Have you ever consumed one too many drinks to the point of having double vision. Oddly, we don't always have to be totally trashed to see double. So what causes it exactly?
- General Effect
Alcohol is a DOWNER that reduces activity in the central nervous system. The alcohol intoxicated person exhibits loose muscle tone, loss of fine motor coordination, and often has a staggering "drunken" gait.
- Eyes
The eyes may appear somewhat "glossy" and pupils may be slow to respond to stimulus. At high doses pupils may become constricted.
- Vital Signs
At intoxicating doses, alcohol can decrease heart rate, lower blood pressure and respiration rate, and result in decreased reflex responses and slower reaction times.
- Skin
Skin may be cool to the touch (but the user may feel warm), profuse sweating may accompany alcohol use. Observation Loose muscle tone, loss of fine motor coordination, odor of alcohol on the breath, and a staggering "drunken" gait.
Apparently, alcohol effects the nerves in your brain and brain stem that govern your eye movements. According to Indiana University professor Bruce Martin:
"It slows down the brain so you can't get the eyes tracking on something quickly. The time it takes to get your two eyes — their images — to fuse to give you a single image increases when you drink." . . . Covering one eye can help, he notes, "because then you don't have your brain comparing the two images. You just have the one image."
The effects of alcohol intoxication are greatly influenced by individual variations among users. Some users may become intoxicated at a much lower Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level than is shown.
- 0.02-0.03 BAC: Depressant effects are not apparent.
- 0.04-0.06 BAC: Feelings of relaxation, lower inhibitions, sensation of warmth. Euphoria. Some minor impairment of reasoning and memory, lowering of caution.
- 0.07-0.09 BAC: Slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Euphoria. Judgement and self- control are reduced, and caution, reason and memory are impaired.
- 0.10-0.125 BAC: Significant impairment of motor coordination and loss of good judgement. Speech may be slurred; balance, vision, reaction time and hearing will be impaired. Euphoria. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle at this level of intoxication.
- 0.13-0.15 BAC: Gross motor impairment and lack of physical control. Blurred vision and major loss of balance. Euphoria is reduced and dysphoria is beginning to appear.
- 0.16-0.20 BAC: Dysphoria (anxiety, restlessness) predominates, nausea may appear. The drinker has the appearance of a "sloppy drunk."
- 0.25 BAC: Needs assistance in walking; total mental confusion. Dysphoria with nausea and some vomiting.
- 0.30 BAC: Loss of consciousness.
