Alcohol poisoning is a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when someone consumes too much alcohol in too short a timeframe. Understanding the symptoms of alcohol poisoning and where to get alcohol poisoning treatment is crucial for the safety of yourself and your loved ones.

What is Alcohol Poisoning?

Put simply, alcohol poisoning occurs when someone drinks more alcohol than the body can process. In some instances, alcohol poisoning can be very dangerous and lead to a wide range of negative symptoms, including severe illness. Sometimes, alcohol poisoning requires checking into a hospital for treatment.

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Alcohol poisoning is different for every individual. However, it always occurs when one’s blood-alcohol concentration increases to dangerous levels. Even worse, blood-alcohol concentration can increase while one is unconscious – for example, if someone consumes a few shots of hard liquor before passing out, that liquor will continue to be absorbed by the body, contributing to potential alcohol poisoning.

Common Symptoms of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning commonly produces many severe symptoms,¹ including:

• Incontinence
• Confusion
• Slurring words
• Feeling sick
• Being unable to coordinate one’s movement
• Blue-tinged or pale skin
• Slower regular breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures or fits

However, alcohol poisoning can look different in different people. Some may experience all of these symptoms, while others may only experience one or two.

Can Anyone Get Alcohol Poisoning?

Anyone can suffer from alcohol poisoning if they drink too much. However, everyone’s alcohol tolerance level is different. What may count as alcohol poisoning for one individual could count as heavy drinking, but not technically alcohol poisoning for another. Therefore, you should pay attention to your drinking habits and the habits of others around you. It’s the best way to catch the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning before they progress too far.

Who’s Most At Risk of Alcohol Poisoning?

Some individuals and demographics are at a higher than average risk of alcohol poisoning. For example, those who engage in high-intensity or binge drinking are more likely to suffer from alcohol poisoning than others. Binge drinking involves bringing one’s blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) to higher than 0.08%. For most men, this occurs when they consume five drinks in two hours. For most women, this occurs when they consume four drinks in two hours.²

Furthermore, teenagers and young adults who drink socially are at a higher-than-average risk for alcohol overdose or alcohol poisoning. Peer pressure and inexperience in consuming alcohol could cause young adults to drink more than they should by accident.

What to Do if Someone Has Alcohol Poisoning?

If you believe a friend, loved one, or someone else has consumed too much alcohol, you should perform the following steps:

• Always stay with them, as there is a risk they could choke on vomit or stop breathing
• Contact emergency services right away
• Sit the affected individual up if they are awake. Otherwise, put them in a recovery position if they have fallen unconscious and make sure they are breathing
• Give the affected individual water if they can still swallow
• Keep the affected individual warm with a blanket or jacket

Once medical personnel arrives, they may be able to help flush excess alcohol from the individual’s system and provide further medical care.

Getting Alcohol Poisoning Treatment

Alcohol poisoning is often a symptom of alcohol use disorder or alcohol addiction. Though not universally true, it is usually indicative of a lack of control surrounding the consumption of alcohol. If you or a loved one have experienced alcohol poisoning, consider it a sign that you should seek out help from licensed treatment professionals.

Alcohol poisoning treatment starts with medical treatment, including restoring the body to a healthy physical state. However, if the habits that led to alcohol poisoning are not addressed and dealt with, you could experience alcohol poisoning again in the future.

Therefore, you should attend an alcohol addiction treatment program. The right program can be beneficial because it will:

• Teach you healthy habits to avoid drinking too much alcohol,
• Help you understand, anticipate, and overcome the desire to drink heavily in social situations or areas where alcohol is present,
• Educate you on the warning signs of alcohol poisoning in yourself and others,
• And much more.

Contact Clear Life Recovery Today

Overall, the best way to ensure long-term recovery is to contact Clear Life Recovery today. Our fully staffed facility has a variety of effective treatment programs you or a loved one can attend. These include an alcohol addiction treatment program and an alcohol detox center designed to help individuals just like you overcome the symptoms and long-term risks of alcohol poisoning. Contact us today to learn more.

Sources:

[1] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/alcohol-poisoning/

[2] https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/understanding-dangers-of-alcohol-overdose