Alcohol arguably seems to be readily available to people today. You can buy it at your local grocery market, corner convenience store, and of course any liquor store.

While many people drink responsibly and avoid getting overly intoxicated, others fail to check themselves and imbibe dangerous amounts of drink. This dangerous level of drinking can cause those individuals to fall victim to alcohol poisoning.

When you suspect that someone in your family or group of friends is suffering from this condition, it is vital that you recognize the signs of alcohol poisoning and know when to take them to the nearest emergency room.

Symptoms (Signs) of Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning goes way beyond ordinary inebriation. In fact, someone who is suffering from this condition may lose control of regular body functions that even drunk people still retain. Indeed, common signs of alcohol poisoning are:

• Shallow or slowed breathing
• Extreme confusion
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Blue-tinged skin
• Lowered body temperature
• Unconsciousness or inability to wake up after passing out
• Choking
• Slurred or unintelligible speech

It is vital that you do not leave a person in this condition alone. Doing so could result in this person being severely injured or even dying from alcohol poisoning. In fact, if a loved one or friend has any of these symptoms after drinking, you should take this person to the emergency room immediately. If this person cannot breath, is choking, cannot be woken up, or is having seizures, you should call 911 and request an ambulance.

When to Visit Nearest Emergency Room

Getting emergency help for this condition can be vital in saving the person’s life. If your friend or relative gets to the emergency room in time, doctors and nurses can administer lifesaving treatments that can prevent brain damage and help this individual survive this illness so it is vital that you visit the ER as soon as you recognize the various signs and symptoms of alcohol poising.

Emergency Treatment for Alcohol Poisoning

Some of the necessary treatments for this condition assist people in breathing better, waking up after passing out and protecting their vital organs like their brain, heart and lungs. ER doctors typically administer treatments like:

• Oxygen for slowed or irregular breathing
• IV fluids for dehydration
• Thiamin and glucose for low blood sugar and preventing brain damage

If you delay in calling 911 or taking a person to the hospital, this individual could become severely brain damaged, have a heart attack or stroke, suffer liver damage and even die. These treatments are vital for overcoming alcohol poisoning.

Reasons That Prevent People from Calling Help

Despite alcohol being widely available and drinking being relatively common today, many people still do not like to own up to the fact that they have drank too much. This embarrassment can be compounded when those individuals are too young to buy or drink alcoholic beverages.

For that reason, people are sometimes less than eager to call 911 or go to the emergency room to get help for alcohol poisoning. They are afraid that they will have to admit to underage drinking or losing control of the situation.

However, when a person’s life hangs in the balance, it is crucial that you overcome this hesitancy and embarrassment and do the right thing by getting help for your friend. Your primary focus should be on saving this person’s life rather than admitting to any wrongdoing.

In all reality, the doctors and nurses at the hospital will be more focused on saving the life of the affected person rather than turning you or the party’s host into law enforcement. If any consequences of your friend or loved one’s drinking should arise, you and others can deal with them later. Your immediate goal should be to help the person with alcohol poisoning survive this condition.

Drinking and buying alcohol are almost second nature to many people today. Despite this fact, you should still be on guard for alcohol poisoning and know when to seek emergency help when you suspect someone or even yourself of suffering from this illness.