Although this might sound like the beginning of another terrible 5-Hour ENERGY commercial, if you asked some doctors, situations like this actually are the cause of many serious health problems.

A new government survey shows emergency room visits from patients who have consumed energy drinks has doubled nationwide since 2007.

In 2011, more than 20,000 individuals went to emergency rooms for heart-related issues after downing an energy drink. Most of the these cases involved teenagers and young adults.

With all the stresses of college and the constant feeling of needing more time to get things done, it sometimes can feel impossible not to resort to energy drinks.

But as innocent as it might seem, and as common as it has become, the side effects that can result from over-consumption of energy drinks are no laughing matter. There can be serious repercussions from consuming multiple energy drinks in one sitting.

Emergency room doctors have called energy drink consumption a “rising public health problem,” and they can cause a number of immediate problems including irregular heartbeats, anxiety and heart attacks. Other longer-term problems include insomnia, nervousness, headaches and even seizures.

Many of these problems have been linked to some of the ingredients that make up these drinks, including taurine, which has been banned as a consumable ingredient in other countries.

The amount of caffeine in these drinks has been another red flag physicians have cited. If someone was to try to get the boost of energy they needed by drinking just three energy drinks in an hour, it would be the caffeine equivalent of downing 15 cups of coffee in the same amount of time.

Like it or not, energy drinks have cemented a place in our day-to-day lives, but that doesn’t mean their impact should be looked at in an entirely bad light.

Having a caffeinated beverage when you need an extra kick isn’t going to hurt you. But you have to use some discretion. If not used in moderation, anything you put in your body can be harmful.

Instead of reading about the individuals who are sent to the emergency room after consuming too many energy drinks, take some responsibility for yourself and read the label of the products you’re buying.

So the next time you need that extra boost, take a second and weigh your options.

A four pack of Red Bull can get you a long way into the night, but getting enough sleep sure feels a lot better and is much healthier.