Does Aging Change How Your Body Deals With Alcohol?

As we age, there’s no denying that bodies change. You likely know how one drink affects your body, but now that you’re getting older, it feels a little different. You may know that you are okay to drive after one drink, but as you age, it seems to affect you a little more.

As you age, your body’s ability to process alcohol alters and other factors arise that change how you deal with drinking.

Blood Alcohol Concentration

With age, your body holds muscle and fat differently. Fatty tissue often replaces muscle and changes the way that your body processes alcohol. Your body also doesn’t hold as much water. Because of this, you will likely have a higher blood alcohol concentration with fewer drinks.

Liver Processing

Alcohol will also stay in your liver and take a longer time to process before moving into your blood. This can lead to increased damage to your liver.

Coordination and Reflexes

Your coordination and reflexes change and get slower as you age. Alcohol can increase balance problems and slow reaction times, which can be especially dangerous during driving.

Medications

With the need for more daily and prescription medications, you may be at a higher risk for a bad interaction with alcohol. You should always know how your medications may react with drinking and the possible side effects that could affect your ability to drive safely.

As you get older, you should remember to pay attention to how your body reacts to drinking. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any issues you may be experiencing. It’s best to consult a professional to make sure driving is safe. Without paying close attention, you could easily drive when it’s not safe to do so and be charged with a DUI.

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