Health « Thurles Information

Why More Young Adults Are Getting Cancer & What Scientists Think Drives the Trend.

For decades, cancer was considered primarily a disease associated with aging. But that assumption is rapidly changing. Across the globe, doctors are seeing a growing number of cancer diagnoses in adults under 50, a phenomenon now referred to as early-onset cancer. Research shows that rates of several cancers, especially colorectal, breast, kidney, and uterine cancers, have steadily increased among younger adults since the 1990s.
A major 2025 study from researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that 14 different cancer types increased among people under 50 between 2010 and 2019. The largest rises were seen in breast, colorectal, kidney, and uterine cancers.
Scientists still do not have one definitive explanation, but many researchers believe the increase is likely linked to a combination of lifestyle, environmental, and biological changes.

Diet, Obesity, and Modern Lifestyles
One of the strongest suspected contributors is the global rise in obesity and unhealthy dietary habits. Diets high in ultra-processed foods, refined sugars, and processed meats may increase inflammation in the body and disrupt hormones and gut bacteria, all of which can contribute to cancer development.
Health experts also point to increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Less physical activity combined with long-term weight gain may significantly raise the risk of cancers such as colorectal, breast, and uterine cancer.
The World Health Organization reports that obesity rates worldwide have more than doubled since 1990, especially among younger generations. Researchers believe this trend may be closely connected to the rise in early-onset cancers.

Are Microplastics and Environmental Chemicals Part of the Problem?
Another growing area of concern involves environmental exposure, especially microplastics and industrial chemicals.
Microplastics are now found in food, drinking water, air, and even human tissues. Early studies suggest these particles may contribute to inflammation, cellular damage, and DNA mutations, all of which are linked to cancer development. Researchers are especially studying possible connections between microplastics and colorectal cancer.
Scientists are also investigating the potential role of:- “Forever chemicals” (PFAS); Air pollution; Gut microbiome disruption; Chronic stress; Sleep disruption and Environmental toxins.
However, experts caution that evidence connecting many of these factors directly to cancer is still developing.

Better Screening May Also Explain Some Increase.
Not all of the rise necessarily means more cancers are developing. In some cases, cancers are simply being detected earlier and more often due to improved screening technologies and increased awareness.
Organizations have lowered recommended screening ages for certain cancers:
Colorectal cancer screening now commonly begins at age 45 instead of 50, while breast cancer screening often begins at age 40 instead of 50.
Improved imaging and earlier testing may partially explain why diagnoses among younger adults appear to be increasing.

The Good News: Survival Rates Are Improving.
Despite rising diagnosis rates, overall cancer death rates have declined for many cancer types because treatments and early detection have improved significantly.
Still, some cancers diagnosed in younger adults can behave more aggressively. Early-onset colorectal and breast cancers, for example, are often discovered at more advanced stages because symptoms are unexpected in younger people.
Researchers emphasize that awareness is critical. Persistent symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, rectal bleeding, unusual fatigue, changes in bowel habits, or abnormal lumps should never be ignored simply because someone is young.

What Researchers Know So Far.
Scientists agree on several important points:

Early-onset cancer rates are genuinely rising for multiple cancer types.
Obesity, diet, and lifestyle changes are likely major contributors.
Environmental exposures may also play a role.
Genetics alone cannot explain the sharp increase.
Earlier screening and improved detection account for part; but likely not all of the trend.

FSAI Provides Advice On Consumption Of Calabash Chalk.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is advising consumers, particularly pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding, not to consume calabash chalk due to the presence of high levels of lead.

Calabash chalk (also known as calabar chalk, calabar stone, la craie, argile, nzu, ndom, eko and mabele) is sometimes consumed as a traditional remedy for morning sickness. However, eating it can significantly increase exposure to lead, which is harmful, particularly to unborn babies and infants.

Lead is a toxic metal that can accumulate in the body over time and can be transferred to unborn babies during pregnancy and to infants during breastfeeding. Exposure to lead is associated with a range of adverse health effects, particularly its impact on the developing brain of unborn babies and young infants.

