Alcohol abuse is a serious problem that affects not only your health and well being, but those around you. Most people that come to the emergency department with alcohol abuse just need time to “sober up”. Sometimes people that come to the hospital will need help with their breathing, need fluids by intravenous (IV) and other medications.
Signs of Alcohol Abuse
Drinking more than 5 drinks at one time is called binge drinking
Women who drink more than 3 drinks at a time
Women who drink more than 7 drinks per week
Men who drink more than 4 drinks at a time
Men who drink more than 14 drinks per week
A person over 65 years than drinks more than 3 drinks at a time
A person over 65 years that drinks more than 7 drinks per week
Older teenagers who drink more than 3 drinks at a time
Older teenagers who drink more than 7 drinks per week
Symptoms of “alcohol poisoning”: Get medical help!
Confusion, stupor (out of it)
Vomiting
Seizures (convulsions)
Slow or irregular (uneven) breathing
Blue-coloured or very pale skin
Cool or cold skin
Unconscious (passing out)
How Alcohol affects your body
Alcohol causes the stomach to make more acid.
Increases your chance of certain kinds of cancer, especially cancer of the pancreas, liver, mouth, tongue and throat
Gets in the way of protein, vitamin and mineral absorption
Can affect your heart muscle
Will raise your blood sugar levels
Will change the way many medications work
Causes fetal alcohol syndrome
Return to Emergency
Shakiness
Sweating
Fast heart rate
Hallucinations (hearing and seeing things that don’t exist)
The feeling that small bugs are crawling on your skin
If you think you need help with alcohol
Reference:
RCH/ERH Alcohol abuse: how to recognize problems with drinking
Mayo Clinic, Alcohol poisoning, 2006
American Family Physician, Problem drinking and Alcoholism, 2002
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