Almost everyone knows the effects of drinking in our body and the harmful consequences that alcohol has if consumed in excess. These consequences are not only seen in the person who consumes it, but it is a problem that affects the whole society. Alcohol has become the fifth cause of death worldwide, not only for the more than 200 diseases it can cause, but also for work accidents, violence and traffic accidents that it causes.
How alcohol is determined in the body
When we introduce alcohol into the body through its liquid intake, it must pass through the esophagus, reach the stomach and finally reach the intestine. Once there, the membrane that covers the inside of the intestine absorbs a part of that alcohol, nevertheless, it is the walls of the small intestine that absorb most of that alcohol. Once they are absorbed by the walls, the alcohol goes directly into the blood.
Bearing in mind that alcohol is highly soluble in water, when it reaches the blood it is rapidly transported throughout the body, being absorbed by each of the body’s tissues. Despite this, part of the alcohol we have ingested is still present in the bloodstream.
There are different methods to determine the amounts of alcohol present in our body, through blood, urine or air tests. The BAC, by the abbreviations in English of “concentration of alcohol in blood “, is the alcohol test that serves to know how much alcohol a person has ingested. This rate determines the percentage of grams of alcohol for each liter of blood that there is by using the percentage between the mass and the volume of the alcohol and the person.
But alcohol levels are not stable over time, but vary depending on different factors and decreasing with the metabolism of this element. Below we explain how alcohol is eliminated in the blood, the factors involved and how long it takes to disappear.
How alcohol is eliminated in the blood
Once we introduce alcohol into the body, it has different ways of getting rid of it:
- On the one hand there is evaporation, through which alcohol volatilizes and leaves our body. This evaporation occurs through different ways, but mainly through the air we exhale and other secretions such as saliva, tears and sweat. The alcohol that evaporates barely reaches 1% of the total ingested.
- Another way to get rid of alcohol is through defecation and excretion. When we urinate we are releasing alcohol that has already been processed by our body, however, we do not accelerate the process. This belies the myth that if you drink a lot of water, alcohol is eliminated faster from the blood. The alcohol that goes through the urine has already been processed in our body. Nor is it true that if we vomit we eliminate alcohol. This is only possible if we do it right when we have drunk and it has not yet reached the stomach and intestines. Once there, it goes into the bloodstream, so it’s no use vomiting. Through this route we eliminate about 10% of alcohol.
- Finally, the way in which almost 90% of the total alcohol consumed is eliminated is thanks to the metabolizationof this in the liver.
How long does alcohol last in the blood
A healthy liver that works that normally can metabolize around 10 ml. of alcohol every hour. Depending on factors that we will explain below, this process can be accelerated or slowed down, but usually, after 10 hours after stopping drinking the body has already been able to eliminate all alcohol. Alcohol usually lasts 10 hours in the blood, during which time the liver metabolizes it.
Among the determining factors that will determine if it takes more or less time to eliminate it from the blood we find:
- The weight of the person.
- How old are you.
- Sex, since men metabolize faster.
- The metabolic rate of the person.
- Blood pressure
- The modality of alcohol.
- The amount of alcohol ingested.
- What we have eaten before drinking.
- The health status of the liver.
You should know that alcohol is not eliminated once its effects are no longer present. It may be that you are already normal, and yet your liver is still working to metabolize it. Until past 12 hours it is possible to find traces of alcohol in blood.
How long does alcohol last in the urine
If we take into account that the alcohol that goes with the urine is the one that has already been metabolized by the liver, we will conclude that as long as there is alcohol in the blood there will be alcohol in the urine. We have already explained the metabolization process and the time it lasts in the body and, in the case of urine will be the same. The alcohol lasts about 10 hours in the urine and can last until 12 o’clock.