Alcohol intoxication ranges from impaired judgment and coordination to life-threatening poisoning. It is not always possible to judge the boundary safely at home, and alcohol levels may keep rising after drinking stops. If someone is difficult to wake, has slow or irregular breathing, seizures or marked confusion, call 112 in Spain or the EU, or your local emergency number, immediately.
This article will help you understand the difference between drunk and alcohol poisoning in terms of symptoms and treatment.
Recognizing the symptoms of alcohol in time is so vital that it can potentially save someone’s life. If you suspect someone around you has consumed alcohol to the point of poisoning, examine their skin, fingers, and lips and try waking them up if they are unconscious. If the attempts to wake them up fail or if you notice a bluish hue on their skin, the situation can be dire and may turn fatal if immediate medical help is not sought.
Some other symptoms of alcohol poisoning include
- Mild to extreme signs of dehydration
- A staggering, precarious gait
- Severe confusion
- Shallow breathing or experiencing prolonged pauses in breathing
- Excessive vomiting after drinking alcohol which becomes persistent
- Chills
- A drop in blood pressure
- Decreased body temperature
- Cold, clammy skin
- Seizures
- Increased heart rate
- Losing consciousness
- Coma
Do not wait for every symptom to appear. Any serious warning sign or concern about alcohol poisoning warrants immediate medical help.
Call emergency services and stay with the person. If awake, help them sit safely and lean forward if vomiting. If unconscious but breathing normally, place them in the recovery position. If they are not breathing normally, begin dispatcher-guided CPR. Do not leave them alone or drive them yourself if this would delay or compromise emergency care; follow the dispatcher’s advice.
As you wait for medical help to arrive:
- Monitor breathing and responsiveness and keep them warm. Do not force water, food or medicines, particularly if they are drowsy or vomiting, because of choking risk. Tell responders what was consumed, when and whether other substances may be involved.
- Avoid giving them coffee, food, or any medication. Do not try to put them in a cold shower, as it may trigger a shock or make them lose consciousness.
- Be prepared to provide whatever information you can to the first responders, including the type and quantity of alcohol the person drank, whether they took any other drugs and other health information you know. Tell them if the person has any allergies to medicine or any chronic health illness.
- Do not leave an intoxicated individual alone as they are at a high risk of injuring themselves from choking or falling.
Hospital care depends on breathing, circulation, glucose, temperature, injuries and other substances. Treatment is mainly supportive and may include:
IV fluids
Once a victim arrives at a hospital, a medical professional may start giving them fluids through the veins to replenish the water and minerals lost due to persistent vomiting.
Oxygen
Oxygen and airway or breathing support may be needed. Giving more alcohol is not a treatment for alcohol poisoning.
Blood pressure medication
Medication to correct any dips in blood pressure due to high levels of alcohol may also be given.
Assessment for other causes and substances
Clinicians check for injury, low glucose and other drugs or poisons. Stomach pumping is not routine treatment for ethanol poisoning and must never be attempted at home.
Blood filtration
Dialysis is not routine for ordinary ethanol poisoning. It may be considered in exceptional severe cases or with certain other toxic alcohols, under specialist care.
Anti-seizure medication
This medication is provided to those who develop fits secondary to alcohol poisoning.
Do not assume someone can safely sleep off intoxication. Inability to wake, abnormal breathing or deterioration requires emergency help. Observation and discharge depend on clinical recovery and safety, not a promised six-to-ten-hour interval.
Once the dangerous symptoms subside, many continue to experience minor symptoms for a day or two. Some of them may also feel the effects similar to that of a hangover the following day.
As a part of treatment, a healthcare provider may also suggest seeking treatment for alcohol use or refer them to a mental health professional. These mental health professionals can assist with medical detoxifications and help individuals overcome their alcohol addiction through therapy and medications.
A hangover generally develops as alcohol levels fall toward zero and can involve headache, nausea and fatigue. It is different from ongoing dangerous intoxication, although symptoms overlap and neither label should be used to dismiss severe illness.
Alcohol poisoning involves potentially dangerous depression of vital brain functions. Hangover symptoms have several contributors and should not be treated as proof that poisoning has been excluded. Possible hangover symptoms include:
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Sensitivity to bright light or loud noise
- Muscle aches and pains
- Vomiting, nausea or stomach pain
- Chills
- Shakiness or jitteriness
- Light-headedness
- Difficulty concentrating or focusing
- Signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth or throat
- Increased irritability
- Anxiety and depression
Passing out or breathing difficulty after alcohol is a warning sign, not ordinary drunkenness to ignore. Persistent vomiting, worsening confusion, injury or uncertainty about safety also warrants urgent advice. Water and sleep do not reverse alcohol poisoning.
While most symptoms of drunkenness and hangovers run their course before subsiding, some treatment options can help make the process more comfortable. Even though there is no such thing as a quick fix and only time can relieve this agonizing feeling of drinking too much alcohol.
Reducing alcohol quantity and drinking speed, or not drinking, reduces risk. Food can slow absorption but does not prevent poisoning, and water does not lower blood alcohol concentration or make it safe to drive. Do not combine alcohol with opioids or sedatives.
For mild hangover symptoms only after serious illness has been excluded, simple comfort measures may help. They do not sober a person up or prevent poisoning:
- Ask a pharmacist before using pain medicines; NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can add to stomach irritation and bleeding risk.
- Maintaining proper nutrition with a sufficient amount of carbohydrates and fresh fruits
- Consuming water or sports drinks with electrolytes and sugar
- Going to bed early to get sufficient rest
Painkiller choice depends on medical history, dose and alcohol use. Paracetamol overdose can cause severe liver damage, and heavy drinking or liver disease requires particular caution. NSAIDs also have risks. Do not use multiple products containing the same medicine or exceed label doses.
Only time and metabolism reduce alcohol levels; there is no reliable flushing remedy. A person with warning signs needs emergency care now, not further observation until a fixed number of hours has passed.
The only sure way to avoid drunkenness or alcohol poisoning is to abstain from drinking altogether. If that’s not possible, pay close attention to how much alcohol you consume in every session and do not be afraid to speak up if you find someone else drinking to dangerously high levels. The human body is amazing and highly resilient to most problems. But when the symptoms of drunkenness or alcohol poisoning take over, it is a sign to let you know that drinking too excessively is hurting it and must be avoided. For many, the first episode of drunkenness and hangover is enough to stop going overboard the next time. Yet, for others, it serves as a mild inconvenience that does not deter them from drinking heavily in the future.
Whatever category you belong to, remember to be cautious about your drinking habits. Besides inducing hangovers or alcohol poisoning, drinking too excessively or heavily can also make you dependent on alcohol, a condition called alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD can easily destroy careers and break relationships while deteriorating physical health and almost always requires professional addiction treatment to overcome it.
If you or a loved one has frequently been getting drunk or has survived alcohol poisoning, alcohol addiction might be the reason. Get in touch with an addiction rehab today to get help today.
