In a college town, binge drinking is on the rise.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that there’s an increase in binge drinking, especially on holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and the Fourth of July.
“Binge drinking is drinking enough alcohol to raise your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or higher. This usually happens after a woman consumes four drinks and a man has five drinks within a span of two hours,” says Dr. Paul Damaske, a family medicine physician at Geisinger-Gray’s Woods.
As soon as you take your first sip, alcohol enters your bloodstream. The immediate effects of alcohol can appear in just 10 minutes. The more you drink, the more your BAC increases. And the higher your BAC gets, the more impaired you become.
“When people have been binge drinking, we see a lot of unintentional injuries from falling or car crashes, as well as alcohol poisoning,” Damaske says. Binge drinking is also associated with unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, domestic violence and sexual assault injuries related to alcohol’s ability to lower your inhibitions and increase your chances of engaging in risky behavior.
But binge drinking is linked to a vast array of health issues and conditions as well.
“High blood pressure, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are all results of repeated binge drinking,” Damaske says.
Drinking too much, either on a single occasion or over time, can have an impact on your major organs.
Heavy drinking takes a toll on your liver. “Binge drinking can lead to liver failure requiring transplant, fatty liver (damaged liver), cirrhosis and liver inflammation requiring hospitalization,” Damaske states.
Consuming alcohol can cause your pancreas to produce toxic substances, which can lead to pancreatitis. This condition involves dangerous inflammation of the pancreas, which can lead to permanent loss of pancreas function, and can cause permanent diabetes and abdominal pain.
“Alcohol can interfere with your brain’s communication pathways, impacting the way your brain looks and works. Disruptions in your brain’s communication pathways can cause mood and behavior changes and make it more difficult to think clearly and move with coordination,” Damaske explains.
Drinking too much can also increase your risk of developing certain cancers, and weaken your immune system.
“Consuming a lot of alcohol on a single occasion slows down your body’s ability to fight off infections for as long as up to 24 hours after getting drunk,” Damaske warns.
