Alcohol poisoning is a serious potentially life-threatening condition that occurs due to excessive consumption of alcohol that the blood alcohol level has become so high, it is toxic.
The symptoms accompanied by alcohol poisoning often include confusion, vomiting, abnormal breathing, disorientation and can lead to loss of consciousness and possibly a coma. Even when someone stops drinking, they are still susceptible to alcohol poisoning. Generally, the blood alcohol concentration can continue to rise for 30 to 40 minutes which can lead to the development of worse symptoms.
Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning
- At first, confusion
- Hypothermia, as alcohol can affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature
- Pale skin
- Unresponsiveness
- Loss of consciousness
The symptoms accompanied by alcohol poisoning often include confusion, vomiting, abnormal breathing, disorientation and can lead to loss of consciousness and possibly a coma. - In addition, abnormal breathing or very slow breathing
- Lastly, vomiting
In more serious cases, symptoms can worsen such as:
- Cessation of breathing
- Heart attack
- A risk for choking on their own vomit
- Dehydration which may lead to brain damage
- Seizures due to the drop in the blood glucose level (hypoglycemia)
In extreme cases of alcohol poisoning, a person can go into comatose and death is likely.
Management
If someone is suspected to have alcohol poisoning, immediate medical care is needed to prevent the situation from worsening and to save the person from potential death.
- Try to keep the person awake
- Try to keep in a sitting position – if they lie down, however, turn the head to the side
- Give water if they can take it
- If the person lost consciousness, have him/her in the recovery position and check if breathing
- Avoid coffee since the caffeine will worsen the dehydration
- Do not attempt to make him/her walk
- Lastly, do not give the alcohol
The cause of alcohol poisoning is the alcohol. Our liver filters out this toxin from the blood, but the body absorbs alcohol rapidly than the food eaten, and it goes into our bloodstream.
The liver is only capable of filtering a regulated amount of alcohol from the drinks that we take. The faster someone drinks, the higher the concentration of alcohol in the blood becomes which will negatively affect mental and physical functions. If the concentration of alcohol in the blood is high enough, functions such as breathing, and gag reflex can become affected which can make alcohol poisoning life-threatening.
While recovering from alcohol poisoning, a person may experience a terrible headache accompanied by stomach cramps, nausea, anxiety, and tremors.
More Information
The details posted on this page on alcohol poisoning is for learning purposes only. To learn to recognize the signs and how it is managed, enroll in a first aid course with one of our training providers.
FACT CHECK
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-poisoning/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215627.php
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354386