Physical Effects of
Alcohol
Is granddad's
forgetfulness the first signs of Alzheimer's or the effect of heavy
drinking? It can be hard know because heavy prolonged drinking can bring
about confusion and forgetfulness. Alcohol doesn't only effect the
brain it also effects the nervous system, liver, heart, kidneys and stomach.
While these impacts on the body aren't unique to the elderly who consume
alcohol, they may be more of a problem for older people whose bodies are
also experiencing a lifetime of use.
Mixing Drugs
The elderly are more
likely to be on more medications than younger people. This is a fact
of life in an age when medication can prolong life. What needs to be
kept in mind is that alcohol is also a
drug. In fact, it is categorized as a depressant.
Hopefully your
physician is looking out for you when she or he prescribes medication and
makes sure that any new medications you are given don't have negative
effects when taken with other medications you are already on. If your
physician doesn't know you are already "on" alcohol they may prescribe
drugs such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, pain killers, and
antihistamines that can be very dangerous, even fatal when mixed with
alcohol. Even mixing alcohol with over the counter meds can be dangerous. For example, aspirin can
cause bleeding in the stomach and intestines; when aspirin is combined with
alcohol, the risk of bleeding is much higher.
As you grow older,
your
body's ability to absorb and dispose of alcohol and other drugs changes.
Anyone who drinks should check with a doctor or pharmacist about possible
problems with drug and alcohol interactions.
How does an Elderly
Person become a
Problem Drinker?
When it comes to
alcoholism and the elderly, there are two kinds of problem drinking. Chronic
alcohol abusers have been heavy
drinkers for many years. Although many chronic abusers die by middle age
from the effects of late stage alcoholism and other causes, some live well
into old age.
This doesn't mean that
one can't develop an alcohol problem latter in life, in fact, it's quite
common. Often this is an attempt to deal with "situational"
factors. Retirement can impact feelings of self-worth and cause identity
issues. Failing health, loneliness, or
the death of friends or loved ones can cause depression. Drinking can be a
way to numb the pain and seemingly help the problem, unfortunately more
often than not it turns into the problem. It's important to remember
that alcohol is a depressant and so eventually it only makes you feel more
depressed than you were to start with.
Recognizing
Drinking Problems in the Elderly
Not everyone who
drinks regularly is an alcoholic or even has a drinking problem. According
to the National Institute on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services you might want to get help if you:
- Drink to calm
your nerves, forget your worries, or reduce depression
- Lose interest in
food
- Gulp your drinks
down fast
- Lie or try to
hide your drinking habits
- Drink alone on a
regular basis
- Hurt yourself, or
someone else, while drinking
- Were drunk more
than three or four times last year
- Need more alcohol
to get "high"
- Feel irritable,
resentful, or unreasonable when you are not drinking
- Have medical,
social, or financial problems caused by drinking
