Tom Earnshaw
Drinking alcohol is something billions of us do on a regular basis, with one in three people on Earth having a tipple when they feel like it. Sometimes, though, we take that a little too far and are left feeling the regret the morning after.
If that's you, don't worry, it's been me too. And trust me when I say things change big time when you are in your thirties compared to your twenties.
Long gone are the university days where you might have been going out three or four times a week. But every once in a while when you do have that big blow out, you aren't half left feeling it.
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Dr. Giuseppe Aragona, GP and Online Doctor for PrescriptionDoctor.com, sat down and explained to Cosmopolitan the major different to your health and body when you drink at the age of 25 and then a decade later at 35.
"Most people would believe that it's okay to drink excessively in your twenties because you are young, and your body is able is able to manage the amount of alcohol in your system," says Dr. Agarona.
"However this is not the case and in actual fact, drinking a large amount in your twenties - also known as binge drinking - can actually pose more risk to your future self."
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The doctor explains that those who drink excessively or 'have larger dependence on alcohol in their early adulthood and twenties' are more likely to suffer from a range of physical issues when they reach their fifties and sixties.
He says: "Your twenties are also a key point in your life when your dependence on alcohol will have a knock-on effect and will likely cement your relationship with alcohol through into your thirties and forties."
As well as future injuries, you could be actively harming your development with it 'still occurring in your body in your late teens and early-to-mid twenties', Dr. Agarona says.
"For example, excessive alcohol consumption can largely increase the chances of developing oral cancers in young people, as well as heart and liver disease," he explains.
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"A large alcohol consumption can also contribute to the development of osteoporosis in young people as the alcohol stops the bones ability to absorb calcium, a vital resource for healthy bones."
And to make the matter more serious, there's a serious risk of reducing fertility and, in worst case scenarios, overdosing.
He explains: "Binge drinking is especially common in young adults and puts them at an increased risk of blood poisoning. The symptoms of alcohol poisoning are similar to that of an extreme hangover; nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness, and so are not recognised as an emergency, and without urgent care alcohol poisoning can lead to seizures and possible death.
"Drinking excessive alcohol in your twenties can also reduce your fertility and cause damage to your reproductive organs. In rare cases ovulation can stop altogether."
It probably comes as little surprise that your hangovers are much worse in your thirties, compared to the decade before, with you potentially being 'knocked out for days' as a result of a binging session.
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There's also an increased chance of a two, or even three, day hangover (which this author would not wish on anybody).
As you get older, your ability to metabolise alcohol declines, this decline is usually found from your late twenties and into your thirties.
"Older people have higher blood alcohol concentration than younger people; this means that as you age you have a lower volume of total body water and slower rates of eliminating alcohol from the body," Dr. Agarona says.
"So essentially, as you reach your thirties, your liver and body’s ability to eliminate alcohol from your system takes longer and in return you may find that your hangovers last longer, and even one night of drinking can leave you knocked out for days."
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Another side effect could be be slower reflexes and your eyesight and hearing not working as they once did. Dr. Agarona explains this could lead to you feeling 'high, dizzy or intoxicated' even if you've only had a few alcoholic beverages.
He says: "Drinking can also affect many medical conditions which are common among older people such as high blood pressure.
"Furthermore, in your thirties you may start to take more medicines and supplements than younger people, and mixing alcohol with prescription drugs can be incredibly dangerous."
Dr. Aragona also explains that your mental health could deteriorate given that alcohol is a depressant, potentially worsening symptoms of anxiety, sleeping disorders, and depression.