Alcohol Overdose

_________________________________________________________________________________

As reported in the research literature, around 50,000 people experience an alcohol overdose each year in the United States. What is more, approximately once every week, someone needlessly dies from an alcohol overdose. Knowing how individuals get an alcohol overdose and understanding its symptoms and the causes of a toxic reaction and responding suitably to such instances can help avoid a fatal alcohol overdose.

The saddest part on the subject of an alcohol overdose, particularly when a person loses his or her life, it must be noted, is that alcohol overdose is 100 per cent preventable.

Alcohol Overdose and Blood Alcohol Level

Alcohol overdose, also known as alcohol poisoning, is a hazardous and at times deadly result of drinking more alcoholic beverages than the body can process.

image: doctor looking at test results for alcohol overdose patient It is vital to point out, as well, that binge drinking (ingesting four or more alcoholic beverages at one sitting for females and consuming five or more alcoholic drinks at one sitting for males) can also lead to an alcohol overdose.

In short, even though an individual may get drunk one time per year, this one-time "binge" can result in an alcohol overdose.

The effects of the alcohol on your body depend on the level of alcohol in your blood (known as blood alcohol level or blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

Factors that affect your blood alcohol level (or blood alcohol concentration) include the following:

How much alcohol you drink
How quickly your body processes the alcohol
How quickly you consume the alcoholic beverage
How much food is in your stomach at the time you drink
How strong the alcoholic drink is

Medicines can be used to help treat alcohol abuse and dependence. Some medicines reduce withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. Other medicines help you remain sober during lifelong recovery.

Common Alcohol Overdose Symptoms

image: doctor talking to female about her alcohol overdose The first symptom of an alcohol overdose is more often than not nausea, followed by vomiting.

These symptoms are warning signs from your body letting you know that you ingested more alcohol than your body can metabolize.

The following list illustrates other symptoms and signs of an alcohol overdose:

Pale skin or blue-tinged skin
Poor or absent reflexes
Seizures
Feeling exceedingly ill, including constant and extreme vomiting
Inability to sustain a conversation or to make eye contact
Failure to withdraw from painful stimuli (for example from pinching)
Confusion
Inconsistent, highly erratic behavior
Difficulty awakening the individual
Slurred speech
Shallow, irregular, or slow breathing
Unconsciousness (passing out)

Physical addiction takes place when a person's body becomes dependent on a particular substance such as drugs or alcohol. It also means that a person develops a tolerance to that particular substance, meaning that the user requires a larger dose than before to get the same "buzz" or "high."

The Interaction of Drugs and Alcohol

image: doctor writing in chart of alcohol overdose patient It must be stressed that alcohol can also be hazardous, can lead to an overdose, and can be deadly in smaller amounts if it is ingested in combination with the following drugs:

Several anti-seizure drugs (like phenobarbital)
Narcotic pain doctor prescribed drugs (such as opium, darvocet, codine, heroin, and codine derivatives)
Sedatives (examples include tranquilizers, cannabis, and barbiturates

Some people find that using stress management techniques during their recovery from alcohol problems is helpful. There is little research to show that using stress management techniques can increase a person's long-term chances of staying sober. But you may find that it improves your overall sense of well-being.

Alcohol Overdose: Conclusion

image: doctor talking to mother of teen who suffered through alcohol overdose About 50,000 individuals suffer from an alcohol overdose annually in the United States, and roughly once per week, someone needlessly dies from an alcohol overdose.

Understanding the situations that lead to an alcohol overdose and its symptoms and reacting quickly and fittingly to such a situation can help forgo a fatal overdose.

Please Add Our Website To Your Favorite Bookmarks!

Statistics for Native American adults has shown that substance abuse is related with serious physical injury, child neglect and abuse, and police calls. For instance, The Tribal Child Protective Services of the Cherokee Nation recently confirmed that 39% of their total case load points to substance abuse as a major contributing factor associated with their community problems.

_________________________________________

Home Alcoholism Videos About Us Thank You Free Info Exit Note Privacy Policy

For more information, please visit why employers use alcohol tests right away!