An alcohol overdose occurs when there is so much alcohol in the bloodstream that areas of the brain controlling basic life-support functions—such as breathing, heart rate, and temperature control—begin to shut down. Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizure, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses such as no gag reflex which prevents choking , and extremely low body temperature.
Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death. Age, sensitivity to alcohol tolerance , gender, speed of drinking, medications you are taking, and amount of food eaten can all be factors. Alcohol use and taking opioids or sedative-hypnotics, such as sleep and anti-anxiety medications, can increase your risk of an overdose. Examples of these medications include sleep aids such as zolpidem and eszopiclone, and benzodiazepines such as diazepam and alprazolam. Even drinking alcohol while taking over-the-counter antihistamines can be dangerous.
Using alcohol with opioid pain relievers such as oxycodone and morphine or illicit opioids such as heroin is also a very dangerous combination. Like alcohol, these drugs suppress areas in the brain that control vital functions such as breathing. Ingesting alcohol and other drugs together intensifies their individual effects and could produce an overdose with even moderate amounts of alcohol. Anyone who consumes too much alcohol too quickly may be in danger of an alcohol overdose.
This is especially true of individuals who engage in binge drinking, defined as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration BAC to 0. Death rates due to excessive alcohol use varied across states, ranging from 21 per , population in New York and New Jersey to 53 per , population in New Mexico.
Learn more about excessive alcohol use and your health. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Alcohol and Public Health. Section Navigation. View larger image and text description. Top of Page. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Vital Signs. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Alcohol Poisoning Deaths A deadly consequence of binge drinking.
Minus Related Pages. On This Page. States and communities can take steps to reduce alcohol poisoning deaths by preventing binge drinking, including: Partnering with police, community groups, health departments, and doctors, nurses, and other health care providers to reduce binge drinking and related harms. In the most severe cases, alcohol poisoning can lead to coma , brain damage and death. If you suspect alcohol poisoning, dial immediately to request an ambulance.
The level of alcohol in a person's blood can continue to rise for up to 30 to 40 minutes after their last drink. You also should not try to "sober them up" by giving them coffee or putting them under a cold shower, for example.
In hospital, the person will be carefully monitored until the alcohol has left their system. Repeated vomiting and retching can lead to vomiting blood, caused by a torn blood vessel at the junction of the stomach and gullet. Drinking too much alcohol can affect a person's judgement and put them in situations where their health and safety are at risk. Every time you drink alcohol, your liver has to filter it out of your blood.
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