You can know if you have alcohol poisoning by recognizing serious symptoms that go beyond typical drunkenness. Key signs include:
- Confusion or severe mental disorientation
- Vomiting, especially repeatedly
- Seizures or convulsions
- Slow or irregular breathing (fewer than 8 breaths per minute or gaps of 10 seconds or more between breaths)
- Pale, bluish, or clammy skin
- Low body temperature (hypothermia)
- Difficulty staying conscious or inability to wake up
- Slow heart rate
- Loss of gag reflex, increasing risk of choking on vomit
- Loss of coordination, slurred speech, inability to stand or walk
- Uncontrolled urination or defecation
Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency because it can cause brain damage, respiratory failure, coma, or death. If you or someone else shows these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention and do not leave the person alone. Place them in the recovery position if unconscious to prevent choking
. Immediate action includes calling emergency services, keeping the person awake if possible, and monitoring breathing. Do not try to make them vomit or give them coffee or cold showers, as these can worsen the condition
. In summary, alcohol poisoning is suspected when someone who has been drinking heavily shows severe confusion, vomiting, seizures, very slow or irregular breathing, pale or cold skin, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms require urgent medical care
