Alcohol poisoning can be fatal and symptoms may not appear until a lethal dose has been consumed. Inhibiting the gag reflex and breathing can lead to choking and death. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly and body weight are factors. Emergency medical attention is necessary, but first aid measures include keeping the victim awake and their head elevated.
Symptoms of alcohol poisoning often don’t occur until a lethal dose of alcohol has already been consumed. In some cases, people show no symptoms at all. They can simply drink until they pass out and sometimes die in their sleep. Some of the early symptoms include confusion, vomiting and low body temperature. Symptoms that often occur during the later stages of alcohol poisoning include bluish skin, irregular breathing, and loss of consciousness.
Many symptoms of alcohol poisoning can be fatal. Consuming too much alcohol causes many of the body’s involuntary reflexes to shut down. One such involuntary function is breathing. In some cases, people who have alcohol poisoning may simply stop breathing. Often, when this happens, the drinker has already lost consciousness and life-saving measures must be taken immediately to prevent death.
In many cases, alcohol poisoning can inhibit the gag reflex. The gag reflex is necessary for vomiting, and when it is suppressed, the vomit can pass into the lungs and cause choking. Consuming large amounts of alcohol often leads to vomiting, so suppression of the gag reflex in those with alcohol poisoning can be fatal. As with breathing, when poisoning has advanced to the stage where the gag reflex is suppressed, the drinker is usually unconscious.
Often, a lethal amount of alcohol can be consumed very quickly. In fact, one of the leading causes of alcohol poisoning is drinking too much alcohol too quickly. This is because the body needs about an hour to digest the alcohol content of a single drink. For those who drink several drinks very quickly, the danger of alcohol poisoning increases and symptoms of alcohol poisoning may begin to appear.
Body weight is also relevant to the amount of alcohol that can be safely consumed. People who weigh less typically absorb alcohol more quickly, so it takes less alcohol to cause drunkenness or poisoning. People with excess body weight are often able to consume larger amounts of alcohol before experiencing symptoms of alcohol poisoning.
In most cases, alcohol poisoning should be treated by a doctor, so it’s important to get emergency help on the spot. There are some first aid measures that can be taken while professional help is on the way. One of the most important things to do is try to keep the victim awake, with their head elevated. Wakefulness can sometimes be achieved using massage or cold-water showers.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
