Nashville is known as the capital of country music, and thousands come to the city each year to check out the many landmarks in the city related to country music.  While the side that most people who come to Nashville see is a light-hearted one, there is also a darker side to the city.

Anywhere where there are bars and clubs there will be people drinking, and anywhere there are people drinking there will unfortunately be alcoholics.

Anyone who has had a hangover from drinking the night before has experienced a mild type of alcohol withdrawal.  Delirium Tremens, on the other hand, is the most severe form of alcohol withdrawal, which occurs after habitual and heavy drinking.

The feeling that one gets from having a hangover can already be pretty bad, but the feeling of Delirium Tremens is a million times worse.  If you are a heavy drinker and have drunk alcohol for a considerable amount of time, you may be at risk of getting Delirium Tremens.  You should not take this lightly, as not only is Delirium Tremens very unpleasant, it can also be fatal to a very high percentage of people who go through it and do not have appropriate medical assistance.

What at Delirium Tremens?

Often called “the DTs”, Delirium Tremens is a condition which creates rapid and dangerous changes in the nervous system and brain of a person.

Here are seven facts to help you know more about Delirium Tremens

1. It can be fatal

Even in today’s age of modern medicine, the death rate from the DTs can be as high as 5 to 15 percent.

Before the introduction of benzodiazepines and other similar drugs, which are now utilized to treat patients who are going through severe withdrawal, the rate of death for the DTs hovered around 35 percent.

Today, alcohol detox programs in Nashville are able to help patients safely manage the  alcohol withdrawal Nashville process much more effectively than years ago.

2. DTs are common in heavy drinkers

The CDC tells us that heavy drinkers are men who have 15 drinks or more in one week, and women who have 8 or more drinks in a week.

The National Institutes of Health tell us that people who drink 7 or more pints of beer, 1 pint or move of liqor, or 5 pints of more of wine a day for several months continuously, then stop drinking abruptly, are at a risk of severe alcohol withdrawal, including the DTs.

Even drinking smaller amounts of alcohol on a daily basis for years could qualify someone as a heavy drinker.

3. People who have been alcoholic for a long-time risk experiencing the DTs

Because of how alcohol damages your body, people who suffer from a long history of alcoholism, 10 years or more, are most susceptible to the DTs.

Long-term alcoholics must be monitored by physicians while detoxing from alcohol.

4. Symptoms don’t always appear fast

While symptoms of the DTs often appear quickly, they usually develop 2 to 3 days after someone’s last drink.  Though, in some cases, a period of 7 to 10 days passes with no symptoms.  The four and fifth days of alcohol withdrawal Nashville can be the most severe.

5. Delirium Tremens can cause hallucinations and seizures

People who have been through alcohol withdrawal Nashville more than once are likely to experience seizures from between 12 to 48 hours after delirium tremens has begun.

Another common symptom of Delirium Tremens is formication, which is the feeling of tiny insects crawling on or just under the skin.

6. Delirium Tremens brings about extreme anxiety

Along with all of the physical effects of severe alcohol withdrawal, such as fevers or tremors, patients often become paranoid, confused, or may believe that they are going to die.

It is important for those who are going through detox to do it in a controlled environment which is monitored by trained professionals.  Sometimes, medication can utilized as a means to offset anxiety and other psychological symptoms

7. Injury or illness can cause Delirium Tremens in heavy drinkers

Since Delirium Tremens are caused in heavy drinkers after they have had an abrupt stop in their consumption of alcohol, any illness or injury which hospitalizes or incapacitates them, can lead them to have symptoms.

Make sure that you discuss your alcohol use with a doctor if you are a very heavy user of alcohol.

Symptoms of Delirium Tremens include: shaking, hallucinations, delusions, confusion, fever, high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, heavy sweating and shivering.