you've been wondering why I get drunk quickly, consider a few reasons and factors:

A small amount or complete absence of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase in the body will lead to the fact that people not only get drunk faster than others, but literally “fall into a salad” after a sip of dry wine.
Women tolerate alcohol much worse than men - this is inherent in nature and does not matter weight, height and other indicators.
The age factor is of the highest importance: with the number of years lived, the rate of processing and removal of ethanol from the blood decreases, due to which a person can get drunk almost instantly.

Interesting! Obese people get drunk longer because of the fatty layer that absorbs alcohol. However, the hangover syndrome in such people lasts much longer and passes with high pain sensations.

The speed of drinking the drink should not be high. It is necessary to give the liver time to process ethanol, only then drink the next dose - this measure will help to stay sober for a long time even for those who do not know how to drink at all.
The fatter the snack, the less the person gets drunk. Getting drunk on an empty stomach is guaranteed to get a powerful and quick alcoholic hit, which will lead to rapid intoxication.
The stronger the drink, the faster the process of intoxication. But do not underestimate carbon dioxide - bubbles speed up the absorption of alcohol into the blood, which is why all fizzy alcoholic drinks instantly "hit in the head."

The human enzymatic system

This is also a factor influencing whether an individual gets drunk slowly or quickly. The stomach produces a small amount of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol, the rest is processed by the liver. The presence of alcohol dehydrogenase is responsible for the processing of ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is a poison that is toxic to humans, but the presence of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase helps to break down the poison into acid, which is then processed into water and carbon dioxide.

If the amount of enzymes is low, for example, due to liver disease, then the person instantly gets drunk and falls from one glass of cognac. For the presence or absence of enzymes, the genetic predisposition, blood type, and other congenital features are responsible. And there are no recipes for turning from a light-drinking person into someone who is able to absorb beer by the liter and remain sober.

Important! You should never mix an alcoholic drink with a carbonated drink - this will speed up the absorption of alcohol into the blood. But if you mix a cocktail with juice, then the absorption of alcohol into the blood will slow down significantly.

How to drink and not get drunk for a long time?

5-6 hours before the feast, drink 1-2 glasses of the drink that will be served. Then eat well so that the body begins to produce an enzyme to break down ethanol. The measure will first lead to complete sobering up, but then, at the common table, alcohol will be digested much faster.
15-20 minutes before the feast, take 25 gr. Eleutherococcus tincture. An effective measure against rapid intoxication.
Thinking of going to a club that serves beer and weak cocktails? Brew strong black or green tea, be sure to add lemon and drink in small sips while the drink is hot. Coffee is also good, but drinking with lemon is not very pleasant. Citrus and vitamin C will not only help relieve a hangover in the morning, but also accelerate the breakdown of alcohol, removing it from the body.
If the feast was formed spontaneously, you need to eat a piece of something fatty: meat, cheese, even a spoonful of butter. Give yourself 15 minutes to wait and you can safely start drinking.
The longer the interval between doses, the longer you can stay sober.

You should drink only high-quality drinks - counterfeit always causes rapid intoxication and a painful hangover. Snack matters: a good and satisfying meal will retain alcohol in the stomach, preventing it from being quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, if you need to drink a lot and at the same time stay “on your feet” for a long time, do not forget to eat! Let it be a couple of sandwiches (a full plate looks ridiculous at a buffet or reception), but with caviar, fatty cheeses, sauces.

The state of alcoholic intoxication occurs under the influence of ethyl alcohol contained in any alcoholic beverages.

It has a psychoactive effect, causing euphoria and other associated manifestations.

Perhaps information about why a person gets drunk, and how the process of intoxication develops, will make some people drink alcohol more meaningfully, and maybe even refuse it altogether.

How drunkenness develops

The mechanism of development of this condition is the same for all people. But some get drunk quickly and strongly, while others - slowly and moderately.

So why do people get drunk differently? Once in the body, ethanol is absorbed into the blood.

A small part is already absorbed in the mouth, so when people drink alcohol in small sips, they get drunk much faster. About 20% of ethanol enters the bloodstream through the walls of the stomach.

And the lion's share - through the walls of the small intestine. On average, the assimilation time of 100 ml of vodka is about 1 hour.

The process of intoxication occurs according to the following algorithm:

ethanol is carried with the blood stream, mixing with water and lipids;
overcoming the blood-brain barrier, enters the brain;
in the brain, gamma-aminobutyric acid (a neurotransmitter) is activated, which triggers the processes of inhibition of the central nervous system;
dopamine, the hormone of pleasure, is released into the blood;
in the liver, alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase are produced - enzymes that break down ethanol;
ethanol is broken down to acetaldehyde and then to acetic acid.

