Author: Gary Jackson

Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms & Treatment

Teenagers and young adults who drink may be at particular risk for alcohol overdose. Research shows that teens and college-age young adults often engage in binge drinking and high-intensity drinking. Drinking such large quantities of alcohol can overwhelm the body’s ability to break down and clear alcohol from the bloodstream. This leads to rapid increases in BAC and significantly impairs brain and other bodily functions.

And it takes a lot more time for the body to get rid of alcohol. Alcohol poisoning also can occur when adults or children accidentally or intentionally drink household products that contain alcohol. Take our free, 5-minute substance abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance abuse. The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result. More than 2,200 people die from alcohol poisoning each year, an average of six people per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What is Alcohol Poisoning Treatment?

In any case, it’s unlikely that the paramedics or hospital team will call the police. Most states have Good Samaritan laws, which allow people to call 911 without fear of arrest if they’re having a drug or alcohol overdose or see someone else who is overdosing. Consuming alcoholic beverages leads to increases in your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). As your BAC increases, so does your risk for alcohol poisoning. Alcohol can irritate a person’s stomach, causing them to vomit–even when they are unconscious. Alcohol poisoning happens when there’s too much alcohol in your blood, and parts of your brain shut down.

• Our treatment programs are tailored to your unique needs and adjusted throughout the length of treatment.
• Anyone who cannot be awakened or is unconscious is at risk of dying.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 2,200 alcohol poisoning deaths in the United States each year.
• This effect decreases the gag reflex, which can make you choke on your own vomit while passed out or sleeping, causing potentially fatal consequences.
• A healthcare provider may also suggest that individuals seek treatment for alcohol use or talk to a mental health professional.
• Using alcohol with opioid pain relievers, such as oxycodone and morphine, or illicit opioids, such as heroin, is also a very dangerous combination.

Alcohol poisoning happens when you drink too much alcohol too fast. If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, always call 911. Additionally, some drinks, such as mixed drinks, can have more than one serving of alcohol in them. This can make it harder to keep track of how much alcohol you’ve actually consumed.

Alcohol Poisoning

If you think someone has alcohol poisoning, never hesitate to seek emergency medical care. It’s important to remember that a person with alcohol poisoning may not have all the signs and symptoms. Alcohol in the form of ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, is in alcoholic beverages. It’s also in mouthwash, some cooking extracts, some medicines and certain household products. Ethyl alcohol poisoning generally results from drinking too many alcoholic beverages in a short period of time. Alcohol poisoning is a serious — and sometimes deadly — result of drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time.

This is equivalent to just under 6 medium glasses of wine, or around 7 bottles of 5% beer. Alcohol use and taking opioids or sedative hypnotics, such as sleep and anti-anxiety medications, can increase your risk of an overdose. Examples of these medications include sleep aids, such as zolpidem and eszopiclone, and benzodiazepines, such as diazepam and alprazolam. Even drinking alcohol while taking over-the-counter antihistamines can be dangerous. Drinking too much and too quickly can lead to significant impairments in motor coordination, decision-making, impulse control, and other functions, increasing the risk of harm. Continuing to drink despite clear signs of significant impairments can result in an alcohol overdose.

Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms

Alcohol poisoning is when the percentage of alcohol in your blood is so high that it is toxic. This can cause a wide range of symptoms and complications, from clammy skin to blacking out, vomiting to seizures, breathing trouble to coma. Alcohol poisoning is usually recognized at a critical stage when urgent medical attention is needed. Survival is possible if immediate medical care is provided, but death or permanent disability can result without treatment. Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person’s blood alcohol level is so high it becomes toxic.

You shouldn’t try to treat it at home or “sleep it off.” A major danger of alcohol poisoning is choking on your vomit, which can happen when you’re unconscious or sleeping. Alcohol poisoning typically happens when you consume a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time. It often happens from drinking excess alcohol-containing beverages, like beer, wine and/or liquor. But it can also occur due to non-beverage alcohol (ethanol), which is in things like mouthwash, cologne and cough medicine.

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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. A person experiencing alcohol poisoning may also have other medical issues, such as a head injury or a drug overdose. These other conditions can complicate the symptoms, making it more challenging to recognize alcohol poisoning.