Drinking is part of Australia’s culture for better or worse, but should we cut down drinking as we age?
A report out this week claiming there is no safe level of alcohol consumption got plenty of media attention, but less well known is that drinking alcohol when you are older can escalate many existing problems and even create new ones.
Here’s our guide to how alcohol can affect older Australians.
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Dehydration
There’s that old joke, why am I still thirsty when I drank so much last night?
Everyone knows alcohol is dehydrating. As humans rely on moisture to live, even a temporary dehydration will affect your health.
And, according to WebMD, as you age you have less water in your body and – for reasons that aren’t quite clear – you feel thirsty less often.
Even more reason to make sure you drink plenty of water if you are drinking or drink less.
Dehydration will also accelerate the ageing of your skin. There is a process called intrinsic ageing that is highly influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors such as drinking alcohol. Drink less and you will slow that process down.
It damages vital organs
We tend to be a little bit ‘out of sight, out of mind’ to the damage alcohol does to our internal organs, but the impairment is happening nonetheless.
The two organs that work hardest to cleanse the body of alcohol – your kidneys and liver – will be affected, even for moderate drinkers.
Too much alcohol can lead to an abnormal heartbeat and high blood pressure and then, of course, there is the brain. That old saying ‘it’s going straight to my head’ is true.
Consistently heavy drinking can shrink brain cells and may eventually lead to an alcohol-related brain injury. Symptoms include lack of judgement, organisation and emotional control and even dementia.
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It can weaken your immune system
If the past three years have shown us anything, it’s that we need our immune systems to be pumping.
Alcohol can affect the way your body fights infections, which can be especially serious for older people.
WebMD also reports that researchers are studying the possibility that alcoholic liver disease might be caused, at least in part, by the immune system attacking healthy body tissue.
It’s complicated
Alcohol can make common medical problems worse, or even add another complication to an otherwise relatively straight forward diagnosis.
Studies show that heavy drinkers have a harder time with problems such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, ulcers, cancer, memory loss, and certain mood disorders.
Bitter pill
It’s a rare person who is not on some sort of medication by 60. Adding alcohol to your system will very often affect the way your medication works and can lead to unwanted side-effects.
Perhaps the most well known is mixing painkillers with alcohol, which can lead to serious impairment or can even be life-threatening.
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Trip hazard
Tripping or falling after drinking alcohol is a problem at every age, but it’s obviously more serious for older people.
One serious fall can trigger a cascade of health problems, sometimes even ending in hospitalisation.
Alcohol also damages the cerebellum, the area of your brain responsible for balance and coordination, making a fall more likely in the first place.
Deep sleep
Alcohol has a reputation for encouraging sleep, but the opposite is true.
While you may initially get to sleep easily, your sleep will be restless and quite often interrupted. And without a good night’s sleep, the ageing process will escalate, which can be particularly hard on older people who often already suffer from sleep problems.
What concerns you about alcohol use in Australia? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Health disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues and is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.
