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alcohol’s path through the body

Bloodstream is the blood circulating through a person’s body. When alcohol is swallowed, small amounts directly enter the bloodstream through capillaries (tiny blood vessels) in the mouth. In the stomach, close to 20 percent of alcohol can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The remaining 80 percent passes to the small intestines where it is absorbed into the bloodstream.

Once in the bloodstream, alcohol rapidly spreads through the entire body. Within 3 minutes of beverage alcohol consumption. The brain accurately determines the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. A breathalyzer accurately measures a person’s blood alcohol content or concentration (BAC- is the percentage of alcohol absorbed into the bloodstream) by testing his or her breath.

The liver metabolizes alcohol at a constant rate- about one drink per hour. Un-metabolized alcohol continues to circulate through the bloodstream and can affect the drinker’s mood and behavior.

Alcohol is classified as a depressant. Some of the ways it affects the body are by-

- Depressing various brain functions.

- Alcohol is absorbed from all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. It passes from the blood into nearly every tissue in the body, including the brain.

- Alcohol is a diuretic, helping the body lose fluids and cause thirst.

- Alcohol is a vasodilator, causing the small blood vessels on the surface of the skin to dilate or swell, making the body lose heat.

Thus Alcohol in a human body can cause:

- Relaxed Inhibitions. An inhibition is a mental or psychological process that retrains or suppresses a person’s emotions, actions or thoughts.

- Hypoglycemia- a decrease of sugar in the blood.

- Digestive Changes- alcohol initially increases the appetite, but eventually decreases it.

In addition to the physical problems alcohol can cause there are also Behavioral Signs Of Alcohol Absorption. These include-

-	Significant Changes in Behavior.

-	Relaxed Inhibitions

-	Impaired Judgment.

-	Slowed Reaction Time

-	Impaired Motor Coordination.

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