It’s kind of hard to miss. Someone walks by, and they have the telltale odor. When you have been drinking alcohol, people can tell. It is in your system, emanating from your mouth, skin, and body. But beyond the olfactory aspect, people sometimes need to know how long does alcohol stay in your system.
The answer is a bit different for every person. That said, there are a few ways to understand this question. Then, we will go over getting alcohol out of your system for good. Once it’s out, having it stay out long-term.
Tests for Detecting How Long Alcohol Stays in Your System
If you want to know “how long does alcohol stay in your system,” there are several tests can detect alcohol, each with varying detection windows. Here’s a breakdown:
- Breathalyzer: The most commonly used test, especially by law enforcement. A breathalyzer can detect alcohol for up to 24 hours after your last drink.
- Blood Test: More accurate than a breathalyzer, a blood test can detect alcohol for up to 12 hours, depending on how much was consumed.
- Urine Test: This test can detect alcohol for 12-48 hours. However, an advanced method called ethyl glucuronide (EtG) testing can extend this detection window to up to 72 hours.
- Hair Test: Although not commonly used for alcohol detection, a hair test can detect alcohol use for up to 90 days. However, it’s more frequently used for detecting drug use.
How Long Can People See and Smell It on You?
You might wonder not just about internal tests but also how long people can physically see or smell alcohol on you. Alcohol’s telltale signs include:
- Odor on Breath: you can smell alcohol for at least 24 hours.
- Redness in the Face and Eyes: These effects can last several hours after drinking, depending on how much is consumed.
- Behavioral Cues: Slurred speech, poor coordination, and slower reflexes happen for several hours after drinking.
So How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System, Really?
Alcohol typically stays in your body for up to 48 hours. Several factors affect this (metabolism, age, weight, etc), but that is the general timeframe. So, if alcohol leaves your system so quickly, why does it take so long to detox your body from it?
Alcohol detox at a qualified alcohol detoxification center can take up to two weeks. There are a few reasons for this.
Dependence.
If you have been drinking heavily or for a long time, your brain and body depend on the chemicals in alcohol to help perform basic functions. Over time, your brain has stopped doing certain things because the alcohol took care of it. This means you need alcohol to function.
Withdrawal
Along with dependence, withdrawals are the physical symptoms of your body trying to cope with not having alcohol to take care of some of its necessities. These can range from sweating, anxiety, and nausea all the way to seizures and delirium tremens (DTs). Detoxing from alcohol and the withdrawals should not be taken lightly. It is important to have professional clinical guidance through this step with vital monitoring, especially at the beginning.
Stabilization
Alcohol detox is more than just getting it out of your system. Your body needs time to reconfigure. It needs to heal and stabilize itself to where it was before heavy drinking was introduced. Beyond that, there may be organ damage to the liver or brain (among others). This stabilization period sets you up for what needs to come next: addiction treatment and therapy.
Getting Alcohol Out of Your System for Good
Being a slave to alcohol or any other substance is no way to live life. Constantly wondering, “How long does alcohol stay in your system,” or “When am I gonna hit rock bottom?” These are the opposite of living. It is a walking death. The spark of life is gone; you are chasing the shadows of the next high from alcohol. And as the phrase goes, it’s never enough.
Do you want to be free from alcohol? It is possible. Call us today for a free consultation with our addiction experts and see what treatment options would be a good fit for you. Call now: 844-439-7627.
