First aid for alcohol poisoning and what to do?

Even the smallest amount of alcohol has a serious toxic effect on the central nervous system of the human body. There are three degrees of alcohol intoxication: mild, moderate and severe. Depending on the dose of alcohol consumed, gender, age and other characteristics of the human body, the result of taking the same dose of alcohol can be completely different. In our article, we will talk about what to do in case of alcohol poisoning, when medical help is needed, and we will consider step-by-step first aid for alcohol poisoning.

The effect of alcohol on the human body

Dubious alcoholic drinks are often found on store shelves, the use of which can lead to serious poisoning of a person and even death. In addition, many home-grown craftsmen produce alcohol-containing drinks that have a deadly effect on the human body. The desire to save money on the part of manufacturers leads to sad consequences. Therefore, it is extremely important for everyone to know what helps with alcohol poisoning at home and when to seek help from a medical facility.

At home, you can stop the development of mild or moderate poisoning, but severe poisoning necessarily requires medical attention to save a person's life. After assessing the patient's condition, medical specialists can carry out a set of measures for the poisoned person right at home, without the need for hospital services, but it all depends on the severity of alcohol intoxication.

Attention! If a person has lost consciousness due to alcohol poisoning, you need to urgently call an ambulance! It is only necessary to provide assistance with alcohol poisoning on your own only if you are sure what exactly the person was poisoned with and at the same time he is fully conscious.

The process of assimilation of alcohol by the human body

Alcohol absorption occurs mainly through the small intestine - about 80%, the remaining 20% ​​is absorbed immediately when alcohol is drunk. However, if a person has gastric diseases, such as an ulcer or gastritis, it increases the percentage of absorption directly from the stomach.

From the gastrointestinal tract, ethyl alcohol enters the circulatory system, which carries the toxic substance throughout the body: into muscle tissues, the brain, etc. After 20 minutes from the moment of use, the highest concentration of alcohol is observed in the blood. At the same time, the intoxicating effect is more pronounced in women than in men. This is due to the fact that in the body of the fair sex there is more adipose tissue (in which alcohol does not dissolve), and alcohol dissolves in a small muscle mass, causing more severe intoxication.

Attention! Taking even minimal doses of alcohol is contraindicated for pregnant women, children, adolescents and people who are weakened by illness or have mental disorders. A small amount of alcohol can cause severe poisoning. The main burden of intoxication during pregnancy is taken by the child in the womb. This can cause serious abnormalities in the development of the fetus or miscarriage.

The process of removing alcohol from the human body

The main volume of alcohol is processed by liver cells, which secrete a special enzyme that helps to decompose alcohol into other substances. Therefore, it is the liver that takes the first blow after the stomach and intestines. Getting rid of the rest of the alcohol occurs through the kidneys, sweat glands, and also through the lungs.

During decomposition, the strongest poison for humans is released - acetaldehyde, which affects various parts of the brain, including the cerebellum. The result of this is a violation of coordination of movement, staggering when moving, pain during a hangover in the head and digestive organs, the so-called alcohol poisoning of the stomach occurs (which is not a correct interpretation of the processes occurring in the body).

Note! If not much time has passed after drinking alcohol, then vomiting helps from alcohol poisoning, which must be artificially induced. First aid not provided in time for alcohol intoxication can be fatal.

Substances containing alcohol that cause poisoning

Quite often, with alcoholism, due to the onset of personality degradation, being dependent on alcohol, a person can consume liquids containing alcohol for non-food purposes. It can be:

• Technical liquid substances (alcohol-based adhesives, solvents, denatured alcohol, brake fluid, etc.);
• Cosmetic liquids (perfumes, lotions, colognes, shaving creams, etc.);
• Tinctures of medicinal plants for alcohol;
• Home-made moonshine and wine of unsuitable quality for food, as well as various fake wine and vodka products.

There is a very high mortality rate after drinking such drinks, and the treatment in case of survival is long and difficult. This also applies to medicinal tinctures, which are recommended to be used in very small medicinal dosages. How can I help if I take these substances? There will be only one answer - immediately call an ambulance and keep the person conscious.

Signs of alcohol intoxication

Signs of alcohol poisoning may vary in the degree of intoxication, which depends on the amount drunk and the body's ability to process alcohol and remove it:

1. Light phase of poisoning:
   • dilated pupils;
   • redness of the skin of the face;
   • slight violation of diction;
   • increase the volume of the voice during a conversation;
   • cheeky behavior;
   • increased sweating;
   • impaired coordination when walking;
   • the emergence of animal instincts;
   • nausea or vomiting;
2. Average severity of poisoning:
   • severe incoordination, especially when walking;
   • severe violation of diction and confusion of words;
   • dizziness and impaired visual perception (double vision);
   • vomiting, nausea;
   • headache;
   • tendency to sleep;
   • in the morning - a heavy hangover;
3. Severe poisoning:
   • expansion of the vessels of the eyeball;
   • difficulty breathing;
   • disturbances in the work of the heart, arrhythmia;
   • increased salivation, vomiting;
   • loss of consciousness;
   • convulsions;
   • coma.

