Common painkiller linked to killer disease with these symptoms to watch for
An urgent warning has been issued for people who take this common painkiller - which is used to treat everything from headaches to muscle pain, and can be bought at most stores
An urgent alert has been issued regarding one of the most widely used medications worldwide, which could be quietly damaging your liver.
The pill is acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol in the UK or by its brand name Tylenol. It is commonly used for ailments ranging from headaches to muscle pain, and is generally safe as long as the recommended dosage is not exceeded.
Dipa Kamdar, a senior lecturer in pharmacy practice at Kingston University, has cautioned that even consuming a few pills beyond the recommended dose could have "extremely dangerous" implications for your liver.
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While many people might assume that alcohol consumption is the main culprit behind liver damage, Dipa warned that several "often overlooked" daily habits can "eventually lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis - permanent scarring of the liver - or liver failure".
She pointed out that consuming foods high in sugar or saturated fat, smoking, lack of exercise, and excessive intake of acetaminophen can all contribute to these life-threatening conditions.
"Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible," Dipa penned in The Conversation.
"One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea.
"As damage progresses, more obvious signs may emerge. One of the most recognisable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow."
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Liver disease is striking down more than 11,000 individuals annually in the UK, a figure that breaks down to over 31 lives every single day, as reported by The British Liver Trust. The Trust has raised an alarm, stating that while fatalities from most major illnesses are decreasing, those stemming from liver disease have soared fourfold over the last 50 years.
When processed by the liver, acetaminophen transforms into a harmful byproduct called NAPQI, which usually gets detoxified by an agent known as glutathione. Nevertheless, an overdose can swamp the body with toxins leading to potential liver overload, Dipa, an expert, elucidated: "In an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, allowing NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells," adding a dire warning about the risk of acute liver failure, which may result in death.
Making the situation graver, Dipa noted, even slight excesses of acetaminophen or its interaction with alcohol could significantly elevate health risks. He cautioned, "Even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm. Always stick to the recommended dose and speak to a doctor if you find yourself needing pain relief regularly."
Studies conducted by researchers reflecting on the peril of acetaminophen consumption have uncovered associations between even minimal doses and liver damage.
Andrew Moore, an honorary senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, asserted in an article for The Conversation: "Paracetamol is known to cause liver failure in overdose, but it also causes liver failure in people taking standard doses for pain relief. The risk is only about one in a million, but it is a risk."
