Understanding the complexities of alcohol poisoning
A MAN reportedly died at a tavern in Limpopo’s Mashamba Village after patrons allegedly engaged in what they called a “drinking competition” according to Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, a spokesperson for the local police force.
“In the (competition), the winner who could consume the entire bottle of Jägermeister within a specified time would get R200 cash.”
Mojapelo said one of the competitors “immediately collapsed” and was taken to the clinic where he was certified dead.
Too much alcohol consumed too quickly can cause problems with your breathing, heart rate, body temperature, and gag reflex as well as possibly cause death.
A major cause of alcohol poisoning is binge drinking. Your body can only process small amounts of alcohol at a time, said pharmacist Zenande Mangqalaza. “In most cases, excessive alcohol consumption, especially in a short amount of time, leads to ethanol toxicity.”
Your risk of alcohol poisoning may increase according to a variety of factors, such as your size and weight.
Alcohol is not like other drugs where there is a linear assessment of how much is too much; instead, it depends on the individual’s health risk, illnesses and other factors.
Dr Lizo Bango, a general practitioner, said the problem occurred when a person drank more alcohol than their body could manage.
The complications that lead to death may not be the alcohol, but the complications associated with it, such as passing out, vomiting, and choking on their vomit, indicating that the person may have consumed far more than the definition of binge drinking.
Bango said we needed to take into account that years of drinking caused high alcohol tolerance.
A seasoned drinker’s liver was much more conditioned to drinking, which meant it could break alcohol down faster than someone with very low alcohol tolerance.
“A seasoned drinker can drink five beers with little impairment as opposed to someone with a low alcohol tolerance; hence you find that deaths in young pupils who drink after matric dance their livers are not primed to process alcohol as yet.”
When you consume alcohol, your liver must break it down in order for you to remain sober. Some of us have greater enzyme capacity than others, which may be a genetic advantage, implying that your body is better equipped to break down the alcohol before it reached toxic levels, which was encouraged by frequent peeing.
Prevention must come before treatment. If you are a seasoned drinker, you are aware of your limits; if you are young, you should not be drinking. But if you do, drink in moderation, said Bango.
“Alcohol poisoning treatment depends greatly on the condition you are in when you are found.
“Depending on your symptoms, someone who comes with alcohol poisoning may need to be put on a drip to flush out the alcohol.
“The average stay in the hospital is two to three days, during which time you will typically receive an IV sedative such as diazepam as well as a Vitamin B complex mixture because alcohol lowers your Vitamin B content and causes an irregular heartbeat.”