Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms

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Alcohol poisoning symptoms occur from consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period. Drinking too much too quickly can affect your breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and gag reflex and potentially lead to coma and death. If you suffer from alcohol poisoning, you should seek immediate medical attention. If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, call for emergency medical help right away. In the event that the problem goes deeper than this, then seek out an alcohol addiction rehab program in Midway Utah.

Causes of Alcohol Poisoning

A common cause of alcohol poisoning is binge drinking — a pattern of heavy drinking when you rapidly consume multiple alcoholic drinks within two hours. An alcohol binge can occur over hours or last up to several days. You can consume a fatal dose before you pass out. Even when you’re unconscious, or you’ve stopped drinking, alcohol continues to be released from your stomach and intestines into your bloodstream, and the level of alcohol in your body continues to rise.

Determining How Much Is Over the Line

Alcohol is absorbed quickly by your body. It also takes a long time for your body to get rid of the alcohol you’ve consumed. Your liver processes most alcohol. When this happens in large doses, you may start noticing symptoms of poisoning (assuming that you have not passed out or blacked out) such as:

  • Confusion

  • Vomiting and seizures

  • Slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)

  • Irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths)

  • Blue-tinged skin or pale skin and low body temperature (hypothermia)

  • Passing out (unconsciousness) and can’t be awakened

Seeking Medical Help for Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms

It’s not necessary to have all the above symptoms or signs of alcohol poisoning before you seek medical help. A person with alcohol poisoning who is unconscious or can’t be awakened is at risk of dying. Alcohol poisoning is an emergency. If you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning — even if you don’t see the classic signs and symptoms — seek immediate medical care. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Never assume the person will sleep off alcohol poisoning. Be prepared to provide information. If you know, be sure to tell hospital or emergency personnel the kind and amount of alcohol the person drank, and when. Don’t leave an unconscious person alone. Because alcohol poisoning affects the way the gag reflex works, someone with alcohol poisoning may choke on his or her vomit and not be able to breathe. While waiting for help, don’t try to make the person vomit because he or she could choke. Help a person who is vomiting. Try to keep him or her sitting up. If the person must lie down, make sure to turn his or her head to the side.

Seeking Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

In addition to medical treatment, substance abuse therapy is also available at an alcohol addiction rehab program in Midway Utah. You can seek the following types of treatment:

If you would like to find out more about what treatment options are available to you, then contact Acqua Recovery today. We can educate you on what alcohol poisoning symptoms to look for, as well as how to recover from your addiction. Call us at 866.830.4628 to start your treatment today.

Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms

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Dr. Daniel Pickrell

Dr. Daniel Pickrell
Medical Reviewer

Dr. Pickrell is a board-certified psychiatrist with interests in addiction and psychiatry. He strives to identify the underlying cause of substance use. His understanding of addiction as the overlapping symptoms of biopsychosocial development is the foundation to his care model. He is committed to helping both patients and families understand that addiction is a treatable medical illness. He has been involved in the treatment of addiction for the last 17 years and completed his residency training at the University of Utah.

By: Acqua Recovery

Posted Date: Jan 26, 2023

Updated Date: Nov 6, 2024

Alcohol poisoning symptoms occur from consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period. Drinking too much too quickly can affect your breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and gag reflex and potentially lead to coma and death. If you suffer from alcohol poisoning, you should seek immediate medical attention. If you suspect someone has alcohol poisoning, call for emergency medical help right away. In the event that the problem goes deeper than this, then seek out an alcohol addiction rehab program in Midway Utah.

Causes of Alcohol Poisoning

A common cause of alcohol poisoning is binge drinking — a pattern of heavy drinking when you rapidly consume multiple alcoholic drinks within two hours. An alcohol binge can occur over hours or last up to several days. You can consume a fatal dose before you pass out. Even when you're unconscious, or you've stopped drinking, alcohol continues to be released from your stomach and intestines into your bloodstream, and the level of alcohol in your body continues to rise.

Determining How Much Is Over the Line

Alcohol is absorbed quickly by your body. It also takes a long time for your body to get rid of the alcohol you've consumed. Your liver processes most alcohol. When this happens in large doses, you may start noticing symptoms of poisoning (assuming that you have not passed out or blacked out) such as:

  • Confusion

  • Vomiting and seizures

  • Slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)

  • Irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths)

  • Blue-tinged skin or pale skin and low body temperature (hypothermia)

  • Passing out (unconsciousness) and can't be awakened

Seeking Medical Help for Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms

It's not necessary to have all the above symptoms or signs of alcohol poisoning before you seek medical help. A person with alcohol poisoning who is unconscious or can't be awakened is at risk of dying. Alcohol poisoning is an emergency. If you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning — even if you don't see the classic signs and symptoms — seek immediate medical care. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Never assume the person will sleep off alcohol poisoning. Be prepared to provide information. If you know, be sure to tell hospital or emergency personnel the kind and amount of alcohol the person drank, and when. Don't leave an unconscious person alone. Because alcohol poisoning affects the way the gag reflex works, someone with alcohol poisoning may choke on his or her vomit and not be able to breathe. While waiting for help, don't try to make the person vomit because he or she could choke. Help a person who is vomiting. Try to keep him or her sitting up. If the person must lie down, make sure to turn his or her head to the side.

Seeking Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

In addition to medical treatment, substance abuse therapy is also available at an alcohol addiction rehab program in Midway Utah. You can seek the following types of treatment:

If you would like to find out more about what treatment options are available to you, then contact Acqua Recovery today. We can educate you on what alcohol poisoning symptoms to look for, as well as how to recover from your addiction. Call us at 866.830.4628 to start your treatment today.

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