Calabash chalk may be naturally occurring, composed of fossilised seashells, or artificially produced from a mixture of clay, sand, wood ash and other materials. The product is imported into Ireland and can be found in some ethnic shops, typically sold in blocks, pellets or powders, often with limited labelling or consumer information.

Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI urged pregnant and breastfeeding women not to eat this product.
“High levels of lead in calabash chalk is a serious public health concern. Lead can have harmful effects, particularly for unborn babies and infants, where it can severely affect how a child’s body grows and their brain develops. At very high levels, lead poisoning can be fatal. We advise pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding not to eat this product,” said Mr Dempsey.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and have consumed calabash chalk should stop using the product.

Those who feel unwell should seek medical advice.

A Health System Measured In Corridors: UHL And North Tipperary Paying The Price.

Ireland’s trolley crisis has become more than a seasonal emergency or a political talking point. It is now a defining feature of the country’s healthcare system. The latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation reveal a staggering reality; more than 1.7 million people have been treated without a proper hospital bed since 2006. Behind that number are exhausted patients, distressed families and healthcare workers trying to deliver care in conditions that should never have become normal.

The fact that over one million people have been placed on trolleys in just the last decade shows how dramatically the problem has escalated. Despite years of economic growth, repeated promises of reform and countless government strategies, overcrowding remains deeply embedded in hospital life across Ireland. For many patients, entering an emergency department now means preparing for the possibility of spending hours, or even days, waiting in corridors for a bed to become available.

The figures from University Hospital Limerick are particularly alarming. Nearly 195,000 people have been left on trolleys there since 2006, making it the most overcrowded hospital in the country. Crucially, UHL serves not only Limerick but large parts of the Mid-West, including North Tipperary, meaning communities across the region are directly impacted by the ongoing crisis. Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway have also faced enormous pressures, highlighting how widespread the overcrowding problem has become.

What makes these numbers especially troubling is the human impact behind them. Patients on trolleys often experience a complete loss of dignity, treated in open corridors with little privacy, while waiting for care. Elderly and vulnerable patients are particularly affected, while frontline nurses and midwives continue to work under immense strain trying to provide safe treatment in overcrowded conditions.

The INMO survey reveals the growing toll on healthcare staff. More than two-thirds of respondents said staffing levels were inadequate to meet patient needs, while many reported burnout, stress and declining psychological wellbeing. Alarmingly, large numbers have considered leaving their work areas because of unsafe staffing conditions, creating fears that the crisis could worsen further if experienced staff continue to leave the system.

There is increasing concern that Ireland is beginning to normalise overcrowding in hospitals. Yet no modern healthcare system should accept corridors and trolleys as routine treatment spaces. Despite economic growth over the past two decades, many patients still face unacceptable waiting conditions when they are most vulnerable.

The warning from the INMO is not simply about statistics. It is a stark reminder that the healthcare system remains under severe pressure and that patients and staff across regions such as North Tipperary continue to pay the price for a crisis that has gone unresolved for far too long.

Long Grass, Ticks and “No Mow May” – So Can Biodiversity & Public Health Coexist?

Every spring, Ireland is encouraged to embrace “No Mow May”, the growing environmental campaign that asks homeowners, schools and local authorities to leave grass uncut in support of bees, pollinators and biodiversity. Wildflowers bloom, insects return and urban spaces become noticeably greener.

At the very same time, however, the HSE is issuing renewed warnings about Lyme disease and the dangers posed by ticks hiding in long grass. This has created an increasingly important conversation; how do we balance environmental goals with public health concerns?

Why the HSE Is Raising Concern.
According to the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, ticks are active from spring through autumn and are commonly found in grassy, damp and shaded environments. They are present in both rural and urban Ireland and become more active during the warmer months.
The concern is not simply the tick bite itself, but the possibility of Lyme disease, an infection transmitted through infected ticks. The HSE says “several hundred” cases of milder Lyme disease likely occur annually in Ireland, while more serious neurological forms are reported in smaller numbers each year.
Health officials are particularly advising people to take care in areas of long vegetation. HSE guidance specifically recommends that walkers “keep to footpaths and avoid long grass” where possible.

