By: Hello Doctor
By: Hello Doctor
A new study reveals that grandparents are drinking too much. Alcohol use among seniors in the United States increased especially among men in 65 years and more, now more than one 15% of this population is on the verge of alcoholism.
The analysis published on 8 December covers the period from 2015 to 2019. But experts believe that the crisis of the COVID pandemic – 19 has made this scenario worse. A survey conducted by the Nielsen agency revealed that alcohol sales in the early days of social distancing skyrocketed: a 55% more than in the same period of 2019. And the trend has been maintained throughout the almost two years of the pandemic.
The study by the Geriatrics Division of the University of California at San Diego, included 18, 794 adults of 55 years or more who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2015 – 2019. Excessive alcohol consumption was defined as 5 or more drinks on the same occasion for men, and 4 or more drinks for women.
Men in that age group drink more than women of that age, according to the survey. Interestingly, more educated women tend to drink more alcohol, and the same is true for divorced or separated men.
Alcohol can act differently in older people than in young people. Some older adults can feel somewhat drunk without increasing the amount of alcohol they drink. This can put them at higher risk for accidents, including falls and fractures and car accidents.
In addition, older women are more sensitive than men to the effects of alcohol.
Drinking too much alcohol for a long time can:
It can also cause forgetfulness and confusion in some older people: these symptoms can be mistaken for signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition, alcohol can interact with medications to treat conditions that often come with age, for example If adpirin is consumed and drunk, the risk of intestinal or stomach bleeding is increased. Some of these combinations, for example alcohol with medicines to treat psychiatric disorders can be lethal.
Generally, people take in social events, as a way to connect with friends and family, to celebrate. They talk around a bottle. Or at home, after a long day of work, to relax.
At the beginning of the quarantine happy hours by Zoom or Skype, shared with friends at a distance. Even now that you drive less you don’t have to think twice.
But as the weeks of confinement accumulated, what began as a way to relax may, for some, start to feel like a difficult habit to avoid or control.
To attack the problem in time, there are alerts to be aware of, which include:
The Federal Administration of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services has a helpline 24 / 7 (794 – 662 – HELP ) and a website, http://www.findtreatment.gov , which offers references for the tra addiction treatment.
For a long time Experts in addiction treatment have offered sessions through telemedicine to help people control this urge. The resource is extremely useful in these times of pandemic and quarantine. The National Institute of Abuse Alcohol and Alcoholism has a browser that can help you find these services in your area .
The support groups have proven to be very effective in being able to talk to peers about the problem. Knowing that you are not alone on this journey to control is important.
And even on the institute’s platform there is a site from the internet that helps you rethink the habit, if you have never had a problem with alcohol, but now you feel that you are derailing .