Introduction

Drinking alcohol is ingrained in many daily activities and social interactions, and the effects on the body and the liver are frequently underestimated. The liver is an inbuilt filter that removes toxins from your body through detoxification, thus essential to maintaining overall health. Research has shown that drinking too much alcohol can seriously harm this important organ, resulting in long-term health problems.

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A variety of liver conditions, ranging from moderate fatty liver disease to severe cirrhosis, can be brought on by excessive alcohol intake. This article will discuss the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the liver and the need to limit alcohol consumption to safeguard this vital organ.

Knowing Your Liver

Your liver is an essential organ that performs a variety of tasks, such as metabolizing foods, creating bile, and filtering blood. When you drink alcohol, your liver has to work extra hard to process it.

The Liver’s Process of Handling Alcohol

After an alcoholic beverage is consumed, it enters your bloodstream and travels to the liver, where enzymes present in the liver degrade it. The main enzyme involved in the breakdown of alcohol in your body is Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). ADH is responsible for converting alcohol into the extremely deadly chemical acetaldehyde. However, before acetaldehyde is expelled from the body, another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), breaks down acetaldehyde further into less toxic compounds.

With excess and frequent alcohol consumption the liver cannot effectively digest alcohol. Acetaldehyde builds up when the liver can not effectively clear large amounts of alcohol, which can inflame and induce oxidative stress in the liver cells, starting a chain of harmful events.

Factors That Determine the Impact of Alcohol On The Liver

Frequent and excessive alcohol consumption indeed damages the liver, however, there are other elements besides frequency and quantity of alcohol drinking that affect liver damage.

These additional factors include:

• Malnutrition: Malnutrition can worsen the hepatic effects of alcohol consumption. Malnutrition worsens the liver problem because the liver needs specific nutrients to heal and operate correctly.
• Genetics: Some individuals are more susceptible to liver injury due to a hereditary predisposition that influences how they metabolize alcohol.
• Gender: Because women metabolize alcohol differently than males do, they are more vulnerable to alcohol-related liver injury.

Liver Damage Caused by Alcohol

• Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Fatty liver, or the buildup of fat within the liver cells, is the initial stage of liver injury. After only a few days of heavy drinking, this disease may appear, it is an indication that your liver is stressed. Although fatty liver doesn’t always result in symptoms, if drinking alcohol is continued, harm may increase.
• Alcoholic Hepatitis: Prolonged alcohol misuse can harm liver tissue, resulting in oedema and inflammation. Additionally, modest drinking for prolonged periods can also predispose to alcoholic hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis can cause vomiting, upper abdominal pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), and nausea. It may even be fatal in extreme circumstances.
• Cirrhosis: Cirrhosis is a severe liver disease resulting from long-term alcohol misuse that leaves the liver scarred. Untreated alcoholic hepatitis causes scar tissue (fibrosis) to start replacing good liver tissue if drinking persists. This can eventually result in cirrhosis, a dangerous illness that leaves the liver severely damaged and unable to function. Liver failure, internal haemorrhage, and an elevated risk of liver cancer are all possible consequences of cirrhosis.
• Liver Cancer: Abuse of alcohol over an extended period raises the chance of liver cancer.

Understanding the Symptoms of Liver Damage

Although there may not be any symptoms in the early stages of liver damage, as the disease advances, you may encounter:

• Fatigue,
• Loss of appetite,
• vomiting and nausea,
• stomach ache,
• jaundice, and
• abdominal oedema.

How To Protect Your Liver

• Limit your intake of alcohol
• Sustain a healthy weight
• