Introduction
Vomiting after the consumption of large quantities of alcohol is to be understood as a defence function of the body in the context of alcohol poisoning, or more precisely, vomiting represents a protective reflex against the body poison ethanol. In most cases, this phenomenon occurs from a blood alcohol level of 2 – 2.5 per thousand. Once the individual nausea threshold is exceeded, the alcohol that is still in the stomach is usually vomited.
For the person affected, there is usually a subjective feeling of improvement, but the alcohol has already been absorbed and the vomiting does not change the blood alcohol level. In such cases it is important to continue to monitor the person after vomiting and, if necessary, to put him/her in a stable lateral position, as other protective reflexes may already fail at this stage and vomit may therefore enter the lungs. This is known as aspiration in the medical terminology. In the worst case this can lead to suffocation. In addition, in the ideal case, care should be taken that the person is sufficiently hydrated, preferably by drinking water.
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Vomiting when drinking alcohol is an expression of incipient alcohol poisoning. In the first stage, alcohol initially has a disinhibitory effect and increases the talkativeness. At the same time, however, motor deficits, such as a disturbed balance, a prolonged reaction time or unclear speech, occur.
From a blood alcohol concentration of 2.0 to 2.5 per thousand, the so-called hypnotic stage begins. In this stage, the already existing motor deficits worsen and vomiting now also occurs as an expression of advanced alcohol poisoning. The body triggers vomiting when alcohol is consumed as a protective reflex against the harmful ethanol, in order not to burden the body further and to get rid of the toxin. However, the effects of alcohol on the body vary from person to person and depend on body stature and weight, genetic predisposition and habituation. This topic may also be of interest to you: Alcohol intolerance