It’s that time of the year again. And it’s easy to lose yourself in all the holiday cheer–and drinks. But remember, always practice safety especially when it comes to alcohol and intoxication. Here are the red flags to look out for if you think someone you know has alcohol poisoning.
So you think that your friend just had too much to drink–until she goes to the ER and you find out it’s alcohol poisoning.
Yes, it’s real.
When someone you know has consumed way too much alcohol than their body can handle, it can be seriously fatal. Black coffee just won’t do. Vomiting if off won’t really make it better. Nor does resting or sleeping it off.
Drinking too much alcohol than your body can handle can lead to alcohol toxicity or alcohol poisoning. This is because the body can only process a certain amount of alcohol an hour. Drinking so much alcohol within a short span of time can have dangerous effects on the body.
Effects of Alcohol Poisoning
Effects of alcohol poisoning:
- decreased sense of balance due to slowed brain functions
- dysfunctional gag reflex even while the alcohol also causes you to vomit–this can make you choke on your own vomit or inhale it into your lungs
- dehydration leading to brain damage
- decreased body temperature leading to hypothermia
- decreased blood sugar leading to seizures
Signs of alcohol poisoning
If you are wondering if someone you know is undergoing alcohol poisoning, you have to look out for these signs:
- confusion
- loss of balance and coordination
- nausea and vomiting
- irregular breathing
- irregular heart beat
- stupor
- pale or bluish skin
- passing out
- seizures
Be on a look out for these symptoms, because once you see them, you have to seek medical help immediately.
What you shouldn’t do when there’s alcohol poisoning
You may try out many things to make some undergoing alcohol poisoning feel better. However, you have to be aware that your best intentions may actually be doing more harm than good.
Know what you shouldn’t do when someone you know has alcohol poisoning:
- Don’t let them sleep it off. In fact, don’t leave them sleeping, thinking they’ll just wake up with a massive hangover. Their alcohol levels can continue to rise even long after they have stopped drinking, so don’t leave them simply sleeping it off when you see other signs of alcohol poisoning.
- Don’t give them coffee. This is usually the case for those who have drunk a lot of alcohol. However, if a person is having alcohol poisoning, their body becomes dehydrated, and this condition is going to be made worse by coffee, which dehydrates the body as well.
- Don’t make them vomit. Their gag reflex is awry at this point, and making them sick will just put them at risk of choking.
- Don’t make them walk around. They can’t walk off alcohol poisoning and they may even get into accidents because of their decreased sense of balance and coordination.
- Don’t make them take a cold shower. Alcohol in itself can cause hypothermia as it lowers the body’s temperature. Giving them a cold shower can make things worse.
- Never make them drink more alcohol.
What you should do
When you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning, do these things:
- Call an ambulance or take them to the hospital
- Try to keep them wide awake
- Keep them sitting up
- Give them some water for hydration
- If they pass out, lie them on their side to avoid choking on their vomit if they do get sick
- Keep them warm
- Stay with them
- Monitor their condition
While the amount of alcohol your body can handle at a time can vary from person to person, it’s still important to set boundaries on just how much you should drink.
Do you know someone who has a history of passing out after drinking? Or maybe someone who has a history of alcohol poisoning and yet still continues to drink despite the negative consequences? If you think they have a drinking problem, call or text us at 09177048850 (Cebu) or 09175098826 (Manila).
Recent Comments