Alcohol has short-term and long-term effects on organs, including the liver. The liver plays an important role and its main task is to break down substances and remove toxins from the body. Heavy and long-term alcohol consumption puts a strain on the liver, hindering its ability to filter alcohol and damaging liver cells. Alcohol causes liver disease.
Normally, the liver can replace the lost cells, but the scarring of alcoholic hepatitis prevents the liver from regenerating. Drinking too much alcohol for several days can cause fat to build up in the liver and damage cells. If a person has fatty liver disease and continues to drink alcohol, permanent scarring can worsen the disease and increase the risk.
Abstaining from alcohol and controlling alcohol consumption are important in preventing liver disease and treating existing patients. Problem drinking increases the risk of liver disease because it affects a person’s ability to drink.Treatment for alcohol addiction aids in the prevention and treatment of liver damage as well as alcoholism.
What function does the liver serve in the body of a human?
The liver is located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, below the ribs. It is an important and complex multifunctional unit. It activates the blood for digestion, removing toxins from the blood and removing waste products from the body.
The liver also stores sugar, which the body uses for energy, and helps regulate blood cholesterol and sugar levels. It helps the body fight disease and infection and produce proteins throughout the body, including those that cause blood to clot.
How alcohol affects your liver
The liver changes and can renew itself by creating new cells. Every time you drink alcohol, your liver filters the alcohol, causing liver cells to die and new cells to form. However, excessive long-term consumption can gradually reduce liver regeneration, causing permanent liver damage. Many different things can damage the liver, but one of the most common causes of liver damage is alcohol.
How does drinking alcohol affect your liver?
Excessive alcohol consumption can damage the liver and cause liver disease. Alcohol contains ethanol, it has calories. However, unlike fats and carbohydrates, the body does not store alcohol for later use. Alcohol remains in the water until it is released and the liver oxidizes and removes the alcohol.
Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by chronic alcohol abuse and there are three types of hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis is characterized by one of the following conditions:
fatty liver disease
Fatty liver is the initial stage of alcoholic liver disease. Fatty liver disease is caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver, it occurs with heavy alcohol consumption and can also occur if it is consumed for more than a few days.
Fatty liver disease can indicate alcohol abuse, but it is rare and often goes undiagnosed. Symptoms range from an enlarged bladder to mild right-sided abdominal pain.