Alcohol Intoxication

What is Alcohol Intoxication

Alcohol intoxication occurs when a person no longer thinks clearly or functions well (becomes impaired) after drinking alcohol. Intoxication can occur with even one drink. The level of impairment depends on:

• The amount of alcohol the person had.
• The person’s age, gender, and weight.
• How often the person drinks.
• Whether the person has other medical conditions, such as diabetes, seizures, or a heart condition.

Alcohol intoxication can range in severity from mild to severe. The condition can be dangerous, especially when caused by drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time (binge drinking) or if the person also took certain prescription medicines or recreational drugs.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Symptoms of mild alcohol intoxication include:

• Feeling relaxed or sleepy.
• Mild difficulty with:
  • Coordination.
  • Speech.
  • Memory.
  • Attention.

Symptoms of moderate alcohol intoxication include:

• Extreme emotions, such as anger or sadness.
• Moderate difficulty with:
  • Coordination.
  • Speech.
  • Memory.
  • Attention.

Symptoms of severe alcohol intoxication include:

• Passing out.
• Vomiting.
• Confusion.
• Slow breathing.
• Coma.
• Severe difficulty with:
  • Coordination.
  • Speech.
  • Memory.
  • Attention.

Intoxication, especially in people who are not exposed to alcohol often can progress from mild to severe quickly, and may even cause coma or death.

How is this diagnosed?

This condition may be diagnosed based on:

• A medical history.
• A physical exam.
• A blood test that measures the concentration of alcohol in the blood (blood alcohol content, or BAC).
• Whether there is a smell of alcohol on the breath.

Your health care provider will ask you how much alcohol you drank and what kind of alcohol you had.

How is this treated?

Usually, treatment is not needed for this condition. Most of the effects of alcohol are temporary and go away as the alcohol naturally leaves the body. Your health care provider may recommend monitoring until the alcohol level starts to drop and it is safe to go home. You may also get fluids through an IV tube to help prevent dehydration. If the intoxication is severe, a breathing machine called a ventilator may be needed to support your breathing.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Do notdrive after drinking alcohol.
• Have someone stay with you while you are intoxicated. You should not be left alone.
• Stay hydrated. Drink enough fluid to keep your urine clear or pale yellow.
• Avoid caffeine because it can dehydrate you.
• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.

How is this prevented?

To prevent alcohol intoxication:

• Limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day for nonpregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.
• Do notdrink alcohol on an empty stomach.
• Avoid drinking alcohol if:
  • You are under the legal drinking age.
  • You are pregnant or may be pregnant.
  • You are taking medicines that should not be taken with alcohol.
  • Your drinking causes your medical condition to get worse.
  • You need to drive or perform activities that require your attention.
  • You have substance use disorder.

To prevent potentially serious complications of alcohol intoxication, seek immediate medical care if you or someone you know has signs of moderate or severe alcohol intoxication. These include:

• Moderate or severe difficulty with:
  • Coordination.
  • Speech.
  • Memory.
  • Attention.
• Passing out.
• Confusion.
• Vomiting.

Do notleave someone alone if he or she is intoxicated.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You do not feel better after a few days.
• You are having problems at work, at school, or at home due to drinking.

Get help right away if:

• You become shaky when you try to stop drinking.
• You shake uncontrollably (have aseizure).
• You vomit blood. Blood in vomit may look bright red, or it may look like coffee grounds.
• You have blood in your stool. Blood in stool may be bright red, or it may make stool appear black and tarry and make it smell bad.
• You become light-headed or you faint.