Although many of the symptoms of alcohol poisoning and hangovers are very similar, alcohol poisoning is significantly more serious and hazardous. Hangovers are unpleasant at the very least, but alcohol poisoning can be lethal if it isn’t diagnosed in time. Around two thousand alcohol poisoning deaths occur annually in the United States alone, with an average of six fatalities from alcohol poisoning per day.
What Signs Point to a Hangover?
There are several causes of hangovers, but the following are the most common ones:
- Frequent urine leading to dehydration.
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Vascular expansion that might result in headaches.
- Alcohol-induced stomach lining irritation.
- Alcohol-induced Inflammation.
If too much alcohol is drunk, several well-known symptoms of a normal hangover will occur. Very frequent hangover symptoms include headaches and general nausea. Bright light and loud noise are likely to irritate those who are recovering from a hangover. Some typical signs of a hangover include:
- Irritability, worry, or depression.
- Having trouble maintaining mental focus or attention span.
- Feelings of weakness and exhaustion.
- Muscles aches.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Feeling unsteady
- Shaky or trembling hands
- Higher heart rate
- Extreme thirst
Some people have a propensity to eat greasy food, such as burgers and fries, in the belief that it will help them get rid of any leftover alcohol in their systems. When the body crashes quickly after eating, this typically makes things worse. Although while having a hangover can be annoying, the symptoms will eventually go away in a day or so. It is better to choose treatment and withdrawal symptoms than advance to the stage of alcohol poisoning.
The following are typical signs of alcohol poisoning:
- Severe fuzziness.
- Shallow or sluggish breathing.
- Respiratory anomalies, such as cyclical breathing pauses followed by regular breathing.
- Hypothermia, also known as lowered body temperature or loss of warmth.
- Higher heart rate.
- Blood pressure decline.
- Continual vomiting.
- Blue lips or fingers, or pale skin.
- Being asleep and not waking up.
Some signs of alcohol poisoning mimic drunkenness just a little bit. Get emergency medical attention if someone becomes blue and falls asleep to the extent where they are not awakened or stirred by your attempts to wake them.