Drinking and Healthy Aging: Know Your Limits

We’ll send you resources to support independence, health, and economic security. You can check our monthly calendar to find events and upcoming events and class schedules. The effect alcohol and aging alcohol can have on breathing in older adults taking opioids is stark.

• Antihistamines, often used for allergies or cold symptoms, can also enhance the sedative effects of alcohol, posing risks of excessive drowsiness and cognitive impairment.
• Moreover, alcohol tolerance is not solely determined by the amount of alcohol consumed but also by how frequently and consistently it is consumed.
• Some people—including those who are elderly—may get wobbly after one alcoholic beverage, while others need a few drinks to feel any impact.
• Some evidence even suggests that older drinkers are less aware of these effects, even as they are experiencing them.

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Older adults also are more likely to have hearing and vision problems and slower reaction times. This puts them at higher risk for falls, fractures, and automobile accidents tied to drinking. Maintaining a healthy weight is key to preventing most of the chronic diseases that become more common as you age. This, of course, becomes more challenging after age 50 as your metabolism starts to slow down.

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Your balance might not be as good, and your response time may not be as quick. Perhaps you have more aches and pains than you did last year. This information is provided for educational purposes only. It is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns. Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.

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These interactions could cause the medications to not work properly or make them dangerous or even deadly. If any of these signs sound familiar, you might feel a sense of despair. Perhaps you fear that this pattern of behavior will degrade the quality of your physical and mental health as well as your social life. Rest assured that there are steps you can take to regain control, deal with challenges in healthier ways, and get the most out of life as you age. The following tips can help you to quit drinking or cut down to healthier Substance abuse levels. You might have a few drinks in hopes of forgetting your troubles.

If you have beer in the fridge or wine in the dining room, it’s too easy to reach for a drink at the end of a stressful day. The more time and difficulty you have to acquire the alcohol, the less likely you are to drink. If you have a habit of drinking every day, this might be a good way to reduce your alcohol usage.

• Depressive symptoms like insomnia, mood swings, and anxiety can mimic those of alcoholism.
• This combined with the alterations in metabolism and body composition underscores the intricate relationship between aging and alcohol tolerance.
• Although it’s convenient and often cheaper than going to a bar, avoid storing alcohol in your home.
• While drinking may help some people fall asleep, it ultimately leads to a less restful night’s sleep, which can be debilitating when combined with other menopause symptoms.

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These might include wanting to improve your health or sleep better. Other reasons may be to improve relationships and to stay independent. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Long-term health risks of drinking

In this article, we will explore the phenomenon of alcohol tolerance and the reasons behind its diminishment as we get older, specifically focusing on individuals over the age of 60. While an occasional drink is fine, consuming more than what is considered a moderate amount of alcohol has been shown to have a significant effect on hormonal levels, particularly testosterone. “Older adults have higher rates of chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and combining that with alcohol increases risk for different problems related to those conditions,” Kelly says. “That can include cognitive effects, sedative effects — like how you get sleepy with alcohol — effects on balance and coordination, raising your risk for falls,” Koncilja adds.

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Along with these, ask about various nonalcoholic brands of spirits, beers, and wines. Receive free access to exclusive content, a personalized homepage based on your interests, and a weekly newsletter with the topics of your choice. Elevated suicide risk is also a concern for those mixing antidepressants with alcohol, because alcohol may diminish the effect of antidepressants and make people more prone to act impulsively. As you age and your metabolism decreases, eating like you used to as a teenager or young adult can lead to weight gain. Receive free access https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to exclusive content, a personalized homepage based on your interests, and a weekly newsletter with topics of your choice.