How long does alcohol stay in the system
Alcohol drinking is a serious condition, not only because of its effect on the body and behavior but also for its prolonged duration of action, so we are going to discuss how long does alcohol stay in the system?
The half-life of alcohol is 4-5 hours which means it takes a longer time to be eliminated from your bloodstream, also it’s metabolized by a rate of 20 milligrams per deciliter per hour
This metabolic rate is constant in everyone, but in some others, it may stay for a longer time.
How long does alcohol stay in the system
Although the effect of alcohol remains for a short time, traces of it will remain for a much longer period in various body fluids and tissues like blood, urine, hair, and on your breath.
- Breath
For about 12-24 hours from your last drink, a breathalyzer can measure your BAC (blood alcohol concentration level)
- Blood
Alcohol in the blood can be detected 12 hours after your last drink, as alcohol is eliminated from your body with a rate of 0.015% per hour.
- Urine
By using ethyl glucuronide test (EtG), We can detect alcohol in urine for 12-48 hours after drinking
- Saliva
Saliva tests can detect alcohol after one day to five days of drinking.
- Hair
Traces of alcohol can be detected in your hair follicles for up to 90 days from your last drink.
Importance of knowing how long does alcohol stay in the system
In addition to the preparation of a drug test, it’s also important to avoid drug interactions if you are going to take some medications while your body hasn’t yet eliminated ethyl (alcohol) which can cause serious drug interactions.
Factors affecting alcohol levels in the blood
After you know how long does alcohol stay in the system, you may ask why does it stay so long, many factors can contribute:
- Age
Age can play a significant role in how long alcohol stays in your body.
The older someone is, the more exhausted their organs will be including the liver which is responsible for most of the process of alcohol elimination.
- Weight
For every increase in weight, there is an increase in the time required to increase their blood alcohol levels.
Overweight may not affect alcohol levels in the body because it’s not fat-soluble.
- Gender
Gender can affect how long does alcohol stay in the system, as males are more tolerant of alcohol as they have enzymes that can break alcohol down in the stomach.
While females are smaller in-built than males, so they are less tolerant to alcohol.
Also, females have more body fat and low body water, so alcohol tends to stay longer in their bodies.
- Medications
Taking other medications while you are consuming alcohol may confuse your body about what should your body eliminate first, so the liver can eliminate the drug first, then later on it will eliminate alcohol.
Medications that can interact with alcohol include the following:
- Antidepressants
- Anti-anxiety medications
- Antibiotics
- Allergy medications
- Diabetes medications
- Food consumption
Eating before taking alcohol can affect the amount of alcohol absorbed by the body, as it delays the absorption of alcohol, which makes it stay in your system for a longer period.
While, on drinking on an empty stomach, alcohol will be absorbed more quickly, the quicker the liver can eliminate alcohol.
So, food consumption affects how long does alcohol stay in the system.
Conclusion
- The half-life of alcohol is 4-5 hours in all people.
- Liver is the main organ responsible for alcohol elimination from your body.
- Alcohol can be detected in hair follicles for 90 days after the last drinking.
- Age, sex, weight can affect alcohol levels in your system.
- You now know how long does alcohol stay in the system, so you can take other medications without causing drug interactions.
Sources
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-long-does-alcohol-stay-in-your-system-80218
