Alcohol and Aging

Alcohol abuse is a much bigger problem in older adults than many people realize. As you get older you may continue to drink heavily because you think alcohol does not affect you. You may also drink as a way to deal with grief over significant losses in your life. However, you may be destroying your health by overuse or abuse of alcohol.

What physical problems can alcohol cause?

Alcohol can have many bad effects on the body. Abuse of alcohol may cause or contribute to:

• more acid in your stomach, which can damage your stomach lining and cause problems such as gastritis (inflammation of the lining of the stomach) or ulcers (a raw area or sore in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract)
• gout, which is a buildup of uric acid that can cause painful inflammation in your joints
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• low blood sugar levels if you have diabetes and are taking insulin or diabetes pills
• higher risk of cancer of the pancreas, mouth, tongue, throat, esophagus, and liver
• other liver problems, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis
• heart failure, which means the heart is not pumping blood as well as it should
• interactions with medicines
• sleep problems, such as not getting enough deep sleep or having trouble staying asleep
• loss of protein, minerals, and vitamins, especially thiamine (vitamin B-1) and other B-complex vitamins
• pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• strokes
• worsening of most other medical problems such as heart disease, kidney disease, and circulation problems.

You may have more problems keeping your balance while walking or standing as you get older and alcohol can make the problems worse. Falls and other injuries are more common with alcohol use.

How much is too much?

Alcohol may start causing health problems if you are 65 or over and have more than 1 beer or 1 drink containing more than 1 ounce of alcohol per day. It is dangerous to drink any alcohol with some medicines. Make sure you ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to drink alcohol with the medicines you are taking.

Why should older adults cut back on alcohol?

• Alcohol has a stronger effect in older people than it does in younger people.
• Reaction time slows down with age, and alcohol slows it even more.
• Confusion can occur from drinking too much.
• You may ignore important physical signs, such as pain, when you are drinking.
• You may get more irritable and inclined to express your opinions rudely or forcefully, which drives away friends and damages your relationships. Alcohol can isolate you socially.

If you take a lot of acetaminophen (Tylenol), drinking alcohol is more likely to damage your liver. Never take more than 8 of the extra-strength tablets, caplets, or capsules in a 24-hour period. If you are drinking, ask your healthcare provider about how many is safe for you.

If I think I have a drinking problem, where can I get help?

If you are thinking about talking to someone about your drinking, don't hesitate. Get help and support from family, friends, or your healthcare providers. In many places, you can call a counseling hotline or crisis line for help, too. Talk to someone at your local senior center about how to get help. Local chapters of Alcoholics Anonymous and other community agencies will talk with you about quitting or cutting back, too.

If an older person you care about has a drinking problem, do the same thing that you would do for someone younger. Yelp someone you know, too.

For more information about Alcoholics Anonymous, you can visit their Web site at http://www.aa.org , or call 1-212-870-3400.