Is it okay for the elderly to drink alcohol? is there a safe rule?

Liquor is synonymous with the lifestyle of young people. But if you are old, can you still drink alcohol? It's a shame to abandon your favorite liquor from when you were young. After all, booze and alcohol have been shown to provide health benefits - if drunk in moderation.

Is it okay for the elderly to drink alcohol?

Basically, anyone can drink liquor to be able to enjoy its benefits. Yes, it is okay for the elderly to drink alcohol. What needs to be understood, the body continues to change with age. Aging naturally causes the body's ability to break down alcohol drastically decreases. In comparison, it is common for the liver to process 30 ml of liquor in one hour.

The longer the alcohol stays in the body, the more damage it does. Even the smallest amount of alcohol can have serious consequences. As a result, alcohol consumption during old age can lead to short-term and long-term side effects.

The effects of alcohol on the bodies of young people and the elderly can take different forms. Due to this aging, some parents can quickly feel drunk without increasing the amount of alcohol they drink. For example, when you were young you could have downed three to four large beers without feeling drunk. But at the age of 65 and over, maybe you are already getting drunk even though you've only finished half a glass.

The health risks of the elderly drinking alcohol are greater than that of young people

Drinking alcohol slows down reaction times and body coordination, and interferes with eye movement and information processing. Young people who drink even small amounts of alcohol are already at greater risk of traffic accidents. The risk of car accidents due to the influence of alcohol will also increase with age. Older drivers tend to be more prone to getting seriously injured in accidents than younger people. Even without alcohol, your risk of crashing in a car generally increases from age 55.

In older adults, too much alcohol can exacerbate balance problems and increase the risk of falls, which can lead to hip or arm fractures and other injuries. Older people have thinner bones than younger people, so their bones can break more easily. Well, alcohol consumption can add to this age-related risk. Studies show that the rate of hip fractures in older adults increases with alcohol use.

One of the biggest health risks among seniors is mixing drugs and alcohol. Older adults usually use certain drugs to treat the disease, both prescription and over-the-counter. Some drugs can have a negative impact when mixed with alcohol. For example, pain relievers can cause stomach ulcers, heart palpitations, bleeding, convulsions, shortness of breath, and loss of motor function when taken after or with alcohol. Heart disease medications can cause drastic changes in blood pressure, headaches, palpitations, or even loss of consciousness or fainting.

In addition, excessive alcohol consumption in old age can further aggravate chronic diseases that may have been suffering for a long time. Older people drinking alcohol excessively in the long term can increase the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Alcohol also makes some medical problems difficult to find and treat for doctors. For example, alcohol causes changes to the heart and blood vessels. These changes can dull the pain that may be a warning sign of a heart attack.

How can the elderly continue to drink alcohol?

It's okay for the elderly to drink alcohol. But there are many things you need to pay attention to before pouring your favorite liquor. According to a number of studies and health agencies around the world, preferably adult men and women. did not consume more than fourteen units of alcohol of the week. However, these fourteen units should not be taken at one time in one day. Give yourself a break of two to three days during which you don't consume alcohol at all.

One unit of alcohol alone is roughly equivalent to the following measurements.

• 240 - 280 ml (one glass of star fruit or half a large glass) of beer with an alcohol content of 3-4 percent.
• 50 ml wine or sake with an alcohol content of 12-20 percent.
• 25 ml of liquor such as whiskey, Scotch, gin, vodka, and tequila with a 40 percent alcohol content.

Remember, each product contains a different alcohol content. Always pay attention and calculate the alcohol content that you will order. The reason is, two large glasses of beer are equivalent to drinking four units of alcohol a day.

Also keep in mind, the rules for safe drinking alcohol above are a guide for healthy adults. You need to consider your body condition and the risk of disease you may have before drinking alcohol. We recommend that you first discuss this decision with your doctor.

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