Everyone makes mistakes, and it\’s an odd day when you\’re pulled over for no reason. If you were accused of driving while drunk but know you didn\’t have anything to drink, several explanations are possible. Certain medical conditions affect the way you act and appear. Your balance, speech or other movements may appear intoxicated.
1. You have Wilson\’s disease
Relatively unheard of, this rare condition allows copper to build up in the blood. This results in damage to the liver. Since the body can\’t remove toxins as effectively due to the build up, you appear intoxicated. This condition requires medical treatment, and it\’s usually diagnosed at a young age. Left untreated, it\’s life threatening and may lead to death.
2. You could have diabetes
Teens sometimes suffer from diabetes, and many may not know they have it. Diabetes makes it hard to control the blood sugar levels in the body, because the pancreas no longer produces insulin or does not produce enough insulin. Diabetes sometimes causes a person\’s breath to smell like acetone or fruit, and it can cause dizziness, mania, hostility, disorientation, sudden mood changes and other medical problems.
When the blood sugar is too low, it causes confusion or can result in a loss of consciousness. When it\’s too high, seizures, anger, aggression and other actions are possible as the body tries to eliminate the extra sugar from its system.
3. Your epilepsy is flaring up
Epilepsy is a condition in which the electrical activities of the brain become abnormal. This causes seizures. Seizures come in a number of forms, with some being general and others producing only partial symptoms. For example, a partial seizure could cause anger or aggressiveness, while a generalized seizure could cause falling, contorted limbs or a loss of consciousness. Even in the aftermath of a seizure, an individual may appear confused or disoriented.
4. You\’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury
Much like epilepsy, the brain does not always work correctly following a brain injury. A traumatic brain injury potentially causes symptoms such as dizziness, tremors, the inability to focus, slurred speech or hallucinations. The brain works harder when you are active, which makes these symptoms more prominent.
Fortunately, a medical condition that appears like intoxication is not intoxication, and a breath test or blood test can reveal your sobriety. After treating your medical condition, your attorney can help you if the DUI charge is still pending.