ICD-9 Code 305.00

Information for Patients

If you are like many Americans, you drink alcohol at least occasionally. For many people, moderate drinking is probably safe. But drinking less is better for your health than drinking more. And there are some people who should not drink at all.

Because drinking too much can be harmful, it's important to know how alcohol affects you and how much is too much.

How does alcohol affect the body?

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. This means that it is a drug that slows down brain activity. It can change your mood, behavior, and self-control. It can cause problems with memory and thinking clearly. Alcohol can also affect your coordination and physical control.

Alcohol also has effects on the other organs in your body. For example, it can raise your blood pressure and heart rate. If you drink too much at once, it could make you throw up.

Why are the effects of alcohol different from person to person?

Alcohol's effects vary from person to person, depending on a variety of factors, including:

• How much you drank
• How quickly you drank it
• The amount of food you ate before drinking
• Your age
• Your sex
• Your race or ethnicity
• Your physical condition
• Whether or not you have a family history of alcohol problems

What is moderate drinking?

• For most women, moderate drinking is no more than one standard drink a day
• For most men, moderate drinking is no more than two standard drinks a day

Even though moderate drinking may be safe for many people, there are still risks. Moderate drinking can raise the risk of death from certain cancers and heart diseases.

What is a standard drink?

In the United States, a standard drink is one that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in:

• 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content)
• 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content)
• 1.5 ounces or a "shot" of distilled spirits or liquor (40% alcohol content)

Who should not drink alcohol?

Some people should not drink alcohol at all, including those who:

• Are recovering from an alcohol use disorder (AUD) or are unable to control the amount they drink
• Are under age 21
• Are pregnant or trying to become pregnant
• Are taking medicines that can interact with alcohol
• Have medical conditions that get can worse if you drink alcohol
• Are planning on driving
• Will be operating machinery

If you have questions about whether it is safe for you to drink, talk with your health care provider.

What is excessive drinking?

Excessive drinking includes binge drinking and heavy alcohol use:

• Binge drinking is drinking so much at once that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08% or more. For a man, this usually happens after having 5 or more drinks within a few hours. For a woman, it is after about 4 or more drinks within a few hours.
• Heavy alcohol use is having having more than 4 drinks on any day for men or more than 3 drinks for women

Binge drinking raises your risk of injuries, car crashes, and alcohol poisoning. It also puts you of becoming violent or being the victim of violence.

Heavy alcohol use over a long period of time may cause health problems such as:

• Alcohol use disorder
• Liver diseases, including cirrhosis and fatty liver disease
• Heart diseases
• Increased risk for certain cancers
• Increased risk of injuries

Heavy alcohol use can also cause problems at home, at work, and with friends. But treatment can help.

NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

What is alcohol use disorder (AUD)?

For most adults, moderate alcohol use is probably not harmful. However, about 18 million adult Americans have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This means that their drinking causes distress and harm. AUD can range from mild to severe, depending on the symptoms. Severe AUD is sometimes called alcoholism or alcohol dependence.

AUD is a disease that causes:

• Craving - a strong need to drink
• Loss of control - not being able to stop drinking once you've started
• Negative emotional state - feeling anxious and irritable when you are not drinking

What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is drinking so much at once that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is 0.08% or more. For a man, this usually happens after having 5 or more drinks within a few hours. For a woman, it is after about 4 or more drinks within a few hours. Not everyone who binge drinks has an AUD, but they are at higher risk for getting one.

What are the dangers of too much alcohol?

Too much alcohol is dangerous. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It may lead to liver diseases, such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. It can also cause damage to the brain and other organs. Drinking during pregnancy can harm your baby. Alcohol also increases the risk of death from car crashes, injuries, homicide, and suicide.

How do I know if I have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?

You may have an AUD if you can answer yes to two or more of these questions:

In the past year, have you:

• Ended up drinking more or for a longer time than you had planned to?
• Wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn't?
• Spent a lot of your time drinking or recovering from drinking?
• Felt a strong need to drink?
• Found that drinking - or being sick from drinking - often interfered with your family life, job, or school?
• Kept drinking even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?
• Given up or cut back on activities that you enjoyed just so you could drink?
• Gotten into dangerous situations while drinking or after drinking? Some examples are driving drunk and having unsafe sex.
• Kept drinking even though it was making you feel depressed or anxious? Or when it was adding to another health problem?
• Had to drink more and more to feel the effects of the alcohol?
• Had withdrawal symptoms when the alcohol was wearing off? They include trouble sleeping, shakiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, nausea, and sweating. In severe cases, you could have a fever, seizures, or hallucinations.

If you have any of these symptoms, your drinking may already be a cause for concern. The more symptoms you have, the more serious the problem is.

What should I do if I think that I might have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?

If you think you might have an AUD, see your health care provider for an evaluation. Your provider can help make a treatment plan, prescribe medicines, and if needed, give you treatment referrals.

NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism