Alcohol and Liver Disease

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to three types of liver conditions - fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
 For all types of liver disease caused by alcohol, the main treatment is to stop drinking alcohol completely.

Liver: Three Types of Alcohol Induced Damage

Three conditions of the liver are often associated with alcohol abuse. Liver disease in alcoholics usually progresses through the three conditions chronologically starting with fatty liver and proceeding to alcoholic hepatitis which can eventually lead to cirrhosis  

Fatty Liver: Fat deposits in the liver. To some extent, fat deposits will happen in almost all heavy drinkers. It can also happen in non-alcoholics after just one incidence of drinking.

Symptoms: People with fatty liver may have no symptoms and have just an abnormal enlargement of the liver that is smooth and non-tender with minimal or no functional changes. However, alcoholics may have

· Abdominal pain

· Severe jaundice syndrome(a yellow discoloration of the skin, mucus membranes, and white part around the eyes caused by greater than normal amounts of bilirubin in the blood)

· Acute liver failure

· Ascites (abnormal accumulation of fluid containing proteins and electrolytes and causing an abnormal swelling in the abdomen)

· Coma

· Death.

Outcome: Chances of recovery are better at this stage than with cirrhosis. Damage is reversible and does not necessarily lead to more serious damage.

Alcoholic Hepatitis: Widespread inflammation and destruction of liver tissue. Patients may develop fibrosis, where scar tissue begins to replace healthy liver tissue.

What happens when you drink alcohol?

When you drink alcohol, it is absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach and intestines. All blood from the stomach and intestines first goes through the liver before circulating around the whole body. So, the highest concentration of alcohol is in the blood flowing through the liver.

Liver cells contain enzymes (chemicals) which process (metabolise) alcohol. The enzymes break down alcohol into other chemicals which in turn are then broken down into water and carbon dioxide. These are then passed out in the urine and from the lungs. The liver cells can process only a certain amount of alcohol per hour. So, if you drink alcohol faster than your liver can deal with it, the level of alcohol in your bloodstream rises.

What are the problems of drinking too much alcohol?

Your liver and body can usually cope with drinking a small amount of alcohol. Indeed, drinking a small amount of alcohol (1-2 units per day) may help to prevent heart disease and stroke.

However, drinking over the recommended limits (detailed below) can be harmful. If you drink heavily you have an increased risk of developing:

• Serious liver problems (alcoholic liver disease).
• Some stomach disorders.
• Pancreatitis (severe inflammation of the pancreas).
• Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.
• Sexual difficulties such as impotence.
• Muscle and heart muscle disease.
• High blood pressure.
• Damage to nervous tissue.
• Accidents - drinking alcohol is associated with a much increased risk of accidents. In particular, injury and death from fire and car crashes. About 1 in 7 road deaths are caused by drinking alcohol.
• Some cancers (mouth, gullet, liver, colon and breast).
• Obesity (alcohol has many calories).
• Damage to an unborn baby in pregnant women.
• Alcohol dependence (addiction