When to Worry About Alcohol Poisoning
There’s a fine line between getting drunk and actual alcohol poisoning, which is potentially tragic and life-threatening. How can you tell if you have alcohol poisoning, and what can you do about it?
There is nothing like the absolute freedom of leaving the shackles of home life and entering the stage of independent college life. It’s a milestone of sorts, a rite of passage if you will. We all experience it to some degree at some point or another, whether we are college-bound or not..jpg?itok=4JYkgmzf)
By all means, claim your independence. We need a strong future generation. However, achieve it safely and in good health.
Before you head for college, you should be well-informed and aware of a very common college medical condition: alcohol poisoning.
What Is Alcohol Poisoning?
The medical term for alcohol poisoning is “ethanol intoxication.” How do you know if you are intoxicated versus simply drunk? Both can occur when you drink too much alcohol in a short amount of time. But intoxication is a much more serious condition. Patients who have true alcohol poisoning can die. Patients often end up in the Emergency Room because they are so ill.
Here are some potential signs and symptoms that you or your college buddy may be suffering from alcohol poisoning:
- Confusion
- Incoherent speech
- Slurred speech
- Lack of coordination
- Diminished focus and attention
- Diminished motor skills (hence, why police officers ask you to walk on a straight line when assessing for alcohol intake)
- Mood changes
- Impaired judgment
- Nausea and vomiting
- Breathing that is slowed down
I mentioned that it can be life-threatening and that patients risk even death with intoxication. How does that happen exactly?
Alcohol poisoning can cause harm and even death by:
- Stopping your breathing completely
- Slowing down your breathing enough to turn blue or pale
- Causing heart arrhythmias (an irregular heartbeat)
- Causing seizures
- Causing aspiration of the vomit into your lungs
- Vomiting so much that it causes electrolyte imbalances and/or severe dehydration
- Physical injury (like falls, head trauma, fractures, concussions, etc.)
Once you have consumed the alcohol, there’s nothing we can do to reverse it.
How to Treat Alcohol Poisoning
There’s no cure for alcohol poisoning. Once you have consumed the alcohol, there’s nothing we can do to reverse it. We have no choice but to allow it to take its course. Pumping the stomach is also useless, because once the alcohol enters the blood stream it needs to be filtered through the liver and metabolized there in order to resolve it.
But the most important thing is to prevent the patient from the risk of death and injury in the meantime. We call this “supportive” therapy. If you are taking care of someone with alcohol poisoning, what can you do? How can you provide this supportive therapy?
- Observe their breathing: First and foremost, for those of you with CPR experience, you know that airway protection always comes first. If you can’t breathe, your heart will stop. Monitor an intoxicated person’s breathing. If they are breathing too slowly or have stopped breathing, please call 911 immediately.
- Prevent aspiration: Again, along with the airway theme, if they are vomiting, place them on their side when lying down. This will help prevent the vomit from going down the wrong pipe into the lungs. Aspiration is potentially life-threatening.
- Prevent dehydration: If the patient is vomiting uncontrollably and/or for a prolonged period of time and cannot keep fluids down, then fluids must be given through the IV. This means a visit to the ER. Medications to suppress nausea and vomiting can also be given through the IV. Dehydration is potentially life-threatening, too.
- Keep warm: Apply some warm blankets if the skin is cool to the touch.
- Prevent physical injury: Too much alcohol changes your mental status. You’ll lose coordination, your judgment will be impaired, your focus and attention diminish, and you can also become emotional and/or agitated and act in ways that you typically don’t. It is vital to keep an intoxicated person physically safe during this time period, as head trauma and physical injury are common in alcohol poisoning.
How do you know when alcohol is considered “too much” when it pertains to your health? Check out my previous article for the answer to this question, which is more complicated than it sounds.
Additionally, you should never take your eyes or hand off your drink. Tune in soon when I discuss what it means to “get roofied” and what you should do if you suspect a friend has been drugged. The Poison Control is available 24/7 should you ever need to consult with them: 800-222-1222
And please, please, whatever you do…never drink and then drive.
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Please note that all content here is strictly for informational purposes only. This content does not substitute any medical advice, and does not replace any medical judgment or reasoning by your own personal health provider. Please always seek a licensed physician in your area regarding all health related questions and issues.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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About the Author
Dr. Sanaz Majd is a board-certified Family Medicine physician who graduated from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. Her special interests are women’s health and patient education.
