Fact Checked
Overview Of Alcohol Poisoning
- Alcohol poisoning takes place when an individual consumes a lethal amount of alcohol, generally over a small period of time.
- This is generally referred to as binge drinking.
- Poisoning is direct contact to a substance that can harm your health and place your life in jeopardy.
- Alcohol poisoning can also take place if an individual consumes domestic products that include alcohol (kids occasionally drink these by mistake).
Symptoms Of Alcohol Poisoning
The symptoms of alcohol poisoning consist of:
- Confusion;
- Nausea;
- Convulsions;
- Slow breathing; and
- Cold, damp and pale skin caused by an unsafe drop in body temperature.
In serious cases, alcohol poisoning can lead to unconsciousness, blackout and even death.
Steps To Take
- If you detect alcohol poisoning, phone the EMS right away to ask for an ambulance. Never leave an individual to sleep.
- The volume of alcohol can continue to increase so an individual’s symptoms could unexpectedly become much more serious.
- After going to the hospital, the individual will be cautiously observed until the alcohol in the body is gone.
The Occurrence Of Alcohol Poisoning
- Each time you consume alcohol, your liver has to strain it out of your blood. Alcohol is absorbed quickly into your body (much faster than food), but the body can only strain out around one unit of alcohol each hour.
- If you consume lots of alcohol over a small space of time, your system won’t have enough time to get rid of it all.
- The quantity of alcohol in your blood, referred to as your blood alcohol concentration (BAC), will increase. The greater your BAC, the greater the strain on your liver and body.
- At extremely high levels, alcohol affects the nerves that manage regular functions, such as heartbeat, breathing and your choke reflex (which helps you to avoid choking).
- Extreme alcohol consumption can reduce or even close down these vital functions, causing you to become comatose.