Alcohol Poisoning: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain. A heavy drinking binge may even cause a life-threatening coma or death. This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function. Intoxication affects the way consent works in emergency medical situations.

This leads to rapid increases in BAC and significantly impairs brain and other bodily functions. In addition to the serious risk of death, alcohol poisoning can also lead to irreversible brain damage. Other long-term complications of heavy alcohol use include addiction, cancer, cirrhosis, liver disease, vitamin deficiencies, and mental health problems. It also increases the risk of unintentional injuries due to falls, drowning, assault, and car accidents. Middle-aged men have been most affected by alcohol poisoning deaths in the United States. While many factors can contribute to the risk of alcohol abuse, individuals who start drinking in their adolescent years are more likely to suffer from alcoholism later on in life.

How to Get Help After Alcohol Poisoning

You may be given fluids, which may be given into your veins with a drip. You may also be given help with your breathing until the effects of the alcohol wear off. If the person is experiencing seizures, a short-term anticonvulsant medication will be given to stop the seizures. 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. Alcohol is a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, which means that it acts to decrease your response time and level of consciousness. This effect decreases the gag reflex, which can make you choke on your own vomit while passed out or sleeping, causing potentially fatal consequences.

Not properly treating warning signs of alcohol poisoning can lead to a number of short- and long-term side effects. In addition, you may be more likely to continue the dangerous pattern of excessive drinking, increasing the likelihood of over-consuming again. There are a number of factors that play a role in a person’s alcohol consumption limit such as gender, weight and tolerance level. Since every person is different, there is no way to determine how much a person can drink before they’re at risk of alcohol poisoning.

What is alcohol poisoning?

Ingesting alcohol and other drugs together intensifies their individual effects and could produce an overdose with even moderate amounts of alcohol. Severe alcohol intoxication — or https://ecosoberhouse.com/sober-house-boston/ — 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.

Keep reading to learn more about alcohol intoxication, including its causes, symptoms, and treatments. Ensuring that you drink responsibly can prevent alcohol poisoning. Always drink in moderation, and keep track of the amount of drinks you’ve had. It’s defined as when a man has five drinks or more within two hours or when a woman has four or more drinks within two hours. Continue reading to learn more about alcohol poisoning, the symptoms to look out for, and when to seek emergency care.

What is Alcohol Poisoning Treatment?

The best way to avoid alcohol poisoning is to not drink or to limit your alcohol consumption. If you choose to drink, it’s a good idea to drink responsibly and stick to the guidelines for moderating drinking that are mentioned above. However, death is not the only consequence of excessive alcohol use. To prevent alcohol poisoning, limit your alcohol consumption. If you or a friend are drinking, pay attention to how much you consume and how quickly.

• Alcohol use and taking opioids or sedative hypnotics, such as sleep and anti-anxiety medications, can increase your risk of an overdose.
• Treatment providers are available 24/7 to answer your questions about rehab, whether it’s for you or a loved one.
• People who binge drink have a higher risk of experiencing alcohol poisoning.
• Eventually, it becomes so high that your basic mental, physical and emotional functions are no longer able to work properly.
• While many factors can contribute to the risk of alcohol abuse, individuals who start drinking in their adolescent years are more likely to suffer from alcoholism later on in life.
• An alcohol binge can occur over hours or last up to several days.