You could save that person’s life or prevent them from experiencing lasting negative symptoms. It is possible to consume a fatal amount of alcohol before passing out or losing consciousness. Your stomach will continue to absorb alcohol into your bloodstream even after you stop drinking. Several functions — including speech, balance, coordination, judgment, and reaction times — are significantly impaired. Memory gaps or blackouts may also occur, and the person may vomit. Someone who is “just drunk” will be slurring their words, stumbling around, and acting drowsy.
- When it comes to indulging in a drink, moderation is key — but knowing how much that is can be a challenge.
- An alcohol binge can occur over hours or last up to several days.
- If you’re ready to seek treatment for alcoholism or would like to know more about your treatment options, American Addiction Centers (AAC) can help.
- Alcohol in the form of ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, is in alcoholic beverages.
Overdose Symptoms, Risks, and Treatment
- Technology such as video conferencing can provide an alternative means of support for those traveling or unable to attend in-person meetings.
- They’ll also order blood and urine tests to check your alcohol levels.
- Alcohol in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body.
Also, many medications taken with alcohol can create additional side effects that can make it even harder to focus. Drinking at a rapid rate can also impact how quickly it takes to overdose. The consumption of significant amounts of alcohol in a short period of time increases BAC much faster than sipping a drink. The number of drinks you have is a basic indicator of intoxication risk. However, other factors also impact when a person drinks too much. Specifically, the rate at which the body absorbs and metabolizes alcohol, which differs from one person to another, is a key determining factor.
Moderate intoxication:
Alcohol intoxication occurs when a person drinks an excess of alcohol in a short period. When a person drinks alcohol, ethanol passes through the digestive system and enters the bloodstream through the linings of the stomach and intestines. If an individual drinks alcohol on an empty stomach, their BAC usually peaks within 30–90 minutes.
How can you prevent an alcohol overdose?
- Ethanol also increases levels of adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that promotes sleep.
- Congeners are more likely to produce a hangover or make a hangover worse.
- When you call our team, you will speak to a Recovery Advocate who will answer any questions and perform a pre-assessment to determine your eligibility for treatment.
And acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may cause serious liver damage if taken with too much alcohol. Congeners are more likely to produce a hangover or make a hangover worse. But drinking too much alcohol of any color can still make you feel bad the next morning. These give many types of alcoholic beverages their taste and smell.
It is dangerous to assume that an unconscious person will be fine by sleeping it off. One potential danger of alcohol overdose is choking on one’s own vomit. Alcohol at very high levels can hinder signals in the brain that control automatic responses, such as the gag reflex. With no gag reflex, a person who drinks to alcohol overdose the point of passing out is in danger of choking on their vomit and dying from a lack of oxygen (i.e., asphyxiation). Even if the person survives, an alcohol overdose like this can lead to long-lasting brain damage.
Alcohol poisoning vs. being drunk
Emergency medical staff will take steps to ensure a person’s medical stability and safety to help them recover and survive. Alcohol can irritate a person’s stomach, causing them to vomit–even when they are unconscious. If you feel that you sometimes drink too much alcohol, or your drinking is causing problems, or if your family is concerned about your drinking, talk with your health care provider. Other ways to get help include talking with a mental health professional or seeking help from a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous or a similar type of self-help group. For example, some medications interact with alcohol, speeding the intoxication impact.
Talk to Someone About Alcoholism Treatment
Alcohol poisoning arises from consuming excessive amounts of alcohol in a short period, leading to severe complications such as coma, respiratory arrest, and death. A primary cause is binge drinking, defined as consuming a large quantity of alcohol in a single session—typically five or more drinks for males or four or more for females within two hours. Severe alcohol intoxication — or alcohol poisoning — is a dangerous condition that requires immediate medical attention. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for any of the symptoms of alcohol poisoning listed above.
But if you drink a lot in a short time, your liver may not be able to keep up. You can prevent an alcohol overdose by limiting your alcohol intake. You might consider sticking with one drink or abstaining from alcohol altogether. Having a high tolerance for alcohol or drinking quickly (for example, by playing drinking games) can put you at increased risk for an alcohol overdose. Men are more likely than women to drink heavily, resulting in a greater risk for an alcohol overdose.