Alcohol overdose occurs when you drink an excessive amount of alcohol over a short period of time. Your liver can only process a certain amount of alcohol per hour. Exceeding this limit, especially by a large margin, will cause you to exhibit signs of alcohol overdose. You can overdose on alcohol if you binge drink at a social occasion or if you have an addiction to alcohol. People who misuse it every day without exercising control over consumption amounts will have a higher tolerance, but can still experience an alcohol overdose.
In either case, you may be unaware that you are drinking too much of an alcoholic drink too quickly. As a rule of thumb, alcohol consumption can reach toxic levels when you have six or more drinks over two hours. Though tolerance levels differ from person to person, this level can put you at serious risk of alcohol poisoning. At Crestview Recovery, we offer a number of addiction treatment programs and residential treatment program options for you to recover from alcohol addiction and on the path to sobriety. Learning more about the effects of alcohol overdose can help you become more aware of the consequences and can help you stay sober.
How Does Binge Drinking Affect the Body?
Alcohol stresses out the nerves that control involuntary actions such as the gag reflex, which prevents choking. You may have observed people vomiting after having one too many drinks over a short period of time.
If alcohol renders an individual unconscious, their impaired gag reflex may cause them to choke on their own vomit. Do not allow such a dangerous situation to occur in the first place. Stay aware of the signs of alcohol overdose to take the right steps at the right time in order to prevent these actions. If you suffer from addiction, seek help from a substance use treatment center like Crestview Recovery.
Signs of Alcohol Overdose
It is not difficult to detect if someone is having an alcohol overdose. There are many obvious and alarming symptoms that require immediate medical attention, including:
- Vomiting
- Inability to stay conscious
- Seizures
- Mental confusion
- Pale and bluish skin that is cold and clammy to touch (check for a change in skin color under the fingernails or around the lips)
- Breathing irregularities: more than 10 seconds between breaths
If someone is experiencing an alcohol overdose, call 911 to ensure that the person exhibiting signs of alcohol overdose receives immediate medical assistance.
In the meantime, try to keep them awake and in a sitting position, and get them a warm coat or blanket as their body temperature may drop significantly. Do not feed them any food, liquid, or medication. Additionally, make sure that nobody tries to help induce vomiting as it will create a risk of choking.
Alcohol Overdose Is a Symptom of Alcoholism
It is not normal to experience the signs of alcohol overdose and to make an emergency trip to the hospital regularly. Let the professionals at Crestview Recovery’s alcohol rehab program help you reduce your dependency on alcohol and limit its use in your life. We design individualized treatment plans that include cognitive behavioral therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, trauma therapy, and a number of holistic treatment options to help you overcome addiction and get back on your feet.
Call our professional treatment center at 866.262.0531 to address alcohol addiction without delay. When you work with Crestview Recovery, you will receive evidence-based, compassionate care from experts in addiction treatment. You will also learn to avoid drifting back to old habits and lead a healthier, more rewarding life. Take the step towards recovery today.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
