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Young adults warned about sign of cancer that appears when you drink alcohol

Home> News> Health

Updated 15:37 21 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 10:23 20 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Young adults warned about sign of cancer that appears when you drink alcohol

One in 20 people suffering from this type of cancer will experience the symptom when drinking alcohol

Bec Oakes

Bec Oakes

Knocking back a few too many drinks can lead to a whole host of unpleasant side effects - but it turns out it can also bring to light a rare symptom of a serious illness.

From a killer hangover the following day to splashing out ridiculous amounts of cash to making a massive fool of yourself, the list goes on and on when it comes to overindulging on the bevs.

But, there's one rare side effect of drinking that could be a sign of something far more serious than a bruised ego.

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system - a network of vessels and glands throughout the body.

It is most common in young people and affects 19,500 people in the UK every year.

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According to the NHS, common symptoms of lymphoma include swelling in a lymph node in the neck, armpit or groin, night sweats, unintentional weight loss, a high temperature, feelings of breathlessness and constant itching.

There are around 60 different types of lymphoma, which are separated into two broad groups - Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas.

For those with Hodgkin lymphoma - which is diagnosed most frequently in people in their early 20s - alcohol can also bring about a rare symptom.

One in 20 people with Hodgkin lymphoma experience an uncomfortable symptom when drinking alcohol (Getty Stock Photos)
One in 20 people with Hodgkin lymphoma experience an uncomfortable symptom when drinking alcohol (Getty Stock Photos)

Lymphoma Action says that one in 20 people with Hodgkin lymphoma will experience pain in their lymph nodes while drinking.

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Dr Graham Collins, consultant haematologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, explains that lymph nodes are 'packed with abnormal cells' when there's cancer present.

He told the Sun: "Alcohol can relax blood vessels which may lead to a further increase in pressure within the lymph nodes, putting a strain on the surrounding capsule and causing pain."

According to a paper by doctors at Harvard, this pain is more common in women suffering from the disease.

They said: "The alcohol content of a liqueur-filled chocolate or even a sip of beer has been reported to trigger the pain.

"The onset of pain is immediate; the patient descriptions of pain vary from 'aching' to 'stabbing,' and the intensity ranges from mild to unbearable, forcing some patients to give up alcohol entirely."

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The onset of pain in the lymph nodes is immediate after drinking even the smallest amount of alcohol (Getty Stock Images)
The onset of pain in the lymph nodes is immediate after drinking even the smallest amount of alcohol (Getty Stock Images)

Many people are unaware that this pain when drinking is a warning sign for the deadly disease.

In the US, a 31-year-old man took ibuprofen to deal with the pain he felt while drinking for three months before seeking medical help.

When he went to the hospital, he explained that he got severe chest pain minutes after drinking even the smallest amount of alcohol.

Medics said he also had occasional fevers, night sweats and general fatigue.

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Tests showed the man had a mass on his lung and a biopsy of a lymph node on his windpipe confirmed that he had Hodgkin lymphoma.

Following treatment, he went into remission and is now able to enjoy alcohol pain-free again.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.

Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photos

Topics: News, Health, Cancer

Bec Oakes
Bec Oakes

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