Medical Conditions That Can Affect a DUI Case in DC

Some of these symptoms, which include slurred speech, difficulty keeping balance, and short-term memory loss, can be mistaken for alcohol intoxication. When a police officer does not allow a person involved in a vehicle collision to get immediate medical attention and makes them take field sobriety tests, they may show signs of intoxication, which are not caused by alcohol consumption.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, resulting in symptoms like heartburn. In the context of a DUI case, GERD can be significant. For instance, during episodes of acid reflux, stomach contents may reach the esophagus or mouth, potentially influencing breathalyzer results by introducing stomach alcohol into these areas.

Even though the stomach alcohol is not absorbed into your bloodstream, the reading of a breathalyzer or breath test machine during a field sobriety test can be affected by its presence in the esophagus or mouth. When a breathalyzer detects alcohol in your bloodstream, you may be considered impaired and can be arrested.

Heart Conditions

People with heart conditions may show symptoms such as breathing difficulty, coordination problems, excessive sweating, and a drop in blood pressure, which are similar to those of intoxication. Police officers, when they notice these symptoms and are not aware of this medical condition, can wrongly arrest you for DUI.

Diabetes

This is a medical condition that can put you at risk of facing unfair charges for DUI. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are incurable diseases that happen when the pancreas cannot produce insulin, which is required to regulate blood sugar levels.

A person with diabetes can either have hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels). A person having hyperglycemia can show several symptoms that can easily be mistaken as impairment from alcohol by a police officer.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as slurred speech, blurred vision, lightheadedness, shaking, and delayed reflexes, can also be mistaken for effects of intoxication. Police officers can wrongly suspect and arrest you for DUI when they notice these symptoms.

It is also important to note that you can be charged with DUI because of hypoglycemia, even if you don’t have diabetes. Although hypoglycemia mainly affects people with diabetes, it can occur in non-diabetics as well. Those who do not have diabetes, especially those on a low-carb diet like the ketogenic diet, may display hypoglycemia symptoms, which are mistaken for intoxication. Those on low-carb diets may experience ketosis, which can result in false positives on a DUI breathalyzer test.

For hyperglycemia patients, their bodies burn fats instead of carbohydrates for energy, which causes a build-up of ketones in the bloodstream and leads to a distinct foul breath odor that can be misconstrued as alcohol. Hyperglycemic often experience labored breathing, thirst, drowsiness, and rapid heartbeat, which can mislead a police officer into performing DUI breath tests on them.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is also a medical condition that can impact a DUI case. People with sleep apnea can stop breathing throughout the night due to obstruction of their airways, which is occasioned by the relaxation of their throat muscles.

Due to this obstruction, their blood accumulates carbon dioxide, which makes them disoriented, dizzy, or intoxicated when they wake up, even though they are sober. People with sleep apnea may also risk insulin reactions when they have not eaten for several hours.

If you have sleep apnea and you are arrested for drinking under the influence, you may have a viable defense in your DUI case.