Although not everyone who drinks more often also drinks more per session, our survey shows a high level of consistency most people who are drinking more often are also drinking more on a typical drinking day, and vice versa. While almost half of drinkers told us they are drinking about the same amount on a typical drinking day, 15% said they have been drinking more per session since lockdown. This suggests that around 8.6 million UK adults are drinking more frequently under lockdown. Around one in five drinkers (21%) told us that they have been drinking more frequently since the lockdown. However, some people are drinking more often. Six per cent have stopped drinking entirely. While much media coverage has focused on people’s drinking increasing, more than one in three of the 1,555 drinkers surveyed told us that they have either stopped drinking or reduced how often they drink, since the lockdown. Changes in drinking habits are happening in two directions. But our research shows that we aren’t all responding in the same way. People in the UK are drinking differently as a result of coronavirus. Around 1,800 had drunk alcohol at some point, and just over 1,500 told us they still drank alcohol before the lockdown. Over 2,000 people completed the survey, and results were weighted to ensure they are representative of the UK population as a whole. Are people drinking more or less often? Are we drinking in greater or smaller volumes at home? Are people concerned about their drinking? We were also interested to know whether changing drinking behaviours have had any impact on people’s wellbeing, health and household tension. The question remained, however – were people stocking up to avoid shopping as often or out of fear of shortages, or were they actually drinking more?Īlcohol Change UK commissioned new research from Opinium to find out whether people’s drinking habits have, in fact, changed in lockdown. Recent sales data have shown that sales of alcohol rose sharply during that time. We also heard that the government had permitted ‘off-licences and licenced shops selling alcohol’ to stay open even once pubs and clubs closed their doors. No wonder the conversation has turned to how much we’re all drinking.Īt the beginning of the crisis, we saw media coverage of people rushing to supermarkets to stock up on alcohol. Not only are our social lives significantly limited, we are all living through uncertain and anxious times. Take care and adjust your drinking habits if you notice your swelling has worsened.The global COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a great deal of speculation and commentary about what people are doing to cope with the lockdown. Monitor your alcohol consumption and how it affects your affected limb to save repeating affected, could we put lymphatic limb, or swollen limb. Lymphatic drainage massage, this will ease swelling and help clear toxins from your body.Wear your compression garment, this may help to lessen the effects of alcohol and provide additional support for your lymphatic system.Elevating your affected limb is also very helpful in reducing swelling.

Drink more water, this will rehydrate your body and flush out toxin from your body.

Check with your doctor that it is okay to consume alcohol.

With this in mind, it is good to be aware of how alcohol affects you and your lymphoedema should you choose to drink: Having lymphoedema and drinking alcohol reduces your ability to fight off infection for up to 24 hours after getting intoxicated. The rate we process alcohol and feel its effect is different from person to person, several factors such as gender, physiology and genetics play their part.

You are generally at a higher risk of infection when you have lymphoedema. Alcohol makes it harder for the body to produce the numbers of white blood cells it needs to fight off infection or disease. Cytokines help regulate the immune response. This may result in increased swelling or feeling of heaviness in the area affected by lymphoedema.Ĭonsuming alcohol puts the brakes on your immune system, slowing your body's ability to produce cytokines. This increases the flow rate of lymph it doesn’t increase the flow rate of lymph, it increases the fluid leaking out of the vessels into the tissue spaces and the amount of fluid in your body tissues. Alcohol also works as a vasodilator, causing blood vessels to relax and expand. An already compromised lymphatic system struggles to cope with the extra pressure alcohol creates. Alcohol has a diuretic effect, stimulating the kidneys to pass more fluid. Having lymphoedema means your body tissues are already strained with excess lymphatic fluid.

Drinking habits synonym