Many of us like to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a nice beer or two.  Sometimes we can over-indulge and drink too much alcohol in our quest to celebrate this unique holiday.

Binge drinking has been defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as "drinking so much within about two hours that blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels reach 0.08g/dL". In women, this typically occurs after about four standard drinks, and, in men, after about five standard drinks. Binge drinking is associated with acute injuries due to intoxication and may be associated with an increased cardiovascular such as heart palpitations (where you feel your heart beating too fast or too hard), and heart arrhythmias (where your heart starts beating in an un-safe rhythm).
 

Alcohol intoxication is a preventable reason for urgent and emergent care visits during this event and alcohol toxicity is a preventable cause of death. So please limit your alcohol intake to one drink for females, and two drinks for males, so please use moderation!
 

Even better, consider skipping the beer and adding a St. Patrick’s day run or walk instead! Just remember to hydrate with 20-40 oz of water daily.
 

Regardless of your chose of celebration, please don’t hesitate to speak with your SIMED Health Care Provider about alcohol use and please remember not to drink and drive if you plan on taking a green beer or two!