The Environmental Argument for No Mow May.
Supporters of No Mow May argue that Ireland’s obsession with closely trimmed lawns has come at a cost to biodiversity. Allowing grass to grow naturally for even a few weeks provides habitat and food sources for bees, butterflies and pollinating insects, whose populations have been under pressure for years.
Longer grass also improves soil quality, supports carbon capture and creates more resilient urban ecosystems. In many areas, wildflower meadows have become symbols of climate awareness and environmental responsibility.
For environmental groups, reducing mowing is not about neglect. It is about rethinking how public and private green spaces are managed.

Where the Two Issues Collide.
The difficulty is that ticks thrive in many of the same environments promoted by rewilding initiatives. Long grass, woodland edges, scrub areas and damp vegetation provide ideal habitats for ticks waiting to attach themselves to animals or humans passing by.
That does not mean every unmown lawn becomes dangerous, nor does it mean biodiversity projects should end. But public health experts increasingly believe unmanaged growth in heavily used public areas can unintentionally increase exposure risks.
This debate is becoming more relevant as warmer temperatures and milder winters appear to be extending tick activity in Ireland. Climate-related research and reporting suggest tick populations may continue expanding in the years ahead.

A More Balanced Approach.
What is emerging now is a more balanced idea of “managed rewilding”.
Rather than leaving all spaces untouched, many experts favour maintaining cut pathways through parks and meadow areas, trimming grass around playgrounds and seating areas, and placing public information signs in higher-risk locations.
The message from public health officials is not to avoid nature, but to become more “tick aware”, while enjoying it.
Simple precautions remain highly effective. Wearing long trousers, using insect repellent containing DEET, checking skin and clothing after walks, especially young children, and removing ticks quickly from skin surfaces, all which significantly reduce risk.

The Bigger Conversation.
The debate around ‘No Mow May’ reflects a wider challenge modern societies now face. Environmental policies and public health policies can sometimes overlap in unexpected ways. Creating greener spaces is important. So is protecting people using those spaces.
The answer is unlikely to be found in extremes, neither cutting every patch of grass short nor abandoning management altogether. Instead, the future probably lies in smarter landscape design that supports biodiversity while still recognising genuine health risks.

Ireland’s growing awareness of Lyme disease may ultimately push councils, communities and homeowners toward a more thoughtful approach to rewilding, one where nature is encouraged, but not left entirely unmanaged.

Rising Concerns Over Medication Safety In Public Health Services.

Newly released figures show that hundreds of patients experienced harm due to medication related incidents within public health services over the past year.

Out of the reported cases, 738 patients were affected. The vast majority; 732 incidents, resulted in minor to moderate harm, while six cases were classified as causing severe harm.

In total, approximately 10,400 medication related incidents and near misses were recorded. Of these, more than 7,150 incidents reached patients, but caused no harm or only negligible effects. Meanwhile, over 2,540 incidents were classified as near misses, meaning they were identified before affecting any patient.

Medication incidents are defined as preventable events that may lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm, while under the supervision of healthcare professionals.

Data from state claims records indicates that the most frequent type of incident involved missed or delayed doses of medication.
Public health services handle a significant volume of care annually, including around two million inpatient and day-case treatments, along with a similar number of emergency department visits.

Efforts are ongoing to improve patient safety, with medication-related harm identified as a key focus area. Safety improvements are being implemented at local, regional, and national levels to reduce risks associated with medication use.
A new performance measure introduced this year focuses on polypharmacy. This tracks the percentage of individuals aged 65 and older who are prescribed ten or more regular medications, as this group is considered at higher risk of receiving potentially inappropriate treatments.

Additionally, hospital inspections are carried out to monitor and enhance medication safety practices across healthcare settings.