The severity of alcohol intoxication can manifest itself in different ways. This can depend on many unrelated reasons. The most important of them is the individual characteristics of each particular person. Previous diseases are of considerable importance, especially this applies to pathologies of an organic nature. Often they cause extremely fast or pathological intoxication.
The effects of alcohol and the development of intoxication
The ability of people to consume alcohol is very different. In addition, it is important for what purpose and with what mood alcohol is taken. If this happens at a festive celebration, then obvious intoxication can occur quite quickly.
If the ordinary user consciously tries to continue to control the situation, then he can significantly delay the moment of intoxication. Of considerable importance for its depth and speed of development is the type of drink used, the percentage of sugar and alcohol in it.
A certain role is also played by a person’s state before drinking, both physical and mental. People with alcoholism often experience atypical intoxication - dysphoric or mixed. It is quite difficult for them to distinguish the signs, the degree of intoxication.
Stages of intoxication
There are various stages of intoxication, differing in the sensations of a person and the external manifestations of his behavior. First, an alcohol-containing drink causes a pleasant feeling of lightness and euphoria, gives a feeling of joy and high spirits, relieves fatigue and relaxes. As the amount of drunk increases, these sensations often change to others, much less pleasant. This can be irritation and anger, hypertrophic resentment, aggression and loss of control over their own behavior.
The stronger the drink, the faster the symptoms of altered consciousness appear. An empty stomach is also very conducive to this. If there is at least some kind of food in it and the drink consumed has a small fortress, then the process of developing intoxication does not occur so quickly. The manifestation of the degree of intoxication of an object directly depends on its mass, individual susceptibility and current state. With a clearly pronounced neuropsychic stress of a person, alcohol has a less pronounced effect. This is due to the initial overstrain of the central nervous system.
Easy stage
The person attracts attention due to the increased mood, cheerfulness, sociability. He tries to be pleasant and complacent, but it becomes difficult for him to maintain the ability to concentrate. A mild degree of intoxication is characterized by a somewhat cheeky and slow speech.
His judgments can become rather frivolous; the criticality of actions is reduced, as well as the perception of various troubles. The surrounding reality for a person is distorted, he is not able to evaluate what is happening. The instincts inherent in the object are slowed down, skills, self-preservation instinct are dulled .
Often a person overestimates his own abilities, commits acts that are unusual for him in a normal state. These changes are observed already at the initial degree of intoxication. Their cause is the toxic effect of alcohol on the nerve centers. But what is happening to them people clearly remember and can retell later.
Average
This is already a fairly strong degree of intoxication. All previous symptoms are aggravated, new ones are added to them. A distinct smell of alcohol emanates from the person’s mouth. His gait is shaky and unstable, sometimes it becomes quite difficult to attract his attention. Primary signs of stupidity may be observed. It is possible disorientation in space and a violation of the control of their behavior.
For this stage, a loss of natural shyness, causing sexuality, incoherent speech and loud abuse, is typical. Increased irritability with reduced self-control easily provokes quarrels, disputes and even fights. The average degree of intoxication is characterized by memory lows: there is a complete loss of individual fragments of what happened on the eve. The next morning, a person may not remember everything that happened to him.
Severe intoxication
At this stage, various forms of profound disorder of consciousness are often observed. Typically, an object is not able to stand on its own. With great difficulty, you can attract his attention. It is practically impossible to contact with a person, his speech is incoherent and slurred: he mutters something unintelligible, repeats meaningless phrases and words.
His condition can be different: he can be inhibited and lethargic, or, conversely, overly excited. The response to pain stimuli is significantly reduced. A person is not able to write, he cannot use a familiar skill.
Deep intoxication against the background of severe intoxication of the body can turn into a coma, the prognosis is not always favorable. Not everyone is able to get to this degree of intoxication, many trigger protective reflexes of the body - nausea and vomiting interfere with further use.
The degree of intoxication
The presence of various stages of intoxication is of interest to many citizens. The possibility of driving means of transport, for example, depends on this. Sometimes situations arise when it is necessary to find out exactly how drunk or sober the object is. For this, the indicators of the degree of intoxication in ppm are calculated. A special device has been successfully used, which is actively used by police services, doctors and ordinary citizens.
So how are the quantitative alcohol content in the blood and the degree of intoxication related?
- 0.3-0.5% - a slight effect of alcohol.
- 0.5-1.5% - slight intoxication.
- 1.5-2.5% - average intoxication.
- 2.5-3% - severe intoxication.
- 3-5% - deep intoxication, alcohol poisoning, death is possible.
- Over 5% - severe fatal poisoning.
Intoxication: modified forms
If the subject has certain psychological disorders or special individual traits, his intoxication can take various atypical forms. It can be:
- Dysphoric. Even with little use, a person, bypassing high spirits, demonstrates depression and aggressiveness, usually typical of more severe stages. This form of manifestation is characteristic of sufferers of chronic alcoholism.
- Hebephrenic. It is expressed in excessive foolishness, ostentatious gaiety, often turning into a riot. It is observed in various latent schizophrenic disorders. It occurs in adolescents.
- Paranoid. A person becomes suspicious and suspicious, he inadequately interprets the intentions and actions of others. This form is found in some types of mental disorders, especially in the presence of alcoholism.
- Hysterical. This form is observed in people of a special warehouse, egocentric, with high self-esteem. It manifests itself as an imitation of madness, there are frequent threats of suicide, demonstration attempts of suicide.
The harm of alcohol
Regardless of the amount drunk and the degree of intoxication, alcohol always has a pathological effect on the body. Alcohol is officially recognized as a dangerous drug that can cause irreparable harm to health and cause addiction. Among other things, alcohol has a negative effect on the brain, regulating the activity of all organs, affecting the coordinated functioning of all body systems.
The negative effect of alcohol is due to a violation of the supply of oxygen to nerve cells, which begin to gradually die. This affects primarily the intellectual abilities of the individual. Against the background of damage to the cortex of the hemispheres and a decrease in brain activity, the behavior of the drinker is gradually changing for the worse. An obvious change in the behavior, hobbies and addictions of the addict becomes noticeable.
How to determine the degree of intoxication?
Independently determine the severity of intoxication is possible only approximately, by changing the nature of behavior. To do this, it is necessary to assess the behavior and speech of the drunk person, to test his ability to coordinate movements, to the objective perception of the environment.
To determine the blood alcohol content in ppm , a special analysis is necessary. However, its indicators are directly related to the amount of time elapsed after a drink. The indicators will be the lower, the more it has passed since the moment of use. Not everyone is able to correctly assess their own capabilities, so do not abuse alcohol.