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Irish Times
14-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Woman saving for home left with €15,000 medical bills due to endometriosis care gaps in Ireland
A young woman has said she has spent more than €15,000 on treatment for endometriosis due to gaps in services in Ireland for the gynaecological condition. Sarah Jane Allen (31), from Co Laois , was diagnosed with the condition in 2018 after years of suffering 'sharp stabbing pains, crippling nausea and mid-cycle bleeding'. Ms Allen was diagnosed at the age of 25 following a laparoscopy and has been managing her condition via treatment at the Priory Hospital in Birmingham, in person and online consultations. 'Unfortunately in Ireland, the level of care is not up to the gold standard of what it should be,' she said. READ MORE [ 'I haven't been in school since Christmas': Teen with suspected endometriosis flies to Romania for treatment Opens in new window ] 'After the diagnosis the gynaecologist here said there was not much more he could do for me. I spent years just to get the diagnosis. I was in an out of A&E, hospital appointments with severe pelvic and abdominal pain and every time I was met with some sort of negative attitude or gaslighting, being like 'it's just period pains, it's part of being a woman or it's all in your head, it's nothing serious'. 'My parents were so supportive of me. They kept believing me, bringing me in and fighting for me. I remember my Mam would sit there and say 'the girl hasn't eaten in a week, she can't keep down food because the pain is so bad, it's making her vomit. There's something wrong'.' Endometriosis, which can cause severe pain, involves tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing outside the uterus. It can affect women of any age, although it is less likely in women after menopause and girls in the early years after their first period, said the HSE. It is one of the most common gynaecological conditions and is estimated to affect approximately one in 10 women worldwide. The HSE said it is a difficult condition to diagnose and treat because of the variation of presentations. Ms Allen has undergone a number of laparoscopic procedures abroad, which involves the endometriosis tissue being removed or destroyed as well as excision surgeries, which also removes such tissue. [ Endometriosis and me: I hope young women today know they should shout louder than I did Opens in new window ] 'I now pay for MRI scans privately and send them on to my specialist in Birmingham and do most of the calls with him online,' she said. 'My appointments are every three months so it wouldn't be feasible to fly over all the time. It would be great to have somewhere in Ireland to go to those appointments but unfortunately that's not the case. 'My specialist has said it looks like I will need constant monitoring for the rest of my life due to the extent of my condition and how bad my kidneys and bowel are. 'The amount of money I've spent on trying to actually get adequate care is unbelievable. My partner and I are trying to buy a house at the moment but we've been trying for three years because of the amount of money that I have to put towards my health which is obviously important.' The HSE said work is ongoing to improve services for women with endometriosis. It has established two supra-regional complex endometriosis services in Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) and Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) to offer 'very specialised care to severe and complex cases'. These are supported by an existing network of five endometriosis hub services located across the country. Further personnel are to be recruited into these services this year, the HSE said. Sinn Féin is due to bring forward a motion in the Dáil calling for improved services for endometriosis diagnosis and treatment. The party has been holding public meetings on the issue across the country over recent weeks. Sinn Féin senator Maria McCormack said the meetings have been 'packed' with hundreds of women. 'So many women are leaving the country [for treatment] where they're able to do that and so many others are being left behind, just going from different clinic to different clinic, attending these super regional hubs and they're not being able to be cared for there,' she said.
Al Arabiya
27-06-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Ketamine ‘epidemic' among youth in UK raises alarm
The first time Barney Casserly used ketamine at a UK music festival he thought he had found 'nirvana.' Five years later he died in agony, leaving behind devastated parents and friends. 'I would never, ever have imagined that this would happen to us as a family,' said his mother, Deborah Casserly, still grieving for Barney who died in April 2018, aged 21. Ketamine, an affordable recreational drug that induces a sense of detachment from reality, has reached unprecedented levels of popularity among young people in the UK, with some experts even calling it an 'epidemic.' The extent of the crisis prompted the government in January to seek advice from an official advisory body on whether to reclassify ketamine as a Class A substance. That would bring it in line with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, meaning supplying ketamine could carry terms of up to life imprisonment. In the consulting room of doctor Niall Campbell, a leading specialist in addiction treatment at Priory Hospital, Roehampton, Casserly, 64, showed pictures of her son -- a smiling young man with dark hair and bright eyes. Tearfully, she recalled how her son's life fell apart as his ketamine addiction took hold. Barney was just 16 when he went to the Reading music festival in southern England and used ketamine for the first time, writing about it in ecstatic terms in his journal. But he swiftly became addicted to the drug, a white crystalline powder that is crushed and then sniffed. Alternatively it can be swallowed in liquid form. 'excruciating pain' 'His usage moved from being used in a party context to being used at home alone... a tragic, sad, desperately lonely experience,' said his mother. His family sent him to private rehabs but he relapsed, would use every day, and was in an 'excruciating amount of pain.' 'He would spend long parts of the day in the bath, in hot water... because the cramps were so bad. He was not able to sleep properly at night because he was constantly getting up to urinate,' said his mother. Barney suffered from ulcerative cystitis, also known as 'ketamine bladder,' which is when 'the breakdown products of ketamine basically cause the bladder to rot,' said Campbell. 