But before acetaldehyde, the toxic breakdown product of ethanol, is converted into harmless acetic acid, it enters the brain, where it combines with dopamine. As a result, a substance similar in action to morphine is formed. It is this narcotic substance that causes a feeling of euphoria.

Degrees of intoxication

Experts distinguish three degrees of intoxication:

light;
moderate;
strong.

Alcohol can cause severe poisoning, as a result of which a person falls into a coma and dies. Depending on the individual characteristics of the body, a dose of 4 to 10 g per 1 kg of body weight can be fatal for an adult.

The most common cause of death is blockage of the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata. But in the body of a healthy person, protective functions most often work.

If there are not enough enzymes capable of neutralizing ethanol, and alcohol continues to flow, protective functions are activated - the person falls into a deep sleep. Moreover, all its physiological processes will be inhibited until the decay products of ethanol are completely excreted by the kidneys and lungs.

Forms of intoxication

Experts distinguish several forms of this condition:

simple;
changed;
pathological.

A simple form of intoxication

There are several degrees of intoxication - light, medium and heavy. With a mild degree, a person experiences mental comfort.

He becomes more sociable and purposeful. There is a violation of coordination of movements, and speech becomes louder.

A slight degree of intoxication is accompanied by an increase in appetite. Due to the accelerated blood circulation in the vessels, reddening of the skin is observed.

After a while, the increase in motor activity is replaced by lethargy and relaxation. In an average degree of intoxication, changes in behavior become more pronounced and gross.

Facial expressions lose their expressiveness, and speech becomes even louder and inarticulate. With an average degree of intoxication, a person often repeats the same phrases, causing irritation of others.

The person hardly shifts attention. He begins to overestimate his personality, which causes conflict situations with family and friends.

A few hours after stopping drinking, dryness appears in the mouth, there is a strong thirst, a feeling of discomfort and weakness. With a severe degree of intoxication, a violation of consciousness occurs.

The person may fall into a coma. But more often this condition is accompanied by epileptic seizures, involuntary acts of defecation and urination.

Altered and pathological forms of intoxication

Altered forms of intoxication are characteristic of people suffering from the second stage. They are accompanied by bouts of aggression, anger, pickiness, discontent and auditory illusions.

Pathological intoxication is not common and represents a mental disorder in the form of twilight stupefaction.

What determines the speed of intoxication

Having figured out why a person gets drunk from alcohol, you should consider what factors affect the speed of intoxication.

The amount of time it takes to reach a state of euphoria depends on many factors. First of all, it is influenced by the strength of alcoholic beverages and their volume.

One of the decisive factors is genetics. Some people have genetically impaired production of alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase.

If enzymes are produced slowly, the state of intoxication occurs quickly. And, conversely, with an accelerated metabolism, a person may not get drunk at all, since the breakdown products of ethanol are broken down to acetic acid before they reach the brain.

This feature is inherent in Asians. They quickly get drunk, as liver enzymes do not have time to break down ethanol.

And Europeans, on the contrary, get drunk slowly, as their liver intensively produces enzymes. Therefore, they can drink much more.

Residents of the former Soviet republics were the least fortunate. In their body, only alcohol dehydrogenase is actively produced.

And acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is produced either very little, or the production of this enzyme is completely blocked. They can drink alcohol, but acetalcehyd accumulates in their blood, causing a severe hangover syndrome.

Other reasons

Why do some people get drunk quickly? After all, they live in the same country and have a common nationality. There are a lot of factors that affect the speed of intoxication.

These include:

age over 40 years (intoxication occurs faster due to a slow metabolism);
gender (in women, an insufficient amount of alcohol dehydrogenase accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract);
excessive calmness (in a calm state, a person gets drunk much faster);
small body weight.

It has been proven that people who are overweight get drunk slowly.

This factor is caused by the fact that in their body, ethanol, after entering the bloodstream, binds to lipids (fats). Thin people are deficient in lipids, so alcohol in their body only binds to water.

Conclusion

The use of alcohol causes drug intoxication, which occurs against the background of the combination of acetaldehyde with dopamine. The breakdown of ethanol occurs mainly in the liver.

But for each person, the splitting process can proceed in different ways, which affects not only the speed of the onset of the state of intoxication, but also the removal of ethanol from the body. Knowing the mechanism of the process of intoxication, it becomes clear why one person gets drunk faster than another.