Author: John Carter
Alcohol poisoning: Symptoms, treatment, and causes
Drinking too much too quickly can affect breathing, heart rate, body temperature and gag reflex. Prompt treatment of an alcohol overdose can prevent life-threatening health problems. However, severe alcohol overdose may cause seizures, resulting in brain damage if oxygen to the brain is cut off.
- In some situations, a medical team may order imaging studies such as a brain computerized tomography (CT) scan to see if there is head trauma or bleeding.
- Alcoholic drinks contain a form of alcohol known as ethyl alcohol or ethanol.
- When you can’t metabolize alcohol efficiently, the harmful effects on your body occur quickly, have a more dramatic effect, and last longer.
- If seizures are occurring, a short-term anticonvulsant medication can help stop them.
- For a man, binge drinking is when you have five or more drinks in less than 2 hours.
- People who binge drink (drink more than five drinks in an hour) are also at risk for alcohol overdose.
This effect decreases the gag reflex, which can make you choke on your own vomit while passed out or sleeping, causing potentially fatal consequences. If you think someone has alcohol poisoning, get them medical help as soon as possible. A person can usually tell when they are intoxicated, but it may be challenging to spot the signs in others. We absorb alcohol much more quickly than food – alcohol gets to our bloodstream much faster. The person can become extremely confused, unresponsive, disoriented, have shallow breathing, and can even pass out or go into a coma.
Other health conditions
If you think you might have a problem with alcohol, call SAMHSA or talk to your healthcare provider. People with alcohol poisoning are also more likely to experience injuries, which can be severe. People who don’t have any major complications from alcohol poisoning typically have a good prognosis.
Blood and urine tests can measure alcohol concentration, providing helpful clues about whether alcohol poisoning is the cause of symptoms. Sometimes, however, alcohol may not be present in blood and urine even when the impact of alcohol poisoning is still quite evident. These symptoms often occur in stages, depending on how intoxicated a person is.
The more you drink, especially in a short period of time, the greater your risk of alcohol poisoning. Although people can safely consume alcohol without experiencing immediate adverse health effects, long term alcohol consumption can jeopardize overall health. Intoxication affects the way consent works in emergency medical situations.
Management and Treatment
Because of alcohol-induced impairment, it is often assumed that someone who is intoxicated would accept help if able to do so. Alcohol poisoning can make a person black out, causing loss of consciousness and often an inability to remember many of the events that occurred. A mixed drink or cocktail could have more than one serving of alcohol in it.
This article discusses the signs, symptoms, and causes of alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can be life threatening and usually requires urgent medical treatment. Call 911 if someone you know is experiencing an alcohol overdose.
People who accidentally consume methanol or isopropyl alcohol may need hemodialysis. This is a mechanical way of filtering waste and toxins from the blood. Removal of alcohol and toxins directly via a tube placed in the stomach (a process referred to as stomach pumping) can prevent further absorption of alcohol.
What are the symptoms of an alcohol overdose?
Normally, anyone experiencing a medical emergency must give permission to receive professional help. This requires understanding the necessity of treatment, knowing the possible side effects of treatment, and being informed of the consequences of refusing help. This often delays the diagnosis of alcohol poisoning, worsening the outcome. A person experiencing alcohol poisoning may also have other medical issues, such as a head injury or a drug overdose.
If the alcohol poisoning is extreme, the patient can go into a coma and potentially die. If you drink more than this and your body isn’t able to break it down fast enough, it accumulates in your body. In some instances, oxygen may be administered by placing a mask on the face.
Severe alcohol intoxication — or alcohol poisoning — is a dangerous condition that requires immediate medical attention. Alcohol intoxication refers to a temporary condition that occurs when a person drinks an excess of alcohol at one time. It causes physical and behavioral symptoms that range from mild to severe. There are several common myths about treating alcohol poisoning.
Always consult a medical provider for diagnosis and treatment. It is important to keep hydrated and avoid drinking any alcohol. Men ages are the most common demographic in alcohol poisoning-related fatalities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 2,200 alcohol poisoning deaths in the United States each year.
What are the possible complications of alcohol poisoning?
Mechanical ventilation may be necessary for respiratory support if breathing is not self-controlled. Medications to maintain adequate blood pressure may also be needed. And sometimes, electroencephalography (EEG) is needed to differentiate between alcohol poisoning and a seizure. Vasodilation also interferes with the body’s ability to compensate for bleeding and shock. This is particularly important to consider as alcohol weakens the walls of blood vessels and makes them more susceptible to rupture and bleeding. Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, which means that it acts to decrease your response time and level of consciousness.