Alcohol:What You Should Know

                 

 Alcohol is ingested in various forms and quantities across the world. The lethal or toxic dose of alcohol in the human body is 5mg/dl, above which a person can show signs of alcohol intoxication or poisoning.

When does alcohol poisoning occur?
Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person drinks large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time. This is called 'Alcohol Binge' or 'Binge Drinking'. Although, most cases of alcohol poisoning occur among the middle-aged adults and men, it can occur in anybody including children.

What does alcohol poisoning do to a person?

When a person goes on an alcohol binge, the high level of alcohol in the blood shuts down the most sensitive parts of the brain that control breathing and respiration. Hence, the person can stop breathing all of a sudden. The mental status of the person is not normal. Alcohol causes mental impairment in the judgment of a person. This leads to a high chance of assault, injury and death that can result subsequently.

Binge drinking can also take a toll on the liver and its metabolism. The liver is unable to handle such a huge load of alcohol intoxication and this ultimately results in acute liver failure. Similarly, the kidneys are affected too, causing acute renal failure.

Hence, alcohol circulates in the body and affects all the vital organs of the body causing a potential threat to the person’s life.

What is the treatment of alcohol poisoning?
Most patients of alcohol poisoning are so intoxicated and mentally unstable that they are not in a situation to seek medical help for them. Therefore, a friend or family or a passer-by usually brings in these people into the emergency room. It has to be noted that most patients of alcohol poisoning require immediate medical care in a hospital set-up.

How to prevent alcohol poisoning?

• The only way to do this is to prevent binge drinking.
• One can sign up for self-help groups for alcoholism such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Strengthening the existing proven programs that work to prevent alcoholism.
• Collaborating with health departments, doctors and nurses, and other health care providers such as social counsellors.
• Bringing up stronger health policies that prevent people from binge drinking.

Now that you are aware of alcohol poisoning, stay away from binge drinking.

To be continued...