Beware! Mixed drinking is harmful: a woman in Changsha suffered acute poisoning from mixed drinking

Alcohol often plays an important role in social occasions. It can enhance friendship, liven up the atmosphere, and add joy to people's gatherings. However, improper drinking, especially excessive drinking or mixed drinking, may bring great risks to our health. From acute alcohol poisoning to long-term organ damage, the harm of mixed drinking cannot be underestimated. Let's take a deeper look at the health risks of mixed drinking and how to drink healthily.

1. Cases of acute alcohol poisoning caused by mixed drinking

Recently, Changsha Central Hospital received a patient with acute alcohol poisoning caused by mixed drinking. 26-year-old Li Rong (pseudonym) drank three cups of white wine and one and a half kilograms of red wine at a classmate party on impulse. Soon after, she developed symptoms such as dizziness and nausea, and eventually fell into a coma and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. This case is not an isolated case. It is not uncommon for acute alcohol poisoning to occur due to excessive drinking or mixed drinking in social occasions such as holiday parties.

Acute alcohol poisoning refers to a state in which a large amount of alcohol is consumed in a short period of time, resulting in a disorder of the central nervous system. When people drink alcohol together, different types of alcoholic beverages will accelerate the absorption of alcohol, causing the body to bear a greater alcohol burden in a short period of time. This will not only increase the burden on the liver and gastrointestinal tract, but also significantly increase the risk of acute alcohol poisoning.

2. The hazards and symptoms of acute alcohol poisoning

Acute alcohol poisoning is extremely harmful to the human body. Alcohol can inhibit the central nervous system, and excessive drinking can cause symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, and confusion. In severe cases, it may even cause coma and respiratory failure, endangering life.

When the human body consumes excessive alcohol, it will first affect the function of the brain. Alcohol will inhibit the activity of the cerebral cortex, causing people to become excited, speak more, and lose control of their behavior. As the amount of alcohol intake increases, the inhibitory effect of the cerebral cortex will gradually increase, causing people to experience symptoms such as drowsiness and coma.

In addition, acute alcohol poisoning can also cause serious damage to organs such as the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Alcohol needs to be metabolized by the liver. Excessive drinking will overload the liver, causing liver cell damage and even liver failure. At the same time, alcohol can also irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. In severe cases, it may lead to complications such as gastric bleeding and intestinal perforation.

3. Long-term damage to the liver caused by mixed drinking

In addition to the risk of acute alcohol poisoning, mixed drinking can also cause long-term damage to the liver. A large number of studies in developed countries such as Europe and the United States have shown that drinking a mixture of various alcoholic beverages is more irritating and harmful to organs such as the liver, stomach, and kidneys. People who often drink mixed alcohol have a five times higher risk of liver cancer than those who drink mild alcohol or do not drink alcohol.

Director Deng Hejun of the Department of Hepatobiliary Tumor Surgery at Chongqing Cancer Hospital said that there are two main reasons why mixed drinking is more harmful to the liver:

1. Different alcohol content, the body is difficult to adapt

Different types of alcohol have different alcohol contents. When people drink different types of alcohol in turn, it is difficult for the body to adapt to such changes. The liver needs to constantly adjust its metabolic function to cope with different alcohol contents. If this continues for a long time, it will overload the liver, cause liver cell damage, and affect the normal function of the liver.

2. Different ingredients accelerate alcohol penetration

Different alcoholic beverages have different ingredients. For example, beer contains carbon dioxide and a large amount of water. Mixing it with liquor will accelerate the penetration of alcohol throughout the body, causing the alcohol concentration in the blood to rise sharply in a short period of time. This will not only cause greater damage to the liver, but also increase the burden on other organs such as the heart and kidneys.

4. How to drink healthily

Holiday gatherings are a great time to build friendships and enjoy life, but it’s important to remember the importance of moderation and good drinking habits. Here are some tips for healthy drinking during holiday gatherings:

1. Control your drinking

Alcohol can inhibit the central nervous system. Excessive drinking can cause dizziness, vomiting, confusion, and even coma and respiratory failure in severe cases. Therefore, we must control our drinking and avoid excessive drinking. Generally speaking, men should not drink more than two glasses of alcohol per day (calculated based on 150 ml of wine, 350 ml of beer, or 45 ml of liquor per glass), and women should not drink more than one glass of alcohol per day.

2. Avoid mixed drinking

Mixing different types of alcoholic beverages will accelerate the absorption of alcohol, increase the burden on the liver and gastrointestinal tract, and significantly increase the risk of acute alcohol poisoning. At a party, we should try to choose one alcoholic beverage to drink and avoid drinking multiple types of alcohol at the same time.

3. Pay attention to your body’s reactions

When drinking, we should always pay attention to our body's reactions. If any discomfort symptoms occur, such as dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, etc., we should stop drinking and rest immediately. This is a key step to prevent the symptoms from getting worse. If the symptoms persist or worsen, you should seek medical attention in time.

4. Seek medical attention promptly

If the drunk person has blurred consciousness, shortness of breath or other serious symptoms, he/she should be sent to the hospital immediately for treatment. Time is life, so do not delay treatment. When sending the drunk person to the hospital, keep the airway open to prevent vomitus from blocking the airway.

5. Eat something before drinking

Before drinking, we can eat some food, such as bread, milk, fruit, etc. This can form a protective film on the surface of the gastric mucosa, reducing the stimulation of alcohol on the gastric mucosa. At the same time, food can also delay the absorption of alcohol and reduce the harm of alcohol to the body.

6. Drink plenty of water

When drinking, we should drink more water. Water can dilute the alcohol concentration in the blood and promote the excretion of alcohol. At the same time, drinking more water can also prevent dehydration and reduce the damage of alcohol to the body.

Drinking is part of social activities, but health is the most important thing. We should always be vigilant about the health risks of improper drinking, especially during holiday gatherings. By controlling the amount of alcohol, avoiding mixed drinks, paying attention to physical reactions and seeking medical treatment in time, we can better enjoy social activities while protecting our health.