There’s only one pill the British public like to take for minor ailments and apparently, and they're making one key mistake.
Dr Donald Grant, a GP and Senior Clinical Advisor at The Independent Pharmacy is warning Brits to exercise caution with the common medication.
According to the doc, you should be practicing safe usage otherwise it could turn against you.
The University of Oxford states that the UK sells just under 6,300 tonnes of this table a year, which is 35 tonnes per million of population, or 70 tablets per person.
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The tablet? Paracetamol.
Dr Grant wants you to know that it can cause ‘significant risks’ to your health.
He told The Sun: "Taking too much paracetamol or utilising the medication when it's not needed can pose significant risks to our physical well-being - both immediately and in the long-term.
"It's important to understand the risks that come with paracetamol to ensure it's only taken when needed.
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"Too much paracetamol can have drastic effects on liver health, causing damage and risking failure. This occurs when there's too much of the drug present in the body, highlighting how important it is to stick to recommended dosages for the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.”
The doctor went on to explain that it can cause awful damage to some of your vital organs, like the liver.
He said: "To avoid causing damage to the liver, it's also important to avoid consuming alcohol when taking paracetamol as the combination of the two can drastically increase the risk of damage.
"Ingesting more than the recommended daily amount of paracetamol can result in overdose, which has a range of symptoms including jaundice, nausea, loss of appetite and confusion. It may even result in death in extreme circumstances.”
There was once a case of a woman, Rebecca Bissett, who accidentally took a paracetamol overdose, which led to her dying days later.
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According to Dr Gerard Sinovich at Alternaleaf explained: “Liver injury can occur with regular paracetamol intake, at or below the recommended daily dose.”
The recommended daily dose is one or two 500mg tablets at a time, up to four times in 24 hours, with a maximum of eight tablets in 24 hours, according to the NHS.
He said: "Studies have shown that paracetamol can damage the liver by harming vital structural connections between adjacent cells in the organ.
"In fact, unintentional overdose of paracetamol is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the UK and US. In 2021, 227 deaths in England and Wales were due to paracetamol overdose as a result of liver failure."
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Grant further explained this point: "An antidote can be administered to treat a paracetamol overdose, but this must be done urgently. According to Public Health England, around 100,000 people are admitted to hospital each year as a result of overdosing on paracetamol.
"It's vital to understand the recommended paracetamol dosage for adults and children, to avoid a dangerous intake. Adults can take two 500mg tablets every 4-6 hours and are not recommended to exceed 8 tablets over 24 hours. This can be even lower for those weighing less than 8 stone.”
Britt Jones