First aid at home

Attention! It is absolutely impossible to take many pills and various medications simultaneously with alcohol, even if this is not written in the annotation to the medication. Such unreasonable behavior leads to a rapidly growing severe intoxication of the body with very sad consequences.

Help with alcohol intoxication can only be provided in case of mild or moderate poisoning. Signs of severe poisoning require emergency medical attention. The question arises, how to treat alcohol poisoning, what will help?

Help with mild poisoning

Before you eat and drink something with alcohol poisoning, you need to understand what degree of intoxication a person has. What to do with mild alcohol poisoning? First of all, treatment should begin with cleansing the stomach, then take some sorbent, such as activated charcoal.

Preparations that work as sorbents of toxic substances are sold freely through pharmacy chains, in addition, activated charcoal tablets should be kept in a home first aid kit. Activated charcoal tablets are drunk at the rate of 1 pc. per 10 kilograms of a person's weight, and according to the latest data, treatment with this drug helps if at least 200 tablets of coal are taken at one time. You can also increase the amount of fluid you drink to compensate for the loss of minerals in the body, speeding up the healing process.

Note! Any medication for alcohol poisoning should be taken with caution. There are medications that, in combination with alcohol, can cause extremely severe drug poisoning.

There is an opinion that it is best to take a low-alcohol drink the next morning, which will alleviate a hangover. However, this is not true, it is impossible to get rid of poisoning, and such actions will only complicate the treatment. Therefore, the question often arises, how to get rid of alcohol poisoning? It can be mineral water without gas, juices, compotes. Diuretics are recommended to avoid swelling. A victim of mild alcohol poisoning, with a headache and no contraindications, is given painkillers: aspirin or citramone tablets.

For moderate poisoning

What to do after moderate alcohol poisoning? First of all, you should not wait until the next morning, you need to artificially induce vomiting in the drinker immediately after the onset of the first signs of poisoning. This will make it possible to prevent the absorption into the blood of alcohol remaining in the stomach. What needs to be done for this? Wrap the index and middle fingers of the hand or a suitable object with gauze (you can use a bandage) so as not to injure the throat, and lightly press the root of the tongue several times until vomiting. After that, bending down, the person should empty the stomach. It is necessary to repeat the procedure until the stomach is completely cleansed of drunk alcohol and food.

In addition, you can apply ammonia at the rate of 2 drops per glass of water. The solution must be drunk in one gulp. It helps to cleanse the stomach with a slightly pink (without crystals) solution of potassium permanganate, which you need to drink about 3 liters, periodically causing a gag reflex in the above way. Cleansing of the stomach must be done until the outgoing fluid is free of food and mucus. This is the best way to get rid of alcohol residue in the stomach.

From folk remedies, dairy products also help with alcohol poisoning. Give a person who has been poisoned by alcohol hot sweet tea with milk, it helps to neutralize the alcohol to some extent. You can give the victim egg white (without salt and bread), you need to drink mucous decoctions of wild carrot seeds and psyllium seeds. Is it possible to eat after alcohol poisoning? Yes, but only light vegetable, enveloping food, and only after the poisoned person has an appetite.

Note! If you are poisoned by ethyl alcohol, then it is extremely important to drink plenty of fluids. This will help cleanse the kidneys of ethanol derivatives.

As a drink, decoctions of medicinal herbs with the addition of natural bee honey or, in extreme cases, glucose will be useful. Drink tea with lemon, a decoction of chamomile, rose hips, mint infusion.

First aid for an unconscious victim

Help with alcohol poisoning, if a person has lost consciousness:

1. Call an ambulance;
2. Give a cotton swab with ammonia to sniff;
3. Lay it on its side, and put your bent arm under your head. This will prevent vomit from entering the respiratory tract;
4. Free from tight clothing, belts and collars that squeeze the throat;
5. Open windows for fresh air;
6. With chills in the cold season, cover the victim with a blanket with a heating pad;
7. Regularly monitor the pulse until the ambulance arrives, in case of a stop, start artificial respiration.

In addition, you can rub the auricles vigorously, slowly raise the lower limbs one at a time (for a rush of blood to the brain). After regaining consciousness, it is necessary to support the poisoned person with claps and pinches on the body (ears, face) in the mind until the ambulance arrives.

Attention! When the pulse stops, breathing should begin artificial respiration and heart massage.

What medications to take when the poisoning is severe, only the attending physician decides. In a hospital setting, as a rule, drugs are prescribed for intravenous administration, which significantly speeds up the recovery process.