Your liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink and therefore removes it from your body.
As a result of this process, substances more toxic than alcohol are formed. Consuming large amounts of these substances can damage liver cells and cause serious liver disease.
Alcohol is responsible for 4 out of 5 deaths from liver disease.
Types of liver diseases caused by alcohol:
fatty infiltration of the liver (steatosis)
Hepatitis (alcoholic hepatitis)
Acute alcoholic hepatitis
Liver scar (cirrhosis)
cirrhosis of the liver
fatty liver (steatosis)
Fatty liver disease is the most common type of liver disease associated with alcohol consumption. Fat accumulates in the liver and ceases to perform its normal function. Causes scarring of the liver (cirrhosis).
Hepatitis (alcoholic hepatitis)
About a third of people with fatty liver disease have mild or moderate hepatitis. This is alcoholic hepatitis. Because hepatitis doesn’t initially cause any symptoms, you may not realize you have it.
Acute alcoholic hepatitis
More serious and life-threatening hepatitis can cause:
Anorexia
disease
You suffer from abdominal pain
Jaundice (yellow skin)
cirrhosis of the liver
cirrhosis of the liver
Every third person who develops acute alcoholic hepatitis dies from it.
Liver scar (cirrhosis)
1 in 5 alcoholics develop cirrhosis of the liver.
Fatty liver and inflammation can lead to scarring. When scarring is severe, it is called cirrhosis of the liver.
Scar tissue replaces healthy cells. This means that the liver cannot function normally and may fail. Liver failure is a life-threatening disease.
Cirrhosis may be asymptomatic.
Symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver include:
I feel bad
Vomiting blood
bloated stomach
Anorexia
itchy
muscle spasms
Most people with cirrhosis or liver failure do not notice any symptoms until it is too late.
Cirrhosis of the liver can also be caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Reduces the risk of liver damage
You can reduce your risk of liver damage by reducing or avoiding your alcohol intake. Abstinence from alcohol improves all liver diseases.