Why do you lose your memory when you consume a lot of alcohol? A doctor reveals the reason for your memory loss, also known as a “blackout,” in a video on the TikTok platform.
The reason for your memory loss the day after your alcoholic evening would be the large amount of alcohol you consumed in a short period of time, which immediately increases the alcohol level in your blood, explains Dr. Jill Grimes in a video with over 3.9 million views.
This phenomenon occurs because the part of the brain responsible for consolidating memories, the hippocampus, is “shut down,” she says, adding that “long-term memory is simply not created.”
The next day will confirm that your memories will not come back, even if others will try to remind you of certain moments of the evening. “You haven’t created long-term memory…No matter how many people try to get your memory back, nothing will work,” she insists.
Generally, a woman experiences memory loss from “four alcoholic drinks in less than two hours.” For a man, however, it will consist of “five alcoholic drinks.”
The doctor states that there are several factors that influence memory loss when drinking alcohol, such as lack of food or taking medications.