Year-end parties could hurt joints for middle-aged men
By Song Sang-ho
The time for year-end celebrations has arrived yet again. The recent trend has been for companies to organize unique events to celebrate the end of the year such as going to the movies or musicals, inviting family members for a celebration, and hosting cook-offs. Even so, “drinking” still seems to be the main event at the end of the year.
Moderate consumption of alcohol offers health benefits, promoting the immune system and blood circulation. However, problems start to arise when people drink too much, and excess alcohol intake is quite frequent during year-end celebrations.
Excess alcohol intake has an impact on the joints. For instance, it can lead to “avascular necrosis of the femoral head,” a condition where the hip bone, which allows us to walk, dies and starts to rot.
This occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to the femoral head, situated at the uppermost part of the hip bone, is inhibited. If this condition is not treated properly, perforation will start to occur in the bone and it will eventually collapse.
Accordingly, the length of the legs will differ and the patient affected will begin limping.
Other symptoms include pain in the hip and thigh area, and severe pain may be experienced when a person sits with their legs open or crossed. The incidence of avascular necrosis of the femoral head is three times higher for men compared to women, and it occurs most frequently among people in their 30s to 50s.
Most people, however, tend to miss the appropriate time for treatment as they are unfamiliar with the “hip joint” and the area of pain is not exactly known.
When they visit the hospital due to the unbearable pain, it is usually the case that the condition is in its third or fourth phase and substantial damage has already been caused.
Thus, middle-aged men, who drink regularly, should suspect hip diseases when they feel severe pain while sitting with their legs crossed or when they begin limping.
The type of treatment suggested to patients depends on the degree of damage. In the early stages, drug therapy or multiple drilling of the femoral head for improved blood flow is performed.
The latter type of treatment involves drilling holes in the bone to trigger the formation of a new bone.
However, if the symptoms continue or are too severe, artificial joint replacement must be performed. Artificial joint replacement is a type of surgery in which the cartilage of the joint that has become worn and damaged due to arthritis is removed and replaced by an artificial joint.
Avascular necrosis of the femoral head and gouty arthritis commonly occurs among middle-aged men and is mainly caused by excessive drinking. Men in their 40s and 50s are in their prime when it comes to their career, and suffering from these conditions will make it difficult to pursue their career goals.
Prevent these health problems from occurring in advance by enjoying the year-end celebrations without drinking too much.