LIVER CONDITIONS
Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol use is increasing in the UK with the average age of the person presenting with alcohol related liver damage going down from 69 in 1992 to 48 in 2002. The department of health now tells us that we should be aiming to drink no more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day for men and 2-3 units a day for women. A unit is generally dependent upon the type of drink and the volume but on average a small glass of wine (125mls) is one unit and a pint of beer (average alcohol level) is 2 units. We also know that damage can be done if you frequently consume large amounts at one time. This means that if you drink more than 8 units (for a man) or 6 units (for a woman) in one drinking session on a daily or weekly interval you should be aware that you may be causing yourself damage. In order to look at this more closely hospitals use a screening tool to alert people to harmful or hazardous drinking with the aim of reducing consumption. If you are at all concerned about your drinking fill in the ‘FAST’ audit tool on the enclosed web site and if you get a positive response then talk to your GP, phone the unit, or try to reduce the amount or how often you drink.
FAST : Fast Alcohol Screening Tool, Health Development Agency & University of Wales College of Medicine : Download PDF here
Are you drinking too much?
Why not find out by using the fast alcohol screening test... click here.