Unlike with most drugs, an overdose with alcohol isn’t necessarily life threatening. Overdose in this case means that there one’s blood alcohol content is high enough to cause some impairment, but that could be as little as slurred speech or being a little off balance. When drinking becomes truly dangerous, it’s called alcohol poisoning.
Underage drinkers may be at increased risk for alcohol overdose, as research shows that people under age 20 typically drink about 5 drinks at one time. In contrast, moderate drinking is considered one drink per day. Drinking such a large quantity of alcohol can impede the body’s ability to break down and filter alcohol from the bloodstream, which leads to rapid increases in blood alcohol content and significantly impairs brain function. As your blood alcohol level rises, the degree to which you are impaired also increases. The following are the effects of different levels of blood alcohol.
Mild Impairment – 0.0 to 0.05. Mild speech, memory, attention, coordination, and balance issues
Increased Impairment – 0.06 to 0.15. Beneficial effects of alcohol such as relaxation and the general feeling of having a good time start to give way to intoxication. Some people have an increased risk of aggression. Speech, memory, attention, coordination, and balance are all worsened. Significant impairment in driving skills. Increased risk of injury to self and others. Moderate memory impairments.
Severe Impairment – 0.16 to 0.30. Speech, memory, attention, coordination, reaction time and balance are significantly impaired. Driving related skills are significantly impaired, along with judgment and decision-making abilities. Blackouts, amnesia, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.
Life Threatening – 0.31 to 0.45. Loss of consciousness. Danger of alcohol poisoning, which could lead to death. Significant risk of death due to suppression of vital bodily functions.
Some of the symptoms of alcohol poisoning are difficulty remaining conscious, confusion, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, blue or pale skin, dulled responses such as no gag reflex, and extremely low body temperature. Blood alcohol content can continue to rise even after someone is unconscious, so don’t assume that things can’t get worse. If you suspect that someone has alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately. Don’t leave the person alone, because there’s a danger that they make choke if the vomit, as a result of the lack of gag reflex. If they do start vomiting, try to get them sitting up or at least turned onto their side.
Untreated alcohol poisoning can lead to choking on his or her own vomit, breathing that slows, becomes irregular, or stops, heart that beats irregularly or stops, hypothermia (low body temperature), hypoglycemia (too little blood sugar), which can lead to seizures, and severe dehydration from vomiting, which can cause seizures, permanent brain damage, and death.
If you or a loved one need help with quitting drugs or alcohol, consider Asana Recovery. We offer medical detox, along with both residential and outpatient programs, and you’ll be supervised by a highly trained staff of medical professionals, counselors, and therapists. Call us any time at (949) 438-4504 to get started.
