Alcohol over-consumption is something that is becoming horrifyingly common nowadays. Alcohol, taken in a measured amount once in a while, is not harmful, but having more than a certain amount can create various health problems. Most of them can turn into situations that will hamper your well-being drastically, one of them being alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning is when the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream is too large, affecting the proper functioning of some parts of the brain.
There are many symptoms of alcohol poisoning, though it varies based on how bad the situation is. In mild cases, the common signs are confusion and poor coordination. There can also be clammy skin. But if severe, there can be various symptoms –
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sharp confusions
- Slow breathing
- Less heartbeat
- Bad reflexes
- Low body temperature
- Pale skin
Alcohol poisoning can turn into dangerous problems like
- Severe dehydration
- Hypothermia
- Brain damage
- Seizures
- Coma
- Heart attack
- Choking due to vomit caught in the lungs
Cause
Alcohol poisoning occurs due to the presence of large amounts of ethanol or ethyl alcohol present in alcohol. Our liver clears up much of the toxin in alcohol. Binge drinking (drinking a lot in less time), however, can cause the liver not to get the time to clear out the toxin properly, thus increasing the amount of ethanol in your bloodstream – causing alcohol poisoning.
The effect of alcohol poisoning can raise the risk if you are middle-aged, and it varies based –
- Overall health
- Amount of alcohol consumed
- Alcohol tolerance of one body
- Any prescribed drugs (or recreational drugs)
- How fast you drank
- Body weight
- Any food consumed recently
Treatment and Prevention
Alcohol poisoning is treated commonly by flushing the toxin from your stomach and bloodstream. The patient might be given fluids through IV and, if necessary, extra oxygen for ease of breathing. The doctors base the treatment on the diagnosis after conducting blood and urine tests.
The prevention of alcohol poisoning can be easy as the cause is preventable. You can stop the chance of getting alcohol poisoning by –
- Not drinking on an empty stomach
- Avoiding drinking games
- Consuming an excess amount in a short time frame
- Switching between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Alcohol consumption is not a crime or harmful conduct for your health. But everything has its limits and crossing that, in any case, might cause trouble. Overindulgence and addiction to alcohol have cost many people their lives, and more people have destroyed everything they have because of it. We must spread awareness about the harmful aspects and lend a helping hand to those in need to create a better society.
