Alcohol poisoning occurs when a person drinks a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time. Drinking too much alcohol too quickly can affect your breathing and other functions, potentially leading to coma or death. Alcohol poisoning can also occur when a person accidentally or intentionally drinks household products that contain alcohol (ethanol). If you’re a heavy drinker or know someone who is, you may wonder about this condition and even ask yourself questions like, “How long does alcohol poisoning last?” Here, our luxury drug and alcohol rehab in Palm Beach shares more information about the alcohol poisoning timeline, its after-effects, and how to cope.
Side Effects of Alcohol Poisoning
Otherwise known as alcohol overdose, alcohol poisoning is the result of drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short span of time. Alcohol poisoning often occurs when people are celebrating or in people who struggle to control their drinking. However, it can happen to anyone, whether they have alcoholism or not. People are rarely skilled at knowing how drunk they are. Also, it’s often difficult to determine how much alcohol you’ve consumed when you’re at a party or a club. Alcohol overdose or alcohol poisoning is likely to occur on occasions that include binge drinking or high-intensity drinking.
However, it can happen to anyone, whether they have alcoholism or not. Not only is it nearly impossible to determine “how drunk” one is, but it can also be difficult to determine how much alcohol you’ve consumed at a social event. Alcohol overdose or poisoning is likely to occur on occasions that include binge drinking or high-intensity drinking.
Simply put, an alcohol overdose occurs when there’s so much alcohol in the bloodstream that areas of the brain that control functions like breathing, heart rate, and temperature begin to shut down. Some common signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:
- Severe confusion
- Difficulty staying conscious or inability to wake up
- Nausea and vomiting
- Trouble breathing (fewer than 8 breaths per minute)
- Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths)
- Seizure
- Slowed heart rate
- Clammy skin
- Blackouts
- Dulled responses, such as no gag reflex (which helps to prevent choking)
- Low body temperature
- Stopped breathing
- Choking
- Severe dehydration
The severity of alcohol poisoning symptoms can be affected by factors like age, sensitivity or tolerance to alcohol, gender, drinking speed, medications, and the amount of food eaten. People who are struggling to control their drinking or suffer from alcoholism can avoid poisoning and safely recover from alcohol withdrawal symptoms with the help of our luxury detox program.
How Long Do Alcohol Poisoning Effects Last?
How long alcohol poisoning lasts depends on factors like age, weight, sex, metabolism, amount of alcohol consumed, whether you’ve eaten, presence of other medications, and your alcohol tolerance level. For example, a person with a lower tolerance to alcohol may suffer from alcohol poisoning symptoms longer than someone with a higher tolerance.
Specifically, however, alcohol poisoning can last for several hours, depending on how much the person drank. Another thing to consider is that women have higher blood alcohol levels than men do even after drinking the same amount of alcohol, meaning women get drunk faster and can experience alcohol poisoning at a lower dose.
Generally speaking, alcohol poisoning effects can last up to 48 hours or longer in cases of extreme consumption. The more they drink, the more likely the individual is to require medical care.
Additionally, how long alcohol poisoning lasts depends on several factors, but consuming more than one alcoholic beverage per hour can initiate the onset of intoxication. As the amount of alcohol consumed increases, so does the risk of alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol Poisoning Symptoms Next-Day
Alcohol is linked to a variety of health problems. The next-day effects of alcohol poisoning predominantly focus on brain damage. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning, like difficulty breathing, dehydration, and irregular breathing, can all affect the brain. When the brain doesn’t get enough oxygen, it can lead to permanent impairment in its chemical makeup as well as in functions like memory and thinking.
The after-effects of alcohol poisoning include:
- Brain damage
- Dependence and addiction
- Liver cirrhosis
- Cancers
- Unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle accidents, falls, burns, assaults, and drowning)
Considering the severity of side effects and the challenges of alcohol poisoning recovery, many people also wonder whether you can die from alcohol poisoning the day after. Unfortunately, there is a high risk of death when it comes to alcohol poisoning. This is especially the case if the individual fails to seek medical care, receives care too late, or continues to drink even while symptoms occur.
In the long run, heavy drinking can also increase your risk of addiction, alcohol poisoning, alcohol overdose, and, yes, even death. Moreover, many people who suffer from alcoholism lose their relationships, health, careers, and homes. If you’re in this situation or know someone who is, we can help. We offer luxury alcohol treatment that incorporates medical detox and therapy to help patients physically and mentally recover from addiction.
For more information about our outpatient or residential addiction treatment in Palm Beach, call Seaside Palm Beach today at 561-677-9374 or contact us online, and an admission specialist will connect with you as soon as possible.
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