Not only a person suffering from chronic alcoholism can be poisoned with alcohol, but also the one who took it for the first time.
In fact, in order for poisoning to develop in the body, it is enough to use a large dose of alcohol only once (especially if a person has an individual intolerance to alcohol). About the symptoms and first aid for alcohol poisoning - later in the article.
Alcohol Poisoning: The First Signs
All symptoms of alcohol poisoning are divided into two subgroups:
1. Symptoms that occur immediately after taking alcohol (after 1-2 hours).
2. Signs that develop within a few days after the onset of alcohol intoxication in the body.
It is worth noting that the degree of alcohol poisoning for each person is different. In many respects it depends on weight, gender (men tolerate alcohol better), as well as acceptable dosages of alcohol that a person is used to drinking.
At the same time, it is important to know that young girls and boys who are the first times to drink alcohol are considered the most vulnerable to alcohol poisoning. They still do not have a developed protective reaction of the body, therefore, intoxication, like poisoning, occurs very quickly and is extremely difficult.
You can get poisoned with alcohol only when the alcohol content in such drinks is more than twelve percent. According to studies, the dosage of alcohol in the blood from 4 to 15 g / kg is already fatal for humans and can easily cause death.
These are the first signs of alcohol poisoning:
1. A person has an unhealthy gleam in his eyes. Self-esteem is also significantly overestimated, in which he ceases to be shy and can say something that he would not allow himself to say soberly (for this reason most of the quarrels occur with the participation of a person with alcohol intoxication).
2. Due to a rush of blood there is a reddening of the face.
3. Reduces attention and reaction speed.
4. A person begins to speak loudly, sometimes drowsiness occurs.
5. Sweating intensifies.
6. May be exacerbated personality traits that are not noticeable in a sober state. At the same time, they can be both positive and negative.
After the initial manifestation of alcohol poisoning, the second stage develops. It occurs when taking a large dose of alcohol and is accompanied by such signs:
1. A person experiences dizziness and headache.
2. There is muscle weakness and impaired consciousness. There may also be breathing problems.
3. Tearing.
4. Inadequate behavior, which will be expressed in aggressiveness.
5. The patient may be disturbed by fever and hand tremors.
6. If the body responds to poisoning, then a person may experience nausea and vomiting, impaired stool.
It is worth noting that some people perceive alcohol poisoning as a common occurrence, which is a mistake. In fact, this is a rather serious condition that can lead to respiratory paralysis and even coma. For this reason, when signs of poisoning appear, a person needs to call a doctor and provide first aid.
The last stage of poisoning is considered the most severe. It is accompanied by the following symptoms:
1. The patient may develop cramps, hallucinations, and cold sweat.
2. A person may lose consciousness.
3. Often the patient begins to suffocate due to respiratory spasm and paralysis.
4. A person in this state does not control himself and cannot assess the situation in which he is.
5. Chills may occur and blood pressure may increase.
First aid for alcohol poisoning
In the event that a person has obvious signs of alcohol etching, you should immediately call an ambulance. Before her arrival, one should stabilize the patient’s condition and remove toxins from his body (at least partially).
First aid measures include:
1. Inspect a person. Ask him about his health.
2. Flush the stomach. To do this, you need to induce vomiting in a person by taking a soda solution or water with potassium. This will help remove toxins from the stomach before they even become more absorbed in the body.
3. Give a person a lot of fluid, but only when the swallowing reflex works normally for him.
4. Provide fresh air, unfasten the shirt, loosen the belt on the pants.
5. In case of respiratory arrest, clean the oral cavity and make artificial respiration.
6. If the patient has cardiac arrest, then you need to do an indirect myocardial massage. This is a very complex procedure that a trained person needs to perform. Otherwise, such measures can only make the patient worse.
7. Next, turn the person on their side and cover with a blanket.
Also, before the arrival of doctors, you need to measure the patient’s pulse and blood pressure to provide doctors with more detailed information about the patient’s condition.
During first aid, it is important not to harm the person. Therefore, it is forbidden to do the following:
1. You can not cause vomiting, as well as to wash the stomach of a person when he is unconscious. The same applies to treating him with pills (before the doctor arrives, it is better not to give the patient any medications other than activated charcoal).
2. You can not leave the patient unattended, because he can become worse at any time.
3. You can not lay a person on his back, because so he can choke on vomit.
4. It is forbidden to lift a person, make him move, take a shower, etc. This will further disrupt thermoregulation and can only worsen the condition of the patient.
Alcohol poisoning treatment
The treatment of alcohol poisoning largely depends on the symptoms and the general severity of the patient's condition. Traditional therapy involves the following:
1. Admission of hepatoprotectors to reduce toxic effects on the liver.
2. Gastric lavage.
3. Sometimes administration of saline and glucose is prescribed.
4. In case of damage to the nervous system, antipsychotics can be used.
5. Admission of adsorbents to reduce intoxication of the body. These may be different drugs, but Enterosorb, Enterosgel and activated charcoal are most often prescribed.
6. The appointment of antiemetic drugs.
Further therapy is carried out on the basis of the observed symptoms and emerging complications. With timely first aid and medication, the patient can be cured of alcohol poisoning, even if he was in serious condition.
Prevention of alcohol poisoning
Prevention of alcohol poisoning is to adhere to such advice from a narcologist:
1. Do not take alcohol on an empty stomach. It’s better to eat something hot before it so that it “envelops” the gastric mucosa. So you protect yourself from intoxication of the body and the development of ulcers.
2. Do not drink alcohol in large doses. From a glass of wine there will be nothing bad, which can not be said about a whole bottle drunk in one squat.
3. You can not drink alcohol with poor nutrition, as well as during the course of acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Especially dangerous “duet” are alcohol and ulcer, hepatitis, gastritis and pancreatitis.
4. It is strictly forbidden to take alcohol during the period when a person is treated with those drugs that, when combined with alcohol, can cause severe adverse reactions in the liver and nervous system. This is an important taboo that applies to almost all potent drugs.
5. Do not take those alcoholic beverages in the quality of which you doubt. Also, do not buy them in places without a license.
6. To prevent poisoning, it is better not to drink alcohol that was prepared at home or does not have a specific place of production at all.
7. After drinking alcohol, it is forbidden to take antidepressants, sleeping pills and analgesic drugs.
8. Do not mix drinks of different degrees.
9. After taking alcohol, you need to eat a lot and drink fluids to reduce the negative effect of alcohol on the body.
Moreover, if you want to protect yourself as much as possible from alcohol poisoning and all subsequent complications after that, you should completely abandon alcohol. This will be the best prevention.
