Most people who regularly drink alcohol already know the symptoms of being intoxicated, like slurred speech and poor coordination. Sometimes though, you might be witnessing a severe health emergency and not even know it. Individuals who indulge in drinking a lot of alcohol in a short period are at significant risk of developing signs of alcohol poisoning.
Your liver does a great job of blocking alcohol toxins from getting into the bloodstream. Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short period; however, your liver might not be able to keep up. This is the process that leads to alcohol poisoning, which is also known as an alcohol overdose.
Alcohol poisoning is severe, and in some cases, deadly. Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short period can affect your heart rate, breathing, body temperature, and gag reflex in which may lead to coma or death.
Alcohol is a depressant that disrupts your brain and nervous system in ways that can slow down your breathing, heart rate, and other essential tasks that your body does.
Alcohol poisoning may also occur when children or adults accidentally drink products around the house that contain alcohol. An individual with alcohol poisoning must seek immediate medical attention. If you ever suspect that yourself or someone else has alcohol poisoning, call for emergency medical help right away.
Some intoxicated signs are physical and can be seen when knowing what to look for. Some signs of alcohol poisoning will include:
When there is too much alcohol in your system, your coordination will alter. You’ll feel dizzy and start seeing double, which makes it tough to walk and focus visually on your surroundings. Your reflexes will also be slowed down, and all coordination becomes reduced due to the effects the alcohol has on your brain and the reflex timing.
The face, chest, back, arms, and hands will get clammy when you’ve consumed a large amount of alcohol. This is due to the pores squeezing out the excess alcohol the body cannot process fast enough through the liver, making sweating the next natural way to release the alcohol.
Alcohol ingested has a strong vapor that comes from the stomach that projects through the mouth and has a pure alcohol odor. Even if not obvious to smell, alcohol can be picked up with a breathalyzer that measures your BAC and digitally reads what percentage of alcohol you have in your bloodstream.
Alcohol relaxes inhibitions and reduces coordination. That will cause the effect of your speech being slurred due to the brain not able to compute with the mouth the correct clarity or order of words in which to say. This creates mumbled and slurred words being projected.
The most physical indication an individual is intoxicated is by their eyes. They will be red, veiny, and have a watery, glazed look to them. The eyelids are usually lowered also, which makes the most obvious form of identifying intoxication without identifying the rest of the altered coordination.
When the alcohol reaches the brain, it alters the short-term memory. Individuals start to lose track of their surroundings, thoughts, and actions when intoxicated. Sometimes, the alcohol can make them blackout and completely not be able to recognize or remember a period they were conscious and engaging.
The effects of heavy use of alcohol will slow down the heartbeat, almost to half the rate it normally goes. Alcohol is a depressant that slows down blood flow and waves to the brain in which sends signals to the heart and lungs to function subconsciously.
When somebody has too much to drink, the above signs will have negative effects on the brain’s efforts to stay conscious. Individuals that pass out may mumble or even take small steps but are completely unconscious, and any methods of waking them up might not work. This is a clear sign of alcohol poisoning that demands immediate medical help.
Some symptoms of alcohol poisoning or a more significant deal than others. Some more severe alcohol poisoning symptoms to watch for are:
Even without all of the above symptoms, it is highly suggested to seek medical help when somebody might have alcohol poisoning. Individuals with alcohol poisoning who are unconscious and cannot be awakened are at high risk of dying. If you suspect that somebody has alcohol poisoning even without seeing these symptoms, you must seek immediate medical care.
Consuming any type of alcohol can cause some other significant types of toxic poisoning that will require emergency treatment, including a stomach pump. Alcohol in the ethyl form can be found in mouthwash, some medications, cooking strikes, alcoholic beverages, and certain household products.
Ethyl alcohol poisoning will generally result from consuming too many alcoholic drinks, especially if consumed in a short period. Some other forms of alcohol like isopropyl alcohol, methanol, and ethylene can be found in lotions, some cleaning products, and rubbing alcohol.
For a male, binge drinking is defined as when you’ve consumed five or more drinks in less than two hours. For a female, it is four drinks within less than two hours. Extreme binge drinking is double those amounts.
Binge drinking is one of the greatest causes of alcohol poisoning.
