Liver damage is for people who have a drink problem
We’ll call her Kate. She’s 30 years old. Totally healthy and not someone heading towards liver failure. Sure that’s for people who have a drink problem. She has no problem with drink. She is too well educated and intelligent.
She does not want to look out of place
Kate has a challenging and enjoyable job. She travels a lot. She makes sure to look after herself, walking several times a week. She eats well. She always avoids the creamy sauce dishes and the desserts at her high powered business and customer events. Though, she’ll have a glass of wine or two. She does not want to look out of place if everybody else is drinking. The industry sector she’s in, there’s very few women so she needs to keep up with the men.
Regular visits to the beautician and hairdresser for waxing, facials, manicures and hair styling means she always looks great.
She’s a savvy social drinker
Social life involves meeting up in pubs or relaxing at home with some nice Pinot Grigio. She has a good life. She’s a savvy social drinker. Totally in control of alcohol and never really drunk.
Recently, her employer organised a health screening. There was a very slight abnormal result in one of her blood tests.They said it was nothing to be worried about. Kate mentioned it to her GP, a couple of months later, when she was getting her regular pill prescription. As her Father died unexpectedly, the GP decides further tests should be done. Then when those tests came back, more tests including a liver scan were needed.
Kate has liver damage
That’s when Kate discovers she has liver damage. It’s the one organ that can’t be replaced so this is life changing news. It turns out the few glasses of wine at business events and the two bottles of wine at the weekend are enough to cause liver failure.
She is one of the lucky ones
The consultant tells her, she is one of the lucky ones. Her liver damage has been caught early enough. Once she gives up drinking totally, her liver should be ok. But if she continues to drink her liver will fail. Then she will die without a liver transplant.
She thought her lifestyle was healthy
Kate realises she is lucky. Private health insurance meant no waiting times for scans. Her liver damage got caught in time. She is also angry though. She’s knows she’s well educated and intelligent. She thought her lifestyle was healthy. She certainly drinks less than her friends. How did she not realise her drinking was toxic? Was it because drinking wine seems like such a normal social activity? But, how can a substance that nearly killed her be marketed as part of a glamorous exciting lifestyle?
What will she say in work?
Her partner is upset but supportive. But what will she say to her Mother and friends? Her Mother has only just got over the death of her Father. And what is she going to say in work about not drinking anymore? She can’t say she has liver damage from alcohol, the stigma would ruin her career. She feels guilty and ashamed she has done this to herself.
Frequently there’s no warning
Professor Murray was interviewed this week about liver failure. He states :
“Unfortunately many people with advanced liver disease will have relatively normal blood tests of the liver.
The awful thing is that people frequently have no premonition or warning that they’re going to develop liver failure, and to die as a result of alcohol because the vast majority of people who develop cirrhosis, develop liver failure, haven’t got symptoms before the crisis, and the life threatening component develops.”
Professor Aiden Mc Cormick said in this TV interview, his patients are getting younger all the time. His youngest patient was a young girl aged just 18.
Make sure it’s not too late for you
Kate is very lucky. It’s not too late for her.
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This article is simplistic and inaccurate. Alcohol is a liver toxin. Most people that drink will have mild rises in their liver blood tests for years,when fatty invasion occurs. As time goes on,10% will go on to scarring,later disease and possible cirrhosis. Even then,the liver is a very forgiving organ-it regenerates if you stop drinking. This is a scare article. If you have liver concerns,talk to your doctor.
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You’re right many people- like our writers Lucy and Valerie can drink heavily for years and not damage their liver as the liver can regenerate itself if drinking is stopped at an early enough stage. But as Professor Murray stated in the post sometimes there are no symptoms until too late. Professor Mc Cormick and Consultant Hepatologist Dr Orla Crosbie have also seen increases in the number of women presenting at their clinics in the end stages of liver disease. The Health Research Board report that the rate of alcohol related liver disease has trebled between 1995 to 2013. You can see Dr Crosbie reporting that now 40% of her patients are female with cirrhosis of the liver in this video. We would agree if you have concerns please do talk to your doctor letting him know exactly how much you are drinking.