Alcohol Poisoning: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Prevention
Consuming too much alcohol too quickly can lead to alcohol poisoning, which is marked by symptoms such as poor coordination, hypothermia, irregular heartbeat, slowed breathing, and unconsciousness. Alcohol intoxication occurs when a person drinks an excess of alcohol in one period. Although people can safely consume alcohol without experiencing immediate adverse health effects, long term alcohol consumption can jeopardize overall health. At Healthgrades, our Editorial Team works hard to develop complete, objective and meaningful health information to help people choose the right doctor, right hospital and right care. Our writers include physicians, pharmacists, and registered nurses with firsthand clinical experience. All condition, treatment and wellness content is medically reviewed by at least one medical professional ensuring the most accurate information possible.
- In such cases, someone is in danger of choking on their own vomit, leading to asphyxiation and subsequent brain damage.2 Never leave a person alone who you suspect has overdosed on any drug, including alcohol.
- Only professional medical help can prevent lasting brain damage or death.
- Alcohol poisoning also can occur when adults or children accidentally or intentionally drink household products that contain alcohol.
- This guide explains the causes, signs and symptoms, what you can do to stay safe and how you can help others.
If you experience an alcohol overdose, your outlook will depend on how severe your overdose is and how quickly you seek treatment. People who binge drink (drink more than five drinks in an hour) are also at risk for alcohol overdose. If the person – who may sometimes be a child – has unintentionally drunk methanol or isopropyl alcohol and has alcohol poisoning they may need dialysis to speed up the removal of toxins from their system. Know the danger signals, and if you suspect that someone has an alcohol overdose, call 911 for help immediately.
What is Alcohol Poisoning?
From 1999 to 2016, drug-poisoning death rates more than tripled, from 6.1 per 100,000 to 19.8 per 100,000 individuals. In the United States, poisoning is the leading cause of injury death (the combination of planned or unplanned deaths) among individuals 1 to 44 years of age. Poisons are substances that can injure or impair the body, even causing death. They can be ingested (swallowed), inhaled into the lungs, injected, or absorbed by the skin.
If the alcohol poisoning is extreme, the patient can go into a coma and potentially die. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information. We strive to create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Take our free, 5-minute substance abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance abuse. The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.
But in some cases, people with this condition might have accidentally or intentionally drank household products containing alcohol, such as mouthwash or vanilla extract. Although young people are most likely to engage in binge drinking, deaths from alcohol poisoning usually involve men between the ages of 35 and 64, according to the CDC. And middle-aged people are more likely than younger ones to take prescription drugs, which can increase the severity of alcohol poisoning. A person can consume a fatal dose of alcohol before passing out.
What causes alcohol poisoning?
This can be caused by eating unwashed fruits and vegetables or eating raw meat, poultry, and seafood. In the Gaudiya Vaishnavism branch of Hinduism, one of the four regulative principles forbids the taking of intoxicants, including alcohol. In every U.S. state, it is illegal to drive with a BAC of over 0.08%.
Alcohol Poisoning Prevention
Even small increases in BAC can decrease motor coordination, make a person feel sick, and cloud judgment. This can increase an individual’s risk of being injured from falls or car crashes, experiencing acts of violence, and engaging in unprotected or unintended sex. When BAC reaches high levels, blackouts (gaps in memory), loss of consciousness (passing out), and death can occur. Using alcohol with opioid pain relievers, such as oxycodone and morphine, or illicit opioids, such as heroin, is also a very dangerous combination. Like alcohol, these drugs suppress areas in the brain that control vital functions such as breathing. Ingesting alcohol and other drugs together intensifies their individual effects and could produce an overdose with even moderate amounts of alcohol.
BACs between 0.60% and 0.80% are commonly fatal.7 However, the amount of alcohol it takes to kill a person can vary by individual factors. It’s important to be aware that binge drinking, or having 5 drinks for men or 4 drinks for women within a period of two hours, can cause a BAC that is higher than 0.08%. Binge drinking is defined as drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher. Alcoholic drinks contain a form of alcohol known as ethyl alcohol or ethanol. This is also found in mouthwashes, some medicines, and household products. Poisoning happens when you drink too much ethyl alcohol in a short space of time.
A drunk Can Alcohol Make Your Hot Flashes Feel Worse During Menopause person can recover with rest, fluids, and eating a balanced meal, while a person with alcohol poisoning needs to go to the hospital and get an IV or maybe their stomach pumped. In the U.S., paramedics don’t charge for a visit unless the person needs to go to the hospital. Your doctor can diagnose alcohol poisoning based on your symptoms.
If you suspect an alcohol overdose and the person is unconscious, do not leave them alone. You don’t need to have all of the symptoms listed above to have an alcohol overdose. If someone’s breathing has slowed to less than eight breaths per minute — or if they can’t be woken up — call 911. Young adults are more likely to drink excessively, leading to an alcohol overdose. Emergency medical attention is necessary at this point to avoid death and severe health problems.
You may be given fluids, which may be given into your veins with a drip. You may also be given help with your breathing until the effects of the alcohol wear off. A person can usually tell when they are intoxicated, but it may be challenging to spot the signs in others. Ethanol also increases levels of adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that promotes sleep.