Blackouts mainly occur when people ingest alcohol too quickly, so their body is not able to effectively process it out of their systems. The overload of alcohol in your bloodstream causes a rapid increase in BAC, which can increase the risk of blackouts.
Research indicates that blackouts are more likely to occur when alcohol enters the bloodstream quickly, causing the BAC to rise rapidly. This could happen if someone drinks on an empty stomach or consumes large amounts of alcohol in a short amount of time.
If your stomach is completely empty, it's easier for alcohol to slip right into your system and impact you much quicker. It can also depend on what type of food you're eating. Some believe that eating low-fat or fat-free foods can impact how drunk you get and how quickly.
Alcohol intolerance is a problem with the specific enzyme that helps your body metabolize alcohol.
Alcohol intolerance is a real condition that may occur suddenly or later in life.
Heavy drinking to the point of blacking out can cause degenerative problems and have lasting effects on the brain. Chronic alcohol consumption harms the frontal lobe, which is the part of the brain that controls cognitive function and memory formation.
A momentary interruption typically lasts less than a second and is usually caused by a short circuit. Short circuits happen when something comes in contact with power lines, such as an animal or tree, or when power lines come in contact with each other.
A person in a blackout will not remember something that happened a few minutes ago. Thus, if the person doesn't seem to know what you are talking about or has no memory of what happened, assume they are in a blackout and do NOT leave them alone.
One common cause of a blackout is fainting. Fainting occurs when your heart rate drops and your blood vessels widen, resulting in low blood pressure. It can happen when you are very hot, distressed, in severe pain, you see or smell something unpleasant, or while you are coughing or going to the toilet.
In an otherwise healthy person, fainting may not be cause for alarm. But in rare cases, it can be a sign of a serious underlying health condition. Syncope is usually caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure or heart rate that causes decreased blood flow to the brain.
Repeatedly blacking out can lead to changes in the brain's functioning over time and can be damaging for a person's memory. In many cases, frequent blackouts are also considered a key sign and symptom of alcoholism.
They know what they're doing — alcohol just makes them care less about the consequences. Via Healthzone: A new study says that people who commit blunders while under the influence of alcohol know they're doing it; they just don't care.
Immediate medical assistance is necessary if the person is:
No longer breathing or does not have a pulse. Having difficulty breathing (choking, wheezing, or rasping) Breathing irregularly (less than 6x per minute, more than 20x per minute)
The effects of alcohol change as we age
Some older people feel the effects of alcohol more strongly without increasing the amount they drink. This can make them more likely to have accidents such as falls, fractures, and car crashes. Also, older women are more sensitive than men to the effects of alcohol.
A genetic variation that affects the way alcohol is metabolized may make some people flush, sweat or become ill after drinking even a small amount of alcohol. Factors that may make a hangover more likely or severe include: Drinking on an empty stomach.
To date, the most effective treatment for ALDH2 deficiency is detoxification assistance. Researchers at Stanford University conducted a study that found that a small molecule called alda-89 could increase the ALDH2 enzyme function in ALDH2 deficient mice.
Repeated practice of a task while under the influence of low levels of alcohol, such as driving a particular route, could lead to the development of tolerance, which in turn could reduce alcohol-induced impairment (16).
More often than not, fainting will not lead to a diagnosis of a serious medical condition, but it is always best to call your doctor and get checked out. Your doctor will go over your medical history and perform a physical exam.
A blackout, or transient loss of consciousness (T‐LOC) occurs because there is: a disorder of the circulation—syncope; a disorder of the brain—epilepsy (or other rare neurological condition); a disorder of the psyche—psychogenic seizures.