Title: Blackouts: Causes, Side Effects, and Prevention
Headings: Understanding Why Blackouts Happen
Understanding Why Blackouts Happen
What makes a blackout a “blackout?”
What causes a blackout?
What happens to the body during a blackout?
Can blackouts lead to complications?
Are some people more prone to blackouts?
Outlook
How to prevent blackouts

Content: Blackouts: Causes, Side Effects, and Prevention
Understanding Why Blackouts Happen
Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.D., R.N., CRNA — Written by Annamarya Scaccia — Updated on August 20, 2020
Causes
What happens to your body
Long-term effects
Risk for blackouts
Outlook
Prevention
What makes a blackout a “blackout?” A blackout is a temporary condition that affects your memory. It’s characterized by a sense of lost time. Blackouts occur when your body’s alcohol levels are high. Alcohol impairs your ability to form new memories while intoxicated. It doesn’t erase memories formed before intoxication. As you drink more alcohol and your blood alcohol level rises, the rate and length of memory loss will increase. The amount of memory loss varies from person to person. One study
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estimated that the odds of experiencing a blackout is about 50% when blood alcohol content reaches 0.22 percent.