Your Body On... Alcohol

Alcohol affects your optic nerves, which can give you double vision or make things look blurry. If you can’t see clearly, you’re more prone to falls, and could get seriously hurt.

Alcohol slows the signals between your brain and your reflexes, making it hard for you to react quickly, which is why it’s never safe to drive if you’ve been drinking. It also affects your ability to control your impulses, which can cause you to make bad decisions and put yourself in danger.

Alcohol makes your stomach produce excess acid. When you get too much acid in your stomach, your body tries to get rid of it by throwing up. Not only does this feel terrible, it’s also very dangerous, because you can suffocate if vomit gets trapped in your airway, especially if you’re unconscious.

Alcohol initially causes your heart rate to rise before plummeting to potentially dangerous low levels. If your heart rate drops too low, you can become unconscious and even die.

Your liver breaks down the alcohol in your bloodstream. Too much alcohol in your blood can overwhelm your liver and cause alcohol poisoning, a dangerous condition that can result in death.