"Yr 10 HPE Alcohol & Other Drugs Practice Test 2026 – Your Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!"

Overdose signs are about urgent, life-threatening changes in the body's vital functions, especially breathing and brain function. When someone has overdosed, you more commonly see problems like trouble breathing or not breathing at all, feeling extremely unwell with vomiting, and sudden dizziness or a loss of balance that indicates the nervous system is severely affected. These are red flags that require immediate help.

Headache, while uncomfortable, is not a reliable or specific indicator of an overdose. It can come from many everyday causes ( dehydration, tension, sleep issues) and doesn’t by itself show that the body’s systems are being overwhelmed by a drug in the same urgent way as breathing problems or unconsciousness do. So, among the given options, headache is not considered a sign that points to an overdose needing immediate intervention.

If you suspect an overdose, you should call emergency services right away and follow basic safety steps—monitor the person’s breathing, try to keep them awake and responsive if possible, and be prepared to provide life-saving help. If you are trained and naloxone is available for suspected opioid overdose, administer it according to guidelines.