According to the CDC, six people lose their lives to alcohol poisoning per day in the United States. Nearly 80 percent of those deaths are adults ages 35 to 64. This is much too young to die from something so preventable! As the summer holidays approach, our urgent care Greenville NC wants you to be mindful of the dangers of alcohol poisoning and to know what to do to prevent or treat it.

What are the Signs of Alcohol Poisoning?

At our urgent care Greenville NC, we know it can be difficult to determine whether someone is simply drunk or if they need immediate medical attention. While people who are drunk may check off some of these boxes, symptoms like seizures or unconsciousness and vomiting are signs things could be serious. Here are some signs and symptoms of someone that may be experiencing a life-threatening emergency like alcohol poisoning.

• confusion
• slowed movements, breathing, and speech
• vomiting
• sweating or clamminess
• low body temperature
• pallor
• seizures
• unconsciousness

What to do If You or Someone Is Experiencing Alcohol Poisoning?

1. Call 911-If you spot someone who seems to be suffering from alcohol poisoning, get them medical attention right away by calling 911. You can also bring them to our urgent care Greenville NC.
2. Keep them awake-falling asleep can lead to the person becoming unconscious which can make it easier for them to succumb to death.
3. Keep them hydrated-if the person is awake enough to swallow, give them small amounts of water until help arrives.
4. Grab a blanket-when a person is experiencing alcohol poisoning, they often develop hypothermia. This can lead to shivering.
5. Talk to them-try to explain what you’re doing as you’re doing. When people are drunk or experiencing poisoning, they can become violent or simply difficult to control and work with. Talking to them kindly but sternly can also help keep them awake.
6. Keep them on their side-the individual may begin to get sick. Due to their slowed reflexes, the risk of them choking to death is high. Keeping them sitting or laying on their side at an angle helps ease this risk.

How to Avoid Alcohol Poisoning?

Our urgent care Greenville NC knows it can be hard to resist drinking, especially at social events. However, you can avoid serious injury or death from alcohol poisoning by following a simple set of rules. Here are five guidelines to maintain to avoid making a trip to the hospital or worse.

1. Drink water-try to drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you have.
2. Make sure to eat-drinking on an empty stomach accelerates the effects of alcohol.
3. Avoid drinking games-drinking games can make the drinks add up quickly.
4. Don’t mix medication and alcohol-never mix medication and alcohol, especially prescription medications or sleep aids. This can be deadly.
5. Keep track of how much you’ve had-make sure you’re only having the recommended amount for your body weight.

Greenville Health Care | Urgent Care Greenville NC

This summer please drink responsibly! For more health tips from our urgent care Greenville NC, make sure to be on the lookout for our blog. Short on time? Our family medical practice and walk-in clinic serves Greenville NC and the surrounding areas for all their urgent care needs. Contact us today! We look forward to seeing you.