Here’s why this “sign of a good night” isn’t as fun as you may think

Do you remember your college days? Beer pong, $3 drinks and $1 shots probably didn’t help you with your studying, and it definitely didn’t do any favors for your health.

A recent study asked 1,000 people about their attitudes and habits toward drinking and found that 10.8 percent of men said blacking out was a sign of a good night.

If you’re not familiar with the term “blacking out,” it’s a phrase used to describe a point in time where so much alcohol has been consumed it has resulted in memory loss. Maybe you’ve heard a friend say, “What even happened last night?”

If they ended up blacking out, it’s very likely they actually don’t remember.

While you might not be considering how your fifth whiskey-shot is hurting your body in the moment, you may want to start considering just how harmful binge drinking can be.

“Binge drinking carries many risk factors,” says Dr. Melanie Gordon, an internal medicine physician at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill. “A few of them include heart disease, alcohol poisoning, memory problems, high blood pressure, digestive problems and liver disease.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol use has led to 88,000 deaths in the U.S. between 2006-2010.

Furthermore, in 2011, Duke researchers discovered blackouts and hangovers could hinder your body’s ability to absorb zinc and hamper your long-term ability to create new memories.

How do you know when you’ve had too much to drink?

Dr. Gordon says these are the warning signs:

• Mental confusion
• Difficulty remaining conscious
• Vomiting
• Dulled reflexes and responses
• Irregular breathing
• Slow heart rate

Do you know someone suffering from alcohol addiction? Check out some tips on how to help them here.