3

4

king habits

 she or he

and Aging

own that

come

hol’s

, the

ol can

n an

someone

ons, such

e, ulcers,

sen with

rescription,

erbal rem

rous or even

th alcohol.

for older

erage person

ast two

u take any

octor or

safely drink

e examples:

bleed

h and

(antihistamines) oftenmake people sleepy; whencombined with alcohol thisdrowsiness can be worse.

■ Alcohol used with large

doses of the pain killeracetaminophen can raisethe risk of liver damage.

■ Some medicine, such as cough

syrups and laxatives, have ahigh alcohol content.

Effects of AlcoholEven drinking a small amountof alcohol can impair judgment,coordination, and reaction time.It can increase the risk of work andhousehold accidents, including fallsand hip fractures. It also adds to therisk of car crashes.

Heavy drinking over time also

can cause certain cancers, livercirrhosis, immune system disorders,and brain damage.

Alcohol can make some medical

concerns hard for doctors to findand treat. For example, alcoholcauses changes in the heart andblood vessels. These changes candull pain that might be a warning

These symptomscould be mistakenfor signs of Alzheimer’sdisease. For people withdiabetes, drinking affectsblood sugar levels.

People who abuse alcohol also

may be putting themselves at risk forserious conflicts with family, friends,

and coworkers. The more heavilythey drink, the greater the chancefor trouble at home, at work, withfriends, and even with strangers.

How to Know if SomeoneHas a Drinking ProblemThere are two patterns of drinking:early and late onset. Some people havebeen heavy drinkers for many years.But, as with great Uncle George, overtime the same amount of liquor packsa more powerful punch. Other people,like Grandma Betty, develop a drinking problem later in life. Sometimesthis is due to major life changes likeshifts in employment, failing health,or the death of friends or loved ones.Often these life changes can bringloneliness, boredom, anxiety, anddepression. In fact, depression in
3

4

king habits

 she or he

and Aging

own that

come

hol’s

, the

ol can

n an

someone

ons, such

e, ulcers,

sen with

rescription,

erbal rem

rous or even

th alcohol.

for older

erage person

ast two

u take any

octor or

safely drink

e examples:

bleed

h and

(antihistamines) oftenmake people sleepy; whencombined with alcohol thisdrowsiness can be worse.

■ Alcohol used with large

doses of the pain killeracetaminophen can raisethe risk of liver damage.

■ Some medicine, such as cough

syrups and laxatives, have ahigh alcohol content.

Effects of AlcoholEven drinking a small amountof alcohol can impair judgment,coordination, and reaction time.It can increase the risk of work andhousehold accidents, including fallsand hip fractures. It also adds to therisk of car crashes.

Heavy drinking over time also

can cause certain cancers, livercirrhosis, immune system disorders,and brain damage.

Alcohol can make some medical

concerns hard for doctors to findand treat. For example, alcoholcauses changes in the heart andblood vessels. These changes candull pain that might be a warning

These symptomscould be mistakenfor signs of Alzheimer’sdisease. For people withdiabetes, drinking affectsblood sugar levels.

People who abuse alcohol also

may be putting themselves at risk forserious conflicts with family, friends,

and coworkers. The more heavilythey drink, the greater the chancefor trouble at home, at work, withfriends, and even with strangers.

How to Know if SomeoneHas a Drinking ProblemThere are two patterns of drinking:early and late onset. Some people havebeen heavy drinkers for many years.But, as with great Uncle George, overtime the same amount of liquor packsa more powerful punch. Other people,like Grandma Betty, develop a drinking problem later in life. Sometimesthis is due to major life changes likeshifts in employment, failing health,or the death of friends or loved ones.Often these life changes can bringloneliness, boredom, anxiety, anddepression. In fact, depression in
7

8

U.S. Department of Health andHuman ServicesPublic Health ServiceNational Institutes of HealthSeptember, 2002Reprinted September 2005

alcohol

to your

 you advice

ng, and

ocal health

ces agencies

of treatments

2-step help

und a long

ng alcohol

ation);

ines to help

ng once you

dual and/or

programs

g problems

or feelings

as well as

ol. Because

mbers is im

also counsel

ly members

rocess. Pro

iduals with

ources.

tudy alco

d to look for

sm.

g

g

website is www.nia.nih.gov.Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the NationalInstitute on Aging and the NationalLibrary of Medicine. This simple-touse website features popular healthtopics for older adults. It has largetype and a ‘talking’ function that For More Information reads the text out loud.

National Institute on AlcoholAbuse and Alcoholism(NIAAA)5635 Fishers Lane MSC 9304Bethesda, MD 20892-9304301-443-3860www.niaaa.nih.govFor more information on healthand aging, contact:National Institute on AgingInformation CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)1-800-222-4225 (TTY toll-free)

The National Institute on AlcoholAbuse and Alcoholism, part ofthe National Institutes of Health,recommends that people overage 65 who choose to drink haveno more than one drink a day.Drinking at this level usually isnot associated with health risks.
7

8

U.S. Department of Health andHuman ServicesPublic Health ServiceNational Institutes of HealthSeptember, 2002Reprinted September 2005

alcohol

to your

 you advice

ng, and

ocal health

ces agencies

of treatments

2-step help

und a long

ng alcohol

ation);

ines to help

ng once you

dual and/or

programs

g problems

or feelings

as well as

ol. Because

mbers is im

also counsel

ly members

rocess. Pro

iduals with

ources.

tudy alco

d to look for

sm.

g

g

website is www.nia.nih.gov.Visit NIHSeniorHealth.gov(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the NationalInstitute on Aging and the NationalLibrary of Medicine. This simple-touse website features popular healthtopics for older adults. It has largetype and a ‘talking’ function that For More Information reads the text out loud.

National Institute on AlcoholAbuse and Alcoholism(NIAAA)5635 Fishers Lane MSC 9304Bethesda, MD 20892-9304301-443-3860www.niaaa.nih.govFor more information on healthand aging, contact:National Institute on AgingInformation CenterP.O. Box 8057Gaithersburg, MD 20898-80571-800-222-2225 (toll-free)1-800-222-4225 (TTY toll-free)

The National Institute on AlcoholAbuse and Alcoholism, part ofthe National Institutes of Health,recommends that people overage 65 who choose to drink haveno more than one drink a day.Drinking at this level usually isnot associated with health risks.