How dangerous is it for older people to drink alcohol?

Surely everyone knows the unpredictable effects of alcohol on human health. Especially the elderly drink alcohol will affect both physical health and mental health. So how dangerous is it for older people to drink alcohol?

Increased risk of cancer: There are many studies that have proven that the elderly who drink alcohol have an increased risk of diseases: oral cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, bowel cancer, and cancer. breasts ... taller than non-drinkers. When alcohol enters the body, it converts into ethanol. When this substance is broken down in the liver, a toxic substance called acetaldehyde is produced. Acetaldehyde damages the DNA of cells, making them more likely to become cancerous. Especially for the elderly, drinking alcohol will weaken the resistance, the more alcohol is consumed, the faster the disease progresses and more difficult to treat. Liver failure: The elderly who drink alcohol continuously can cause liver damage. If you drink for a long time, you will have fatty liver. Among them, some will have cirrhosis, hepatitis ... many cases lead to death. Pneumonia: Many older alcoholics are more susceptible to pneumonia because they are often malnourished. Not to mention the older you get, the more your health declines, but alcohol weakens your immune system, making you more susceptible to lung-related diseases. Skin problems: As the body ages, the skin and hair become rough and unsightly. Drinking alcohol for a long time will cause the body, including the skin, to easily lose water, direct and long-term effects on the skin and hair: dry skin, fragile hair, breakage, pale skin, lack vitality due to lack of vitamins. .. High blood pressure and heart disease: Older adults are more prone to heart disease and high blood pressure. Drinking alcohol increases this disease in the elderly because alcohol is a direct poison to the heart muscle. It can cause myocardial death and the formation of fibrous tissue to replace heart muscle cells that cannot contract well. It leads to shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, leg swelling and eventually heart failure. Drinking alcohol can also increase your risk of high blood pressure, as hardening of the arteries leads to increased pressure in the arteries and veins. In addition, alcohol can also trigger the release of certain stress hormones that cause vasoconstriction. High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for heart failure and stroke. Kidney disease: Regular heavy drinking can double the risk of kidney disease, especially in the elderly. Pancreatitis: The pancreas is both an endocrine gland and an exocrine gland, secreting digestive enzymes into the small intestine to metabolize food. But alcohol disrupts this process, causing digestive juices to be secreted into the pancreas. Acetaldehyde produced by the enzymes that digest and metabolize alcohol damages the pancreas, causing inflammation of the pancreas. Patients can develop acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis, leading to diabetes and death. Osteoporosis: Alcohol makes bones thinner and easier to break. Alcohol is one of the main factors a doctor must consider when assessing a person's risk of fracture. People who drink alcohol are also prone to malnutrition, which can lead to weak and fragile bones.

Drinking alcohol not only causes physiological health diseases to parts of the body but also especially affects mental health. Especially for the elderly, alcoholism will harm the nervous system
Anxiety: This can be due to the elderly using alcohol as a pain reliever, numbing pain in the body or difficulties in life. When you begin to reduce your alcohol intake, there will be feelings of anxiety and discomfort. So they will want to drink more to feel better. Depression: Elderly people who already eat poorly and move around feel less hungry, have trouble sleeping, and get tired easily. They begin to lose interest in the things they used to enjoy, slow down when reading or watching TV and become pessimistic about their future, negatively thinking that life is no longer worth it. Hallucinations: This is not very common but it can happen to older people who have been addicted to alcohol for a long time. They began to hear vague sounds, like the sound of leaves, which gradually became clear. These sounds can be annoying and often distracting. Confusion: If your grandparents just drank without eating, a lack of thiamine (an important vitamin) could leave them feeling confused and wobbly. Left untreated, the elderly's short-term memory can become permanently impaired - this is known as the Korsakoff symptom. Memory decline: As people get older, their memory shows signs of decline. For the elderly who drink alcohol, the memory will be worse. They won't be able to absorb new information, or even remember if they've eaten. With the harmful effects that alcohol brings to health, it is best for older people to minimize this habit and instead maintain a healthy, scientific lifestyle for good physical and mental health.