Alcohol poisoning is not just “one drink too many” – it is what happens when you consume more drinks faster than your body can keep up. It is a life-threatening condition, leading to coma or even death if not treated right away. This is why knowing what are the signs of alcohol poisoning can make all the difference. Whether it is a loved one or even yourself, recognizing the warning signs early can be the key to saving a life.
What Is Alcohol Poisoning – and How Is it Different From Just Being Drunk?
It is easy to brush off heavy drinking in quick succession as just being drunk, but alcohol poisoning tells a different story – and unfortunately, a life-threatening one. Alcohol poisoning occurs when there is too much alcohol in the bloodstream, which then begins to shut down the brain regions responsible for breathing, heart rate, and body temperature. In other words, the very systems that keep you alive.
Unlike just drunkenness, alcohol poisoning can slow your breathing, quicken your heart rate, reduce your body temperature to dangerously low levels (hypothermia), and suppress your gag reflex. These conditions heighten the risk of choking, coma, or even death.
So if you suspect someone or even yourself is experiencing alcohol poisoning, act quickly. Call emergency services (like 9-1-1) immediately. This can be a life-saving move.
What’s Going On Inside Your Body During Alcohol Poisoning?
When you consume alcohol, your body absorbs and digests it, which then enters your bloodstream. This is how you experience the depressant effects of alcohol, which can feel relaxing and peaceful at low or moderate levels. Even as your blood alcohol content (BAC) levels begin to rise, your liver breaks down alcohol to remove it from your body, as your body treats it as a toxin.
However, when the BAC is too high at 0.3% to 0.4%, your liver cannot act as quickly. The higher levels of alcohol continue to act as an effective depressant and slow down your body’s functions related to your breathing, heartbeat, and consciousness. This is when you are at a heightened risk for alcohol poisoning, hence why moderate and controlled drinking is emphasized.
What Are the 5 Signs of Alcohol Poisoning You Must Never Ignore?
Here are the 5 signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning you must never ignore:
- Vomiting or choking on vomit, as alcohol depresses the gag reflex
- Severe loss of fluids, leading to dehydration
- Low body temperature or hypothermia
- Slowed or stopped breathing
- Low blood pressure and fast heart rate.
If alcohol poisoning is not immediately addressed, it leads to seizures, irreversible brain damage, and even death.
Who’s Most at Risk for Alcohol Poisoning?
Alcohol can enter your bloodstream very quickly, but the body cannot get rid of it just as fast. So, when you drink heavily and rapidly, your bloodstream contains more alcohol than your liver can process, putting you at serious risk of alcohol poisoning.
But how can we tell exactly how much is too much? Let us begin with what is considered a standard drink:
- 12 ounces of beer
- 5 ounces of wine
- 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits (like gin, rum, vodka, and whiskey).
Your body typically processes only one standard drink within 1 – 1.5 hours. So, if you are drinking more than this within a very short period of time, you are pushing your body to a limit. Let us break this down even further:
Binge Drinking – When a male consumes 5 or more drinks within 2 hours and a female consumes 4 or more drinks within 2 hours, it is known as binge drinking. This kind of drinking puts you at a high risk for alcohol poisoning, as one consumes nearly fatal or fatal levels of alcohol before passing out.
Mixing Alcohol with Other Substances – When you mix alcohol with other substances like sedatives or even mix different types of alcohol, it puts you at risk of alcohol poisoning.
Limited Food Intake – Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach or skipping meals to consume alcohol puts you at the risk of alcohol poisoning as well. Food in the stomach helps slow down the effects of alcohol; this is why limiting food intake while consuming alcohol is not advised.
Consuming Other Alcohol Products – Even consuming other alcohol products like isopropyl alcohol or methanol can increase the risk of alcohol poisoning.
What Should You Do – and FAST?
Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency. If you suspect someone is experiencing the signs and symptoms of this condition, you need to remain calm and act fast – in the following ways:
- Call emergency services immediately, like 9-1-1 in the U.S.
- Keep the person awake.
- Provide them with water, so as to keep their body hydrated. If they are unconscious, do not give them anything (even water) lest they choke on it.
- Cover the person with a blanket, so as to keep them warm.
- Keep speaking to them, let them know what you are doing or why you are doing it, so that they do not become confused and agitated.
- Once the emergency responders arrive, let them know whatever information you have regarding the person and the condition, like how much they drank – this information can be of real use in treating the person.
How Is Alcohol Poisoning Diagnosed and Treated in the Hospital?
Alcohol poisoning is diagnosed in a clinical setting, based on the following:
- Known consumption of alcohol.
- Signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning, like slowed breathing, fast heartbeat, low body temperature, and slowed response times.
As alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency, the following tests are also done to confirm the diagnosis:
- Blood alcohol content test – like a blood test.
- Liver functioning tests
- Electrocardiogram (EKG) tests are used to check the activity of the heart.
Once alcohol poisoning is confirmed, it is treated immediately with the following:
Intravenous Fluids – Dehydration is treated using intravenous or IV fluids.
Oxygen Therapy – Oxygen is provided using a tube attached to the nose – this is known as a nasal cannula. If the person has trouble breathing, they may also attach a small tube to the windpipe.
Stomach Pumping – A tube is attached to the stomach to pump out the alcohol content.
Dialysis – If the kidneys are not able to filter out alcohol, then dialysis may be performed to remove alcohol from the blood.
Please Note: alcohol poisoning is a medical condition that needs to be treated at the hospital only. There are common myths that sleeping it off can help get rid of the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning, but this can easily turn life-threatening and even fatal. So, if anybody is experiencing alcohol poisoning-related symptoms, get them medical attention immediately.
How Can You Prevent Alcohol Poisoning in the First Place?
Prevention is always better than cure, and yes, alcohol poisoning is very much preventable. Here is how you can prevent alcohol poisoning:
- Drink only in moderation – one or two drinks per day for males and one drink per day for females.
- Drink in safe and controlled conditions with trusted persons who can keep a check on how much you drink.
- Do not mix alcohol with other medications or substances.
- Do not drink on an empty stomach.
- Keep alcohol and alcohol-related products away from the reach of children.
What’s Next After Alcohol Poisoning?
If you or a loved one has experienced alcohol poisoning, you may be struggling with uncontrolled and/or chronic drinking. This can even be an indication of an alcohol use disorder (addiction).
Alcohol can have a powerful impact on a person’s life, becoming the priority over everything else. With proper care, you can reclaim control over your life before alcohol use becomes dangerous. Alcohol use disorder can be treated in both inpatient and outpatient settings with medically supervised detoxification (detox), psychotherapy, medication management, and social support. With time and effort, a sober life and experience can become your reality.
A Word From Skyline
If you or a loved one is struggling to control alcohol use, you are not alone. Millions around the world struggle with alcoholism, and millions overcome alcoholism with rehabilitation (rehab) and ongoing care. So, do not delay your recovery any longer; reach out to Skyline Recovery Center today. We provide outpatient treatment for alcohol use with partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs, and even standard outpatient treatment services. Call us at (310) 269-0038 to journey toward a sober, healthier tomorrow with us.
References –
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alcohol-poisoning/symptoms-causes/syc-20354386
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-poisoning/
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-alcohol-use-disorder
https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/about-alcohol-use/moderate-alcohol-use.html