'Mum, if this is living, I don't want it,' said Barney on April 7, 2018. The next morning his mother found him dead in his bed. An anesthetic drug invented in 1962, ketamine is used for both human and veterinary medicine often as a horse tranquilizer. 'Some people love that dissociative, detached from reality, kind of effect' the drug brings, said Campbell. Users 'go right down into what we call a K hole, which is just to the point of collapsing and being unconscious.' In the year ending March 2024, an estimated 269,000 people aged 16 to 59 had reported using ketamine, a government minister said. And among young people aged 16-24 'the misuse of ketamine... has grown in the last decade' by 231 percent, said junior interior minister Diana Johnson, in her letter asking for advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. There were 53 deaths in England and Wales in 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics. Highly addictive 'It's really commonplace now, it's everywhere,' said Laiden, a London drug dealer using an assumed name. 'It's a cheap drug with a strong effect on people and people aren't concerned about selling it to youngsters,' added Laiden. Ketamine costs between £20 and £30 ($27.50 and $41) a gram while cocaine, which remains his top seller, is around £100 a gram, he said. 'This epidemic is having a huge effect on the nation,' said Campbell. Ketamine is very addictive and 'by the time they get to see us, the party's over. They're not out in the nightclubs. They're sitting on their own at home, secretly doing this stuff, killing themselves,' he added. But others argue that ketamine can have healing benefits. Married therapists Lucy and Alex da Silva run a psychedelic therapy wellness center in London, and use ketamine prescribed by doctors in lozenge form to treat depression and trauma. 'We want people to see what the healing benefits of ketamine, when it's controlled in the right way, can do,' said Lucy da Silva. But she agreed there was 'a need for education around the dangers of street ketamine and the lives that it's taking.'
Arab News
27-06-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Ketamine ‘epidemic' among UK youth raises alarm
LONDON: The first time Barney Casserly used ketamine at a UK music festival he thought he had found 'nirvana.' Five years later he died in agony, leaving behind devastated parents and friends. 'I would never, ever have imagined that this would happen to us as a family,' said his mother, Deborah Casserly, still grieving for Barney who died in April 2018, aged 21. Ketamine, an affordable recreational drug that induces a sense of detachment from reality, has reached unprecedented levels of popularity among young people in the UK, with some experts even calling it an 'epidemic.' The extent of the crisis prompted the government in January to seek advice from an official advisory body on whether to reclassify ketamine as a Class A substance. That would bring it in line with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, meaning supplying ketamine could carry terms of up to life imprisonment. In the consulting room of doctor Niall Campbell, a leading specialist in addiction treatment at Priory Hospital, Roehampton, Casserly, 64, showed pictures of her son — a smiling young man with dark hair and bright eyes. Tearfully, she recalled how her son's life fell apart as his ketamine addiction took hold. Barney was just 16 when he went to the Reading music festival in southern England and used ketamine for the first time, writing about it in ecstatic terms in his journal. But he swiftly became addicted to the drug, a white crystalline powder that is crushed and then sniffed. Alternatively it can be swallowed in liquid form. 'His usage moved from being used in a party context to being used at home alone... a tragic, sad, desperately lonely experience,' said his mother. His family sent him to private rehabs but he relapsed, would use every day, and was in an 'excruciating amount of pain.' 'He would spend long parts of the day in the bath, in hot water... because the cramps were so bad. He was not able to sleep properly at night because he was constantly getting up to urinate,' said his mother. Barney suffered from ulcerative cystitis, also known as 'ketamine bladder,' which is when 'the breakdown products of ketamine basically cause the bladder to rot,' said Campbell. 'Mum, if this is living, I don't want it,' said Barney on April 7, 2018. The next morning his mother found him dead in his bed. An anaesthetic drug invented in 1962, ketamine is used for both human and veterinary medicine often as a horse tranquillizer. 'Some people love that dissociative, detached from reality, kind of effect' the drug brings, said Campbell. Users 'go right down into what we call a K hole, which is just to the point of collapsing and being unconscious.' In the year ending March 2024, an estimated 269,000 people aged 16 to 59 had reported using ketamine, a government minister said. And among young people aged 16-24 'the misuse of ketamine... has grown in the last decade' by 231 percent, said junior interior minister Diana Johnson, in her letter asking for advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. There were 53 deaths in England and Wales in 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics. 'It's really commonplace now, it's everywhere,' said Laiden, a London drug dealer using an assumed name. 'It's a cheap drug with a strong effect on people and people aren't concerned about selling it to youngsters,' added Laiden. Ketamine costs between £20 and £30 ($27.50 and $41) a gram while cocaine, which remains his top seller, is around £100 a gram, he said. 'This epidemic is having a huge effect on the nation,' said Campbell. Ketamine is very addictive and 'by the time they get to see us, the party's over. They're not out in the nightclubs. They're sitting on their own at home, secretly doing this stuff, killing themselves,' he added. But others argue that ketamine can have healing benefits. Married therapists Lucy and Alex da Silva run a psychedelic therapy wellness center in London, and use ketamine prescribed by doctors in lozenge form to treat depression and trauma. 'We want people to see what the healing benefits of ketamine, when it's controlled in the right way, can do,' said Lucy da Silva. But she agreed there was 'a need for education around the dangers of street ketamine and the lives that it's taking.'
