Many people enjoy a glass of alcoholic beverage or an alcoholic drink in social gathering or during the weekend in leisure time. Alcohol is a toxin and most people are aware of its effect on the health. Studies have revealed that as you grow older, the effect of alcohol on your body increases remarkably and they are more potent.
The impact of chronic alcoholism can cause premature aging i.e. you look older than your age. The most visible symptom of aging such as skin wrinkling sets in very early in those who drink excess of alcohol above the age of forty.
Effects Of Alcohol On Aging Process
People are aware of alcohol’s effect on the liver, but many of them do not know that alcohol has multifaceted effects; on bones, brain, and several other vital organs of the body. It interferes in absorption of calcium which is extremely essential in old age to prevent osteoporosis. Excess of alcohol during old age furthers the risk of brittle bones and concomitant fractures.
The toxins present in the alcohol dehydrate the skin, which result in early facial wrinkling and deeper lines on the face. Chronic alcoholism with aging makes your skin look drier and chances of eczema and other skin related diseases increases. The aging process accelerates further if the person smokes as well as drinks. In fact cigarette smoking has greater effect on aging than alcohol; both together will further worsen the situation.
Chronic alcoholism increases the secretion of stress hormones, when body is exposed to high level of stress hormones constantly; the effect is acceleration in the aging process.
You also increase your weight with consumption of alcohol for a long duration of time with aging. As you grow older your level of activity decreases and the added calories from drinking alcohol builds up in the form of fat in your body. Most of the fat accumulates around the abdomen giving a beer belly appearance.
Alcoholism Effects On The Brain And Body
Alcoholism can also accelerate premature aging of the brain. Experiments using MRI have shown more brain changes and loss of brain tissue amongst alcoholics than non drinkers. Besides brain tissue loss is more than the younger counterparts who drink same amount of alcohol. This suggests that aging makes a person more vulnerable to alcohol effects.
By the age of 60, most of the elderly individuals take some type of medicines for minor or major illnesses. Interaction of alcohol with this prescription medication can increase the negative health effects and can harm the body. Stomach ulcer, blood vomiting, hypertension, low or high blood sugar are some of its manifestation.
Alcoholism also affects more chances of accidents particularly in elderly individuals. The accidents may be traumatic fracture resulting from a fall while walking or a car accident.
Depression, dementia and other brain related disorders are common amongst aging individual who are prone to drinking habit.
Considering the above facts it is important, not to overlook the effects of alcoholism in aging population. The health care provider should discuss effects of alcohol with medications that he is already taking and how it can turn dangerous. And finally elderly individuals, who are not taking any medications, should be advised to restrict their alcohol limit to one drink per day, if they are not able to abstain it.
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