Alcohol Poisoning
Do you know about the dangers of alcohol poisoning? When should you seek professional help for a friend? Sadly enough, too many college students say they wish they would have sought medical treatment for a friend. Many end up feeling responsible for alcohol-related tragedies that could have easily been prevented.
Common myths about sobering up include drinking black coffee, taking a cold bath or shower, sleeping it off, or walking it off. But these are just myths, and they don't work. The only thing that reverses the effects of alcohol is time-something you may not have if you are suffering from alcohol poisoning. And many different factors affect the level of intoxication of an individual, so it's difficult to gauge exactly how much is too much.
What Happens to Your Body When You Get Alcohol Poisoning?
Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning
What Should I Do If I Suspect Someone Has Alcohol Poisoning?
What Can Happen if Alcohol Poisoning That Goes Untreated?
What Happens to Your Body When You Get Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol depresses nerves that control involuntary actions such as breathing and the gag reflex (which prevents choking). A fatal dose of alcohol will eventually stop these functions.It is common for someone who drank excessive amounts of alcohol to vomit since alcohol is an irritant to the stomach. There is then the danger of choking on vomit, which could cause death by asphyxiation in a person who is unconscious because of intoxication.
You should also know that a person's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can continue to rise even while he or she is passed out. Even after a person stops drinking, alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. It is dangerous to assume the person will be fine by sleeping it off.
Signs & Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning
- The person is known to have consumed large quantities of alcohol
- The person cannot be awakened
- Vomiting
- Vomiting while passed out
- Seizures
- Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
- Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, clamminess, paleness
- Mental confusion, stupor, or coma
- Know the danger signals
- Do not wait for all symptoms to be present
- If there is any suspicion of an alcohol overdose, call 911 for help. Don't try to guess the level of drunkenness
- Never leave them alone to “sleep it off.” Most people who die from alcohol poisoning were left alone
- Turn the person on his/her side to keep them from choking on vomit
- Check their breathing
- Try to wake them
- Try the pinch test. If you are unsure if the person is suffering from alcohol poisoning, pinch them hard! If they don’t wake up or respond to your pinch, take action immediately and call 911.
- Be aware that a person who has passed out may die
- Victim chokes on his or her own vomit
- Breathing slows, becomes irregular, or stops
- Heart beats irregularly or stops
- Hypothermia (low body temperature)
- Hypoglycemia (too little blood sugar) leads to seizures
- Untreated, severe dehydration from vomiting can cause seizures, permanent brain damage, or death
Even if the victim lives, an alcohol overdose can lead to irreversible brain damage. Rapid binge drinking (which often happens on a bet, dare, or with drinking games) is especially dangerous because the victim can ingest a fatal dose before becoming unconscious.
Don't be afraid to seek medical help for a friend who has had too much to drink. Don't worry that your friend may become angry or embarrassed-remember, you cared enough to help. Always be safe, not sorry.
Preventing alcohol poisoning has to start with understanding how alcohol affects the body. There comes a point, called the point of diminishing returns, when the “buzz” will not increase with more alcohol. In fact, at this point (typically around 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men), drinking more alcohol significantly increases the risk of negative consequences.