Signs of Alcohol Poisoning and First Aid

By reducing the amount of alcohol consumed, you can only minimize its negative effects. But you can completely protect yourself from alcohol poisoning only if you completely give up alcohol.

In a case when you got poisoned by alcohol the very best thing to do would be to google find a detox center near me. You can take a look at the list of free detox centers and find the best option. However, in this article, we will tell you how to prevent the worst alcohol consequences. 

The body under the influence of alcohol: what happens?

Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, which is a component of all alcoholic beverages, causes intoxication, and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to poisoning.

In addition to ethanol, along with alcoholic beverages, other alcohols can enter the body: methyl, butyl, and isopropanol – they are contained in surrogate alcohol and are very dangerous to health.

About 20% of the alcohol consumed is absorbed by the stomach, from there it enters the bloodstream, and then – to all other internal organs. The remaining 80% of alcohol enters the small intestine. Along with the blood, alcohol circulates throughout the body until it is broken down. Only 10% of alcohol consumed is excreted unchanged.

And while alcohol remains in the body, it affects our organs and systems:

• primarily the brain – ethanol changes the level of neurotransmitters responsible for transmitting impulses from neurons to muscles; under the action of ethanol, the electrical activity of the brain from the state of excitation quickly passes to its suppression; yes, the center of movement and sensations is suppressed, then the limbs become “disobedient”, the tongue becomes entangled, the person loses coordination, balance and memory;
• vessels of the brain – they dilate, which in some cases can lead to hemorrhage;
• sense organs – visual acuity and hearing are reduced, taste, smell and touch are weakened;
• heart – heart rate accelerates, blood pressure rises;
• intestine, whose protective shell under the action of ethanol loses its integrity, which leads to inflammation of the intestine; nausea, abdominal rumbling, diarrhea, blood in the stool;
• liver – it gets the most, because it is taken to “filter” the blood from excess ethanol; At the same time, in adolescence there is no special enzyme in the liver that breaks down ethyl alcohol, so it is converted into a toxic compound, acetaldehyde, which causes the destruction of liver cells.

Signs of alcohol intoxication

The higher the concentration of alcohol in the drink, the faster it is absorbed, and the faster the intoxication occurs. It has several features:

Sharp emotional changes and reactions – unreasonable laughter or irritability – inattention, loss of control over their thoughts and feelings, relaxation or, conversely, psychological stress.

Behavioral changes – unpredictability of actions, illogical actions, behavior that is contrary to common sense.

Physiological changes – dilation of the pupils, loss of coordination, “drunk walking”, drowsiness, decreased blood pressure and body temperature, dizziness, loss of consciousness, etc.

If you continue to drink alcohol if you are intoxicated, the poisoning will not take long. And an overdose of alcohol has an extremely negative effect on internal organs and depresses the central nervous system. You can see:

• complete disorientation in space;
• loss of sense of reality and time;
• memory lapses;
• incoherent language;
• hallucinations, alcoholic psychosis;
• decrease in body temperature and cold sweat;
• redness of the face;
• irregular breathing – sometimes the interval between breaths can be more than 10 seconds;
• vomiting accompanied by involuntary urination.

In some cases, alcohol poisoning can cause alcohol coma.

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What is the help with alcohol poisoning

First of all, fresh air should be provided in the same room where the intoxicated person is. If vomiting begins, it should not be stopped – so alcohol is excreted from the stomach. If there is no vomiting, it should be provoked and gastric lavage with a solution of warm water and soda. To do this, dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in one liter of warm water.

The patient should be placed on his side or helped to sit – this will not allow him to choke on vomit.

When the vomiting is over, offer the person a sorbent – activated charcoal – and then warm it – throw on a warm blanket, put a warmer at his feet and so on. Offer the patient tea with lemon or other warm drink (but not coffee – more on this below), because during the next day it is extremely important to drink a lot, including clean water to restore water balance.

If a person loses consciousness due to alcohol poisoning, do not allow them to eat or drink – it threatens to get food or fluid into the airways. Try to bring the patient to consciousness with a cotton ball soaked in ammonia solution: lift it to the nose without touching the skin and mucous membranes. If the patient does not regain consciousness, call an ambulance or free detox centers near me immediately. Better look for detox places near me in advance. 

A person in a state of alcohol poisoning is strictly prohibited:

• staying alone;
• rising to their feet and moving;
• drinking coffee, because it, like alcohol, removes fluid from the body, which can lead to dehydration;
• taking a cold shower – it can cause hypothermia.

How to prevent alcohol poisoning

We do not recommend drinking alcohol at all, as it is harmful to human health and can be life-threatening. However, if you can’t give up alcohol at all, take care to protect yourself or your loved one from alcohol poisoning:

• on the eve of alcohol consumption during the day drink 1-2 liters of water more than usual, and you should eat well;
• do not mix different alcoholic beverages at the same time;
• avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach;
• do not drink more than “one dose” – 180 ml of wine, 360 ml of beer, or 30 ml of strong drink per hour;
• alcohol should not be washed down, let alone carbonated water – it should be eaten;
• you can not drink alcohol if you are tired, ate badly the day before, feel bad;
• do not drink alcohol if you have a disease of the gastrointestinal tract;
• drink only alcohol whose quality is beyond doubt.