Archive for the ‘Liver’ Category
Posted by fredjoiners on September 8, 2009
There should be a ban on all alcohol advertising, including sports and music sponsorship, doctors say.
The British Medical Association said the crackdown on marketing was needed along with an end to cut-price deals to stop the rising rates of consumption.
The industry spends £800m a year on promoting drinks – just a quarter of which goes on direct advertising.
Doctors said action was needed as alcohol was now one of the leading causes of early death and disability.
Only smoking and high blood pressure is responsible for a greater burden of disease, according to the World Health Organization.
Full story at BBC News
Posted in Doctors, Harm Reduction, Health, Liver, Policy, Research reports, alcohol, alcoholism | Tagged: advertising, British, death, disability, medical, music, Smoking, sports, WHO | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on August 3, 2009
Britain’s National Health Service offering alcoholics ‘potentially lethal’ treatment, say campaigners
UK Advocates threatens legal action against health authorities providing drug-based treatments over rehabilitation
Alcohol dependency affects 1.1 million people in Britain
National Health Service authorities that offer alcoholics controlled drinking treatments relying on medication rather than total abstinence could face legal action from a patients’ organisation.
UK Advocates, a pressure group campaigning for the wider availability of rehabilitation courses for addicts, is preparing to file claims against the Department of Health and local health services.
The charity maintains it has found evidence of thousands of patients with severe alcohol problems being given "psycho-active drugs" while they are still drinking.
The combination, it is alleged, can be "potentially lethal" and is at odds with the manufacturer’s prescription advice and guidelines. "In many cases," UK Advocates claims, "drugs and controlled drinking programmes are administered to sufferers without the doctor or clinicians involved having performed effective liver function tests to establish the extent of liver damage from excessive drinking.
"Treating alcoholics with drugs and on a basis of ‘moderation’ is similar to advising someone with lung cancer to cut down their smoking," says Bob Beckett, founder of UK Advocates.
"Controlled drinking programmes … hark back to the 1960s and 70s when we believed pharmaceuticals would cure everything, including addiction to alcohol. They simply have not worked.
Full story at; The Guardian, UK
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Posted in Brain, Britain, Doctors, Families, Health, Liver, Medication, Policy, Recovery, Relapse, Research reports, alcohol, alcoholism, disease, treatment | Tagged: controlled drinking, lethal, psycho-active drugs, rehabilitation, UK Advocates | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on June 18, 2008
Where does one draw the line between being a social drinker and having an alcohol addiction?
For many people, the lines aren’t always so clear, especially when everyone around them seems to be binge drinking, drinking on a daily basis or glamorizing alcohol use.
Social drinking can easily progress into a psychological, or even physical, dependence over time, as it becomes habitually ingrained in our behavioral patterns.
Suddenly, we drink to be more interesting, drink to make others more interesting, drink for courage in social settings, drink to give ourselves a boost of energy, or drink to cover up negative feelings like pain, depression or anxiety.
Prior to an addiction to alcohol, there is generally a prolonged time period when the social drinker finds that he or she is drinking more frequently, experiencing more adverse effects and is slightly losing control.
Alcohol abusers start showing signs like drinking and driving, participating in dangerous activities while under the influence, continuing to drink even when problems with friends or family happen as a result of alcohol consumption and getting into physical fights. Drinking alcohol begins to interfere with not only social relations, but also obligations at work and school, and in some cases, drinking may even land an individual in legal trouble. These are early warning signs that alcohol use is crossing over into alcohol abuse.
The next stage is alcohol addiction, or as it is sometimes called, alcoholism or alcohol dependency.
Now the drinker loses all control and the physiological/psychological effects of alcohol surface. Drinkers find that they’re consuming more than they originally intended to, find that they can’t stop or cut back drinking, and find that they need to drink more to get drunk. They may have trouble sleeping, have shaky hands, sweating, nauseousness, nervousness or the feeling of bugs crawling all over them. They likely drink or take medication to avoid hangovers and continue drinking alcohol to cover up sadness, anger or anxiety. The binge drinking bouts become progressively longer and the individual often loses interest in all other hobbies in favor of drinking.
Full story at Cool Kids Stuff
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Posted in Brain, Emotions, Health, Liver, Youth, addiction, alcohol, alcoholism, men, women | Tagged: binge, dependence, drinker, psychological, social | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on June 15, 2008
The highest rates of hepatitis C are in addicts and alcoholics.
Hepatitis C is a chronic liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Because many people do not have symptoms when they are infected, it is important for those at risk to take action to avoid infecting others.
Background
Although HCV has existed for a long time, it was only identified in 1989. HCV causes inflammation of the liver, which can progress to cirrhosis (extensive scarring that can affect the normal function of the liver).
Some people recover from their infection, but 75-85% progress to the chronic (carrier) state. People with chronic hepatitis C may not have symptoms for decades. Approximately 35% of those who have chronic hepatitis C, do not know that they are infected.
Other topics in this article are;
- Health Risks of Hepatitis C
- The Health Effects of Hepatitis C
- Minimizing Your Risk
Full story at; Health Canada
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Posted in Doctors, Drugs, Dual Diagnosis, Harm Reduction, Health, Liver, Narcotics Anonymous, Recovery, addiction, alcoholism, disease, men, symptoms | Tagged: HCV, hepatitis C, infection | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on June 15, 2008
Some of the highest rates of hepatitis B are in alcoholics and addicts.
Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. The virus is carried in blood and body fluids. It can lead to serious liver damage, life-long infection, liver cancer, liver failure and even death. Fortunately, there is a vaccine that can protect you against hepatitis B.
Background
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of a group of viruses that attacks the liver. Six hepatitis viruses have been identified but three – known as A, B, and C – cause about 90% of the acute hepatitis cases in Canada.
HBV is the most common form of hepatitis virus in the world. It is easily transmitted and is significantly more infective than HIV. HBV is primarily transmitted from one person to another through blood or other body fluids, such as vaginal secretions and semen. It is usually spread through sexual contact or by sharing contaminated needles or other drug equipment. It can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy and birth.
The majority of people infected with HBV do not have noticeable symptoms and may unknowingly be experiencing liver damage and infecting others. That is why it is important for those most at risk to be vaccinated against the virus and avoid risky behaviour.
Topics in the linked article include;
- Symptoms of HBV
- Risks of Hepatitis B Exposure
- The Health Effects of Hepatitis B
- Minimizing Your Risk
Full story at; Health Canada
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Posted in Doctors, Drugs, Dual Diagnosis, Harm Reduction, Health, Liver, addiction, alcoholism, disease, symptoms | Tagged: cancer, hepatitis B, virus | 1 Comment »
