How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System? Blood & Urine

It is essential to consult with a healthcare professional or addiction specialist to ensure your safety and well-being throughout the detoxification journey. Alcohol affects the muscles’ ability to absorb and use glucose, which they need for energy, decreasing your endurance. A study from Australia concluded that impairment of motor skills is one of the side effects of consuming alcohol that also affects athletic performance.

Gluten is a highly inflammatory food and should be removed from everyone’s diet. If you feel like you absolutely have to drink alcohol fastest way to flush alcohol out of system socially, try a mixed drink with tequila, or a vodka you know was made from potatoes. Rest allows your body to heal and recover faster, helping you feel better sooner.

1. Prolonged alcohol abuse can weaken the heart muscle, leading to conditions such as alcoholic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias.
2. In addition to water, you must drink green tea because this antioxidant can successfully eliminate toxins that have developed inside your internal organs.
3. Factors like metabolic rate, body composition, and alcohol tolerance also play a role.

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After taking alcoholic beverages, there are situations where individuals need to get the liquid out of their systems immediately. Some long-term health threats of drinking excessive alcohol include digestive issues, heart diseases, high blood pressure, and a poor immune system. On the other hand, common short-term risks involve having a hangover, alcohol poisoning, road accidents, and physical assault. Drinking alcohol at a faster rate by participating in binge drinking can cause your blood alcohol concentration to increase, compared to sipping liquor or consuming at a moderate pace. Also, the more extended amount of time spent drinking, the longer it will take for the alcohol to metabolize out of the system. The more you drink, the longer it takes for alcohol to leave your body.

Factors That Might Affect How Long Alcohol Stays in the Body

A small dose of alcohol (1 to 2 drinks) lowers inhibitions and the ability to concentrate. A medium dose (3 to 4 drinks) causes slurred speech, altered emotions, and poor vision. A higher dose (5 drinks or more) can cause uncontrolled urination, alcohol poisoning, and breathing problems. Alcohol metabolism rates vary by individual, but on average, the liver can process one standard drink per hour. Factors like weight, age, gender, and overall health can affect this rate. On average, your body eliminates alcohol at a rate that would reduce your BAC by 0.015 per hour.

How does the body metabolize alcohol?

When recovering from alcohol intoxication, it is common for people to crave junk food. Eating dishes with high levels of saturated fat will only add more stress to the digestive system, so it has to work harder to eliminate the remaining alcohol. A medical detox can remove all the traces of alcohol in a safe environment. Doctors will prescribe you medications such as Vivitrol, disulfiram, or acamprosate to reduce alcohol cravings and maintain sobriety.

Other factors affect the intoxication level that will cause BAC to rise more quickly and fall more slowly. A glass of wine versus grain alcohol has a different alcohol concentration, affecting how alcohol is metabolized. As a community based treatment center, it’s important to us that we share helpful resources and expert content created for those who are seeking treatment or already in recovery. If you or a loved one is seeking help for alcohol or other substance abuse, contact us at Stairway Resource Center today. The Stairway Resource Center offers a 60 to 90-day outpatient program that takes place in a community setting. We offer dual diagnosis treatment and daily group and individual therapy for our clients.

Someone who is drinking on an empty stomach could have a BAC three times higher than someone who has eaten before drinking. If this happens too often, damage to the body’s brain and tissues can develop. Just like a broken bone or infection needs time to heal, so does an overworked liver. While this depends on the amount of alcohol you have had over the years, your liver can see partial healing within two to three weeks, but this will depend on your health history. If your liver has taken a hit from prolonged alcohol use, there are ways to give it — and the rest of your body — a break. Our recovery programs are based on decades of research to deliver treatment that really works.