Alcohol Abuse Articles

Alcohol Poisoning occurs when one has consumed an excessive amount of alcohol. For every person the amount of alcohol consumed to cause alcohol poisoning is different. Read this article to learn more about the signs and effects of alcohol poisoning.

Many people do not think about alcohol poisoning when they are drinking. Indeed, they often forget that there is such a thing. It may not even occur to them that alcohol poisoning is possible. However, the truth is that alcohol poisoning causes very real health problems, and can even be deadly. Alcohol poisoning happens when there is too much alcohol in the system, and can lead to drunken behavior. But it also has other effects. Here are some things to be aware of with regard to excessive drinking and alcohol poisoning.

Effects of alcohol poisoning on your body

There are a number of effects of alcohol poisoning on your body. Understanding how alcohol works in the body can help you get a better idea of how alcohol poisoning works. First of all, you should realize that alcohol is a depressant. This means that it reduces the control some of your nerves have. It can cause the nerves to improperly control the gag reflex and breathing. Enough alcohol can actually stop someone from breathing. Additionally, it interferes with the gag reflex and can result in a person being unable to stop from choking.

Another effect of excessive alcohol consumption is that it irritates the stomach. Your stomach naturally wants to rid itself of alcohol, and the more you have, the more the urge to vomit. However, without the gag reflex, it becomes easier to choke on the vomit, especially if someone has passed out.

Just becomes someone has stopped drinking - and even passed out from alcohol intake - doesn’t mean that the concentration of alcohol in the blood has stopped rising. In fact, the alcohol in the stomach, if it is not vomited out, continues to enter the blood and move through the body. “Sleeping it off” doesn’t always work. It is also important to note that such things as taking a cold shower, walking and drinking black coffee do not work when it comes to combating alcohol’s effects on your body. In fact, only time - getting the alcohol out of your system - can actually work on it. However, alcohol poisoning may mean that you do not have that time.

If alcohol poisoning is not treated, here are some of the things that might happen:

• Choking on one’s own vomit.
• Irregular heart beat.
• Cardiac arrest.
• Slow, irregular breathing. Breathing can also stop.
• Dangerously low body temperature (hypothermia).
• Dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that can lead to seizures.
• Severe dehydration.
• Brain damage.
• Death.

Even without alcohol poisoning, drunkenness can be a problem. With mental judgment impaired, and coordination down, someone who has been drinking excessively is a danger to oneself and those around. Injury is likely when one is not able to properly control oneself or understand one’s surroundings.

Signs of alcohol poisoning

There are a few signs that can indicate alcohol poisoning. You want to make sure that you are aware of what signs might indicate that someone you know could be at risk for temporary or permanent health damage. Here are some things to watch for in terms of alcohol poisoning:

• Vomiting.
• Seizure.
• Mental confusion.
• Coma, or difficulty in rousing someone.
• Strange breathing patterns.
• Appears to be cold. Blue skin or paleness may indicate this.

If you see that someone has alcohol poisoning, or even suspect it, it is important to get help. Do not wait for all of the symptoms to be present to take action. If someone has passed out, take measures to ensure that the airway is open. Also, if you suspect overdose, get the person medical help. Do not wait and try to guess the level of drunkenness he or she has reached.

Alcohol poisoning is a very serious problem. You need to make sure that you understand the possible dangers of excess or binge drinking. Alcohol poisoning can lead to serious health problems, and even death.