One of the more significant causes of alcohol poisoning is binge drinking. Binge drinking is a pattern of heavy drinking when an individual quickly will consume five or more alcoholic drinks within a couple of hours or less. An alcohol binge period may last as long as a few hours up to a few days.
It is possible to have alcohol poisoning before even passing out while binge drinking. Also, while unconscious or when you stop drinking, the alcohol will continue to be released from your stomach and intestines into your bloodstream, which will make the level of alcohol in your body continue to rise.
Alcohol is absorbed through the body much quicker and long before most of the nutrients do. It also takes a lot more time for your body to flush the alcohol that you have consumed. Most alcohol becomes processed by your liver. The more alcohol you drink, especially in a short period, the greater the risk you have of alcohol poisoning. A mixed drink may contain more than one serving of alcohol, and it might take longer to metabolize through the liver. The amount of time needed for your liver to break down every alcoholic beverage is one hour per drink. The more alcohol drinks you consume, the greater the chance you have of alcohol poisoning.
Studies show that men and middle-aged individuals are at significant risk for alcohol poisoning. Experts say that men tend to drink more than women do. And middle-aged individuals are more likely to also take prescription drugs while drinking, which can also contribute to alcohol poisoning.
While drinking alcohol, your size, weight, and the amount consumed will play a vital role in the risk of getting alcohol poisoning. No two people will be at the same BAC (blood alcohol content) even if both similar in physique and amount of alcohol consumed.
Alcohol poisoning can happen to any and everybody of all ages. It is vital to know the risk factors that come with drinking and to know what to do if somebody does have alcohol poisoning.
Individuals who drink alcohol at a higher rate than what is recommended are at risk for alcohol poisoning. Severe complications may also be coupled with excessive and binge drinking. Some severe complications can result from alcohol poisoning, which will include:
Alcohol poisoning can happen to anybody who over consumes too much alcohol in a short period. Most will have success with binge drinking and never worry about the risks and complications that come with alcohol poisoning because they feel susceptible. Know the risks, complications, and emergency actions to implement if needed.
It is crucial to know and understand that anybody at any age at any time may get alcohol poisoning. It is essential to know the correct steps to take in an emergency where somebody might be suffering from alcohol poisoning. If you suspect someone you’re with may have alcohol poisoning, take these crucial steps:
There are also some important things not to do because they may do more harm than good which include:
If you are witnessing somebody suffering from alcohol poisoning, do not hesitate to get emergency services involved. This may not only assist them through the uncomfortable process that is alcohol poisoning but may also be life-saving to the individual suffering.
The absolute best way to avoid alcohol poisoning is to moderate, not binge drink. There are a few combinations, though like mood, an empty stomach that may still put you at risk for alcohol poisoning.
Even when taking preventative measures, alcohol poisoning can still happen to anybody. Anybody who suffers from alcohol poisoning is highly suggested to look into some alcohol addiction treatment options.
Individuals who have alcohol poisoning and are admitted to a hospital will go through the alcohol poisoning treatment process. Individuals with swallowed life-threatening amounts of alcohol will have their stomachs pumped by the medical treatment specialists. They will do this to keep any leftover alcohol from getting into the bloodstream and making the condition worse. While at the hospital getting treatment for alcohol poisoning, doctors will also:
Individuals suffering from alcohol poisoning will have relief, usually by the next day. You must not hesitate to call medical emergency services if you do see somebody suffering from alcohol poisoning.
Individuals who have a concern about substance abuse treatment because they are worried about a life without alcohol know that our team here at Unity Behavioral Health understands these concerns. We will work hard to ensure each individual has the answers and the assurance they need when they choose treatment options. Our team is dedicated to providing effective intensive care for each of our patients.
At Unity, our mission is to ensure each of our patients get the help they need to overcome their alcohol addiction. If you have been struggling with alcoholism, know that there is hope for you, and you do not have to let alcohol addiction control the rest of your life.
You deserve an alcohol addiction-free life. Please feel free to contact our team with any questions and allow us to help you achieve that goal of lifelong sobriety. Contact our professionals at Unity Behavioral Health today and allow us to help you through this challenging process.
Speak to one of our experienced and caring representatives at Unity Behavioral Health to learn about how our rehab programs can help your loved one defeat addiction.