What Is Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can affect anyone, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community who may use alcohol as a way to cope with societal pressures and discrimination. Whether it’s a night out with friends at a club or a quiet evening at home, consuming too much alcohol too quickly can overwhelm the body’s ability to process it safely. This can lead to dangerous levels of alcohol in the bloodstream, impairing physical functions and putting the health of the individual at risk. Alcohol poisoning doesn’t just ruin a person’s night, it can have severe and lasting consequences. Whether they’re at a party, a bar, or simply enjoying a drink at home, knowing the facts can help them make safer choices and look out for each other in the community.

What To Know About Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning, commonly known as alcohol overdose, occurs when there is a dangerous amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. This often happens from binge drinking or consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Typically people don’t mean to overdose on alcohol, as it can happen unexpectedly. However, too much alcohol in the bloodstream can result in serious consequences such as loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, and even death. Alcohol poisoning affects the areas of the brain that control life-sustaining functions like breathing, heart rate, and gag reflex. When these functions slow to dangerous levels, the danger of choking, coma, brain damage, and death, increases.

What Are The Symptoms Of Alcohol Poisoning?

Alcohol poisoning is life-threatening to any individual, and should be handled as a medical emergency. Recognizing alcohol poisoning symptoms is important because it can prevent serious consequences or even death. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning manifest both psychologically and physically and may include:

• Loss of coordination
• Confused, disoriented
• Irregular or slow breathing
• Pale, clammy skin, may have a blue hue
• Vomiting and gagging
• Choking, difficulty breathing
• Very cold body temperature, shivering
• Unconscious and unresponsive or awake but unresponsive
• Seizures

If you recognize any of these signs, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. 

Why Is Alcohol Poisoning So Dangerous?

Binge drinking is a major contributing factor to alcohol poisoning, and it doesn’t take much to be in danger. As blood alcohol levels rise in the body, the likelihood of serious consequences also increases. Blackouts, loss of consciousness, heart attack, coma, and death can occur. The risk of permanent organ damage, including heart and brain damage, are all possible complications of alcohol poisoning. Death is also a common outcome.

Vomiting, a common response to high levels of alcohol, can trigger deadly results. Excessive vomiting can cause severe dehydration, which may lead to very low blood pressure and rapid heart rate. This could cause the heart to stop. Extreme dehydration can also cause permanent brain damage. Toxic levels of alcohol depress both breathing and the gag reflex, increasing the risk of choking on vomit and dying by suffocation.

Alcohol poisoning often results in irregular or slow breathing. The breathing function controlled by the brain is depressed, failing to trigger the lungs to breathe normally. As the lungs bring in less oxygen, the breathing becomes slower or more irregular. Less than 8 breaths a minute is considered dangerously slow breathing. Irregular breathing means there is a lapse of more than 10 seconds between each breath. In either case, the breathing might stop completely.

Insufficient oxygen in the body causes the skin to become very pale, clammy and sometimes tinged with a blue tone. When these skin changes occur, it is a clear signal the heart and lungs are starting to shut down because the body is not getting enough blood flow or oxygen.

Excessive amounts of alcohol can result in hypoglycemia, a condition where the body’s blood sugar (glucose) drops to a very low level. This can result in confusion, fainting, difficulty with vision, and seizures. Seizures can cause permanent brain damage.

Alcohol Addiction And Its Role In Alcohol Poisoning

Individuals struggling with alcohol use disorder (AUD) or alcoholism are at an increased risk for alcohol poisoning, but another trend increases that risk. It involves mixing drugs or other substances with alcohol.

• Mixing Alcohol with Drugs

The interactions between alcohol and drugs like cocaine, marijuana, heroin, sedatives, stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics, can yield shocking results. Some prescription medications also contain alcohol. Taking these will add to the individual’s Blood Alcohol Concentration. This may cause poisoning.

• Mixing Alcohol with Energy Drinks

Energy drinks cause great health risks due to their caffeine content. Mixing alcohol and energy drinks motivates an individual to drink more alcohol. That’s because caffeine prevents the individual consuming the alcohol from feeling intoxicated. Thus, they end up binge drinking to get high.

• Concurrent Tobacco Smoking and Drinking Alcohol

Some people who may be involved in heavy consumption of alcohol may also be involved in smoking and vice versa, which can lead to cross-tolerance and cross-sensitization. Combining the two causes cancer, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease, liver damage, and death.

Get Help Today

If you or your LGBTQ+ loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, it is important to seek help. There are several treatments available for alcohol addiction, including detox, therapy, and support groups. At Inspire Recovery, we understand the struggles of addiction and our addiction treatment for LGBTQ+ people addresses alcohol addiction on both a physical and emotional level. Take the first step towards recovery. Contact us at 561-899-6088 today. You do not have to struggle alone.