Drinking heavily may be the key to staying happy and healthy in later life, a study has found.
Moderate drinkers and nondrinkers report similar rates of sadness, but both groups are slightly less likely than heavy drinkers to experience sadness. Still, while heavy drinkers and nondrinkers report similar levels of positive emotions, heavy drinkers report experiencing more negative emotions than nondrinkers.
The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism advises that people older than age 65 who are healthy and who don't take any medicines have no more than 7 drinks a week. And no more than 1 to 2 drinks on any 1 day.
Drug and alcohol dependency in older ages happens quicker. Men and women who are older tend to be more sensitive to the levels of alcohol that are put into their bodies. That not only cause unintentional injuries but leads to health problems.
Doctors guess that chronic alcohol abuse will lower a person's life expectancy by as many as twelve years. Though many people are aware that alcohol improves the likelihood of liver complications and heart disease, many people do not realize how many other risks alcohol poses.
Conclusion. People hospitalized with alcohol use disorder have an average life expectancy of 47–53 years (men) and 50–58 years (women) and die 24–28 years earlier than people in the general population.
Liver Issues And Alcoholism
An individual diagnosed with liver cirrhosis has an expected life span thereafter of around 12 years [12]. Most alcoholics are diagnosed with liver disease between the age of 30 and 40 [13], giving an expectation of, at best, 52 years of age.
Among NESARC respondents, the percentage that experience onset of alcohol dependence peaks at age 18 years and rapidly declines after age 25 years.
Alcohol is linked to age in lots of ways. You have to be old enough to drink it legally, and once you are, it can age you faster than normal. Heavy drinking can have a direct effect on certain parts of your body and on your mental health as you get older.
Alcohol reduces collagen and elastin production, leaving the skin duller, wrinkled, and aged beyond one's years. Beer, wine, and liquor also increase inflammation and disrupt lipid production. As a result, the skin may look dry and wrinkled, similar to sun damage.
Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses (such as no gag reflex, which prevents choking), and extremely low body temperature. Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Although positive changes may appear earlier, 3 months of not drinking can not only improve your mood, energy, sleep, weight, skin health, immune health, and heart health. It can even reduce your risk of cancer.
If you are an alcoholic and drink 12 beers a day, you will live on average 24-28 years less than average This is around 50 years of life expectancy for men and 55 for women. The international average from the Lancet study on alcohol and risk was estimated to be closer to 40 years of age.
According to Alcohol Change UK, who spearheaded the Dry January challenge, giving up alcohol this month will help you sleep better and have more energy, improve your mental health and concentration, give you brighter skin, help you save money and feel an amazing sense of achievement.
Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems.
Depressive feelings may also intensify during early recovery because alcohol is no longer being used to numb emotions. It's important to note that in the long-term, sobriety can significantly help minimize depression and pave the way for more effective coping skills.
Can You Reverse Alcohol-Related Aging. You might not be able to fully reverse some of the effects of alcohol-related aging naturally. There are some things though that you can do to improve your overall health and well-being to counterbalance many of the effects of alcohol-related aging.
Alcohol dehydrates your body, including the skin – and this happens every time you drink. When you drink, the dehydrating (or 'diuretic') effect of alcohol means your skin loses fluid and nutrients that are vital for healthy-looking skin. This can make your skin look wrinkled, dull and grey, or bloated and puffy.
Dry wrinkled skin
Alcohol causes your body and skin to lose fluid (dehydrate). Dry skin wrinkles more quickly and can look dull and grey. Alcohol's diuretic (water-loss) effect also causes you to lose vitamins and nutrients. For example, vitamin A.
Generally, people drink to either increase positive emotions or decrease negative ones. This results in all drinking motives falling into one of four categories: enhancement (because it's exciting), coping (to forget about my worries), social (to celebrate), and conformity (to fit in).
Australians aged 18-24 years generally consume more standard drinks on a day they drink than any other age group.
Over half of alcohol-related deaths are because of health effects from drinking too much over time. It can lead to things like cancer, liver disease, and heart disease. But drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time can also be deadly.
"Apart from alcohol consumption, several contributory factors, including diet, lifestyle, mental health, viral infection and gender, influence the risk of developing cirrhosis," Dr Seth said. There is evidence that genes influence the development and progression of this disease.