How Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Affects Brain & Body
An individual’s BAC measurements affect their body behavior and brain, with increased blood alcohol concentration resulting in severe impairment. There’s a range of factors that have an effect on BAC.
Some of the factors include:
- What you’ve eaten (and when)
- Biological sex
- Physical condition
- Body size
- How much sleep you’ve gotten
- Medications you take
- The amount of alcohol content you’ve drank
BAC percentage can be gauged using a blood test or a breathalyzer. Although a breathalyzer provides quick results and is frequently utilized by police officers who believe that the behavior and actions of a person indicate that they have been drinking, it’s not an accurate measure of blood alcohol content in the bloodstream.
How BAC Is Calculated
To compute BAC, the volume of alcohol in the circulatory system is gauged in (mg) of alcohol per hundred (ml) of blood. It is denoted as a decimal such as 0.15 or 0.08.
For instance, a BAC measurement of 0.10 implies that an individual’s blood comprises one part of alcohol for each 1,000 blood parts.
How BAC Affects Impairment
Persons who consume alcohol habitually may exhibit minimal behavioral deviations at first sight because of alcohol tolerance. A blood test or breathalyzer may still indicate a high BAC amount.
An average drink equals 0.6 ounces (14g) of pure alcohol. Typically, this volume of pure alcohol is found in:
- 8 ounces of malt liquor (7% alcohol content)
- 5 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content)
- 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol content)
- 1.5 ounces or a shot of 80-proof (40% alcohol amount) distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., whiskey, vodka, rum, gin)
Blood alcohol amount outcomes may be presented in various ways, including blood alcohol content percentage. Standard results you can expect include:
- Sober: 0.0% BAC
- Legally intoxicated: 0.08% BAC
- Very impaired: 0.08–0.40% BAC. You may exhibit some difficulty speaking and walking. Other tell-tale signs may include but are not limited to drowsiness, nausea, and confusion.
- At risk for severe complications: over.40 BAC. A person who has recorded this blood alcohol measurement is in danger and at risk of death or going into a coma.
It’s important to note that blood alcohol exams are only accurate within six to twelve hours following your last drink. If you have any qualms regarding your test results, you should think about consulting with a healthcare physician and/or an attorney.
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