BreakingNews.ie
07-05-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Has too much screen time rewired your child's brain?
Screen time has quickly become integrated into everyday family life, whether it's a few YouTube videos before dinner or a learning app that promises brain-boosting results. But how is this ever-growing dependence on screens for entertainment, comfort and even connection impacting our children's brains? As digital devices become ever more embedded in childhood, a pressing question emerges: is screen time just a modern convenience, or is it quietly reshaping the way children's brains develop? Advertisement Ahead of Screen-Free Week (May 5th-11th), we reached out to Dr Samir Shah, consultant psychiatrist and medical director at Priory Hospital Altrincham to see what he thinks… Can screen time actually 'rewire' a child's brain? Excessive screen time can have big impacts on a child's brain (Alamy/PA) 'Yes and regular screen use can especially influence and affect how a child's brain develops and functions,' says Shah. 'Research has shown regular screen time and excessive screen time can change both the physical structure of the brain such as areas responsible for memory and planning, and how different parts of the brain communicate with each other. 'We sometimes call this brain network connectivity. It's a bit like redirecting traffic during roadworks, the routes change and sometimes this leads to unexpected consequences.' Does excessive screen time affect cognitive development – like memory, and attention span? Research has linked excessive screen time to shorter attention spans (Alamy/PA) 'Excessive screen time has been linked to shorter attention spans, weaker problem solving abilities and difficulty switching between tasks,' highlights Shah. 'It can affect attention shifting, focus and cognitive abilities. Advertisement 'It is similar to only exercising one muscle group, and other important mental muscles like focus, delayed gratification and self-control can weaken if they are not used enough.' What role does dopamine or the brain's reward system play in screen-time habits? 'Regular screen use triggers the release of dopamine which is the brain's 'feel-good' chemical,' says Shah. 'This then creates a cycle of craving more screen time to get that same buzz or effect. It is a bit like checking the door repeatedly and hoping for an exciting visitor. 'Over time, real world and realistic activities can start to feel less rewarding by comparison. This is why children and teenagers who use screens regularly struggle to maintain or build meaningful social connections.' Can it contribute to anxiety or mood disorders in children? 'Research has shown us that teenagers and children who spend more than four hours per day on screens are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety and depression,' highlights Shah. 'The constant and persistent stimulation of digital screens can leave young minds feeling overstimulated with higher dopamine levels but emotionally unfulfilled.' Advertisement Children who spend a lot of time on screens can also sometimes find it harder to manage frustration, irritation and pick up on social cues, adds Shah. 'Less face-to-face and direct interaction means fewer opportunities and chances to practise important social and executive skills like empathy and resolving conflicts,' explains Shah. Is the brain of a child more vulnerable to these screen exposure effects than that of an adult? Age five is a particular influential time in a child's development (Alamy/PA) 'Children's brains are like sponges that are soaking up experiences at an incredible rate,' says Shah. 'Key developmental periods particularly before the age of five and during the pre-teen years are when the brain undergoes the most rapid growth. 'Too much screen time during these stages could have longer-lasting effects compared to adults.' Advertisement Are there any visible changes in brain scans of children who consume large amounts of screen time? (Alamy/PA) 'Research has shown that MRI scans noted physical changes in the brains of children who spend a lot of time on screens,' says Shah. 'These include thinner areas involved in decision-making, altered connections in regions that control focus, attention and less grey matter in areas crucial for language. 'While this does not necessarily mean damage, it does suggest that heavy screen use can lead to the brain adapting in different ways. It can be seen as altered adaptations and disruption.' What may be right way to approach this? 'The key here is balance and careful management,' advises Shah. 'Encourage outdoor play, family meals without devices, set clear screen-free times or as we call it digital detox, such as before bed.' The type of screen use matters too, he adds. Advertisement 'A video call with grandparents is very different from hours of mindless scrolling on social media, especially that is too quick to move from one topic to another,' says Shah. 'Think of screens like sugar, which is fine in moderation but harmful in excess.'
