Alcohol Poisoning

Symptoms of alcohol poisoning

Symptoms start after drinking a lot of alcohol and may include:

confusion
slurring words or being unable to speak
being unable to coordinate movement - for example, being unable to stand, walk, or pick things up
being sick
peeing or pooing yourself
pale or blue-tinged skin - on black or brown skin this may be easier to see inside the lips, on the gums and under the fingernails
slow or irregular breathing
having a seizure or fit
loss of consciousness

Call 999 if:

you think someone has alcohol poisoning
you or someone else has had a seizure or fit
someone has lost consciousness
someone has stopped breathing

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

Things you can do to help someone who has drunk too much alcohol

Do

stay with them because there's a risk they could choke on their own sick or stop breathing
sit them up if they're awake, or put them in the recovery position if they've passed out, and check they're breathing properly
give them water to sip if they're conscious, able to swallow and not vomiting
keep them warm with a jacket or blanket

Don't

do not let them drink more alcohol
do not offer them food as they could choke
do not give them coffee or drinks containing caffeine because this can dehydrate people with alcohol poisoning
do not put them in a cold shower or bath because there's a risk they could get too cold, fall or lose consciousness in the water
do not try to make them sick

Treatment for alcohol poisoning

You'll need to go to hospital to be monitored if you have alcohol poisoning. It can cause serious complications, like liver and heart failure, which can be fatal.

You may be given fluids, which may be given into your veins with a drip.

You may also be given help with your breathing until the effects of the alcohol wear off.

Causes of alcohol poisoning

Alcohol poisoning is usually caused by binge drinking, which is where you have a lot of alcohol in one drinking session. It can happen when you drink alcohol faster than your body can filter it out of your blood.

Having too much alcohol in your blood stops your body working properly and can be life-threatening.

Alcohol affects people differently. Some people may be able to drink more alcohol than others with fewer effects.

Find out more about the risks of drinking too much

Find out more

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
Photos: OutUK and LightFieldStudios.