‘Often these are women who are not dependent on alcohol, but are in the habit of regularly drinking. They buy wine and other alcohol as part of the weekly shop’
It is sobering for anyone to hear that they have liver damage or cirrhosis which can often show no symptoms until it is fairly advanced. Twenty years ago, this was a disease that affected men in their 50s and 60s. Now, 40 per cent of my patients with cirrhosis are women who are facing serious health challenges. Many are mothers of young children.
“If only I had known” is something they frequently say, when I explain their liver is damaged as a result of their consumption of alcohol. They genuinely had no idea they were drinking alcohol in the quantities that could contribute to serious health issues or even death in their 30s or 40s or older. It is difficult to see young mothers faced with potentially fatal liver damage and a short time to live make arrangements for their children. Often these are women who are not dependent on alcohol, but are in the habit of regularly drinking. They buy wine and other alcohol as part of the weekly shop.
The widescale availability of cheap alcohol has significantly contributed to the fact that we now consume twice as much as we did 50 years ago. Research shows about 80 per cent of Irish adults consume alcohol, and more than half of those are classified as harmful drinkers. About 10 per cent of these drinkers are dependent – and this rises to 15 per cent among 18 to 24 year olds.
We are seeing a doubling in the number of deaths from cirrhosis. Alcohol is also one of the leading causes of cancer, particularly of the breast, in women.
Source: Orla Crosbie, Irish Times, 20/04/15
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