Wine has always played an integral role at the holiday table. However, it’s a bummer to have to say that whether it’s a sip or a drink, the World Heart Federation says that any alcohol consumption is bad for your health.
Recent studies have found that the effects of alcohol on human health become more pronounced as we age. Chronic alcohol abuse can cause damage to the liver and brain and leave visible signs on the skin. Even light and moderate drinkers face the emotional consequences of alcohol and greater health risks as they age. Today, the U.S. News & World Report website summarizes how alcohol affects the body and makes it aging.
Alcohol tolerance gradually decreases
Tolerance to alcohol decreases over time, due to changes in body composition. As people age, hormonal changes, such as a decrease in some of the hormones associated with metabolism, increase sensitivity to alcohol.
For people who are older, even if their weight remains stable, their ratio of fat relative to muscle increases. So, even after drinking as much alcohol as before, blood alcohol levels will be higher because fat absorbs less alcohol from the blood compared to muscle. Reaction time and exercise capacity also slow down with age, and drinking alcohol can further reduce these capacities.
Borrowing alcohol makes you feel worse
There is no denying that drinking alcohol can reduce some negative emotions in the short term. However, in the long run, anxiety can be exacerbated in drinkers, especially with habitual drinking.
A University of Michigan survey found that older adults who drank alcohol during the new crown epidemic to cope with negative emotions such as anxiety were more likely to report an increase in their alcohol consumption. Using alcohol as a coping mechanism can be counterproductive.
In addition, older adults often experience deep grief when they lose a loved one, and it can be tempting for them to defuse their grief by drinking alcohol. Depression is already common among older adults and it can be worsened by alcohol consumption.
Impairs decision making ability
Drinking can lead to errors in judgment, and examples abound of alcohol use leading to errors in decision-making. The effects of alcohol on decision-making skills are exacerbated with age, causing drinkers to take risks, such as drunk driving or making unrealistic investment decisions.
Accelerated Skin Aging
Alcohol consumption accelerates the aging process of the skin. Alcohol dehydrates the entire body, including the skin. Both dehydration and tissue inflammation can have an impact on skin health. Wrinkles, puffiness, dryness, redness of the cheeks and capillaries turning purple …… Alcohol abuse can make a person look older.
In addition, jaundice (i.e., when the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow) can be a sign of alcoholic liver disease.
Stressing the liver
Alcohol abuse is a risk factor for liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Even moderate alcohol consumption can affect liver function. An aging liver can’t break down or metabolize alcohol quickly, which causes it to stay in the body’s system longer.
Making existing diseases worse
Chronic diseases that develop as we age can be complicated by alcohol consumption. According to the American Diabetes Association, dangerous hypoglycemia occurs within 24 hours of drinking alcohol, which interferes with the efforts of diabetics to eat a healthy diet. Alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure in the short term, while repeated alcohol abuse can lead to high blood pressure. Alcohol abuse also increases the risk of developing ulcers and prevents existing ulcers from healing.
Reactions with medications
Older adults may take multiple medications, so it’s important to understand how alcohol interferes with prescription and over-the-counter medications. Mixing alcohol and medications either reduces or enhances the intended effect of the medication. In addition, some medications already contain alcohol.
Liver function declines with age, reducing the body’s ability to break down and remove medications. Alcohol consumption can also affect the liver and increase the risk of side effects from medications.
Alcohol interacts with medications taken by older adults in a variety of ways. Medications for blood pressure, depression and pain are inherently sedating, and when combined with alcohol, they create a synergistic or multiplying effect. This increased sedative effect makes older adults more fatigued, increasing their risk of falls and driving accidents.
Reduced brain volume
Alcohol abuse and a history of alcoholism can increase the risk of dementia. Chronic heavy drinking accelerates brain shrinkage, and loss of brain volume is a key factor in memory and cognitive decline, especially for older adults. Alcoholic dementia can occur after years of excessive alcohol consumption, a condition that causes confusion, anxiety and lack of muscle coordination.
Disturbed sleep
Some people believe that moderate alcohol consumption helps them sleep, but the opposite is actually true. Many older adults have habits (such as frequent napping during the day, little exercise, and little time outdoors) that can interfere with the sleep cycle. Drinking alcohol can exacerbate insomnia by preventing older adults from falling or staying asleep.
Causes dehydration in the body
Alcohol is a diuretic, which is why drinking alcohol can cause increased urination. Therefore, you need to drink more water to replace the lost fluids. The problem is that the body’s ability to sense thirst and conserve water decreases each year, making it more susceptible to the risk of dehydration. As we age, the body’s ability to respond to changes in weather diminishes. Signs of dehydration in older adults include confusion, incoherent speech, constipation and falls.
Increased risk of falls
Intoxication increases the risk of accidents, including falls, broken bones and car accidents. Balance and stability pose a greater challenge as we age. Older adults are more likely to fall and have more serious injuries, such as a broken hip, and longer recovery periods as a result of alcohol consumption. Alcohol also slows brain activity, and alertness, coordination and judgment all decrease with increased alcohol consumption.
Developing alcohol dependence
The more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to become dependent. In the long run, this can lead to more anxiety, depression and stress due to the various changes that occur in the brain. As alcohol dependence increases, people become extremely anxious when they drink. They drink so much that they lose control of their anxiety. When they don’t drink, they are in a state of overstimulation, which manifests itself in increased mental tension and sweating.
Experiencing withdrawal reactions
Long-time drinkers who suddenly stop drinking can have a withdrawal reaction (similar to an addiction episode) that manifests as euphoria, insomnia, and even seizures. The older you are, the higher the risk of withdrawal reactions.
Not good for the heart
The American Heart Association website states that although some studies suggest that a chemical in red wine (resveratrol) may have a protective effect on the heart, a causal relationship between alcohol consumption and heart health has not been established. Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of heart arrhythmias and high blood pressure. If you don’t drink alcohol, it’s not worth starting to drink just for the potential and unproven benefits.
Increased risk of cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol consumption is increasingly associated with certain types of cancer – including oral, laryngeal, esophageal, liver, colon and breast cancers – accounting for 4 percent of all cancer deaths. To reduce your risk of cancer, it’s best not to drink alcohol.
Dominate social life
Retirement allows more social time, and a social life is often inseparable from alcohol consumption. Engaging in outdoor activities, hobbies, book clubs and other interests are actually better choices, and in addition, drinking alcohol is a significant expense. Switching to non-alcoholic beverages will save you money and make you feel better.
