When it comes to drinking, some of us handle out alcohol much better than others. But why can some people have a few drinks and be fine, while others end up with a lampshade on their head? In most cases, that comes down to alcohol tolerance and how it effects you.
Alcohol Tolerance: What Is It and How Does It Work?
What is Alcohol Tolerance?
In general, you can define alcohol tolerance in two ways. First, it can mean that it takes more alcohol in order to produce the same effect. In short, that means you usually have one glass of wine. After that glass, you feel a sense of relax and calm come over you. But once you do this on several occasions, you stop having that feeling after just one glass of wine. So then, it takes more alcohol to produce that same relaxed feeling.
Another way to define alcohol tolerance is by saying, the same amount of alcohol produces less of an effect on you. While this basically means the same thing, it’s a different way of understanding how we build a tolerance. In short, this means your mind builds up a defense against that one glass of wine. So whereas before, it made you feel relaxed, now your brain expects that and has a defense against it.
Basically, no matter each way you look at it, you no longer feel relaxed after just one glass of wine.
Why Does this Happen?
In many cases, alcohol tolerance appears to be something a person builds up. So after drinking for a while, it will take more alcohol for you to feel those same effects. But in some instances, tolerance also seems to be natural. Which means some people are just born with the ability to “hold their alcohol” better than others.
What to Remember About Alcohol Tolerance
It’s important to remember than alcohol tolerance allows you too feel less of the effects of alcohol. So basically, that means you may not feel as impaired. But while it may change how drunk you feel, it doesn’t actually change the numbers. So you can still have a BAC over the legal limit but feel fine. It’s important to remember this before getting behind the wheel, because it can land you a DWI.
