Alcohol poisoning, also known as alcoholism, is a serious â and sometimes life-threatening â consequence of consuming too much alcohol in a short period of time. When alcohol is consumed, it has a very quick and aggressive effect on your body. In fact, it takes roughly one hour for the body to metabolize 0.25 ounces of alcohol. The alcohol then floods the bloodstream and your blood alcohol content (BAC) level continues to climb, impairing the functions of central nervous system(CNS) that affects breathing, heart rate, and body temperature. Only a few people realize the limit of alcohol tolerance in the body, hence alcohol poisoning can occur rapidly, without many signs as warnings. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 2,200 people died of alcohol poisoning per year, which means 6 alcohol poisoning deaths per day.
Though binge drinking has long been considered one of the common causes, alcohol poisoning can also occur when adults or children accidentally or intentionally drink household products that contain alcohol. Moreover, a great number of factors play a role in a personâs alcohol consumption limit. For example, the limit may vary among people with different genders, weight and alcohol tolerance levels. Therefore, there is no way to determine how much a person can drink before theyâre at risk of alcohol poisoning.
Itâs critical to know the symptoms of alcohol poisoning so that you may be more aware of the early warnings and seek medical help if youâre at risk of alcohol poisoning.
In some cases, people with alcohol poisoning may have the following symptoms:
For some people, they may experience other symptoms which become worse as time passes by:
In extremely severe cases, alcohol poisoning can be fatal, causing symptoms like:
If youâve been around someone whoâs had too much alcohol, you probably have noticed some obvious symptoms such as poor coordination, slurred speech, vomiting, etc. In this case, you must call 911 right away and then get the person to the hospital for emergent medical care.
When the patient arrives, the doctor may first check for visible signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning. In addition, the doctor will likely order blood and urine tests to check blood alcohol levels and identify other signs of alcohol toxicity, such as low blood sugar.
One should bear in mind that itâs crucial to seek medical treatment immediately at any sign of alcohol poisoning, because alcohol poisoning not properly treated can lead to a great number of short- and long-term side effects such as hypothermia, hypoglycemia, permanent brain damage, irregular breathing, abnormal heartbeat and even death. Whatâs worse, the patient may be more likely to continue the dangerous pattern of excessive drinking, increasing the likelihood of over-consuming again. You can make the difference in someoneâs life by recognizing the warning signs of alcohol poisoning and seeking out immediate help.
Alcohol poisoning treatment usually involves supportive care while your body rids itself of the alcohol. This usually include:
In detail, doctors may “pump” his stomach to keep any leftover alcohol from getting into the patientâs bloodstream. They may also flush his stomach of toxins and remove toxins from his blood.
In addition, adults and children who have accidentally consumed methanol or isopropyl alcohol may need hemodialysis â a mechanical way of filtering waste and toxins from your system â to speed the removal of alcohol from their bloodstream.
Remember, home remedies for alcohol poisoning won’t work because alcohol poisoning is a life-threatening emergency. If you suspect someone is experiencing the symptoms of alcohol poisoning, the very first step is to call 911 right away. Until an ambulance arrives on-scene, you are recommended to do the following:
Medication in Treating Alcohol Abuse
Blood Alcohol Test â Meaning of the Numbers
Keywords: alcohol poisoning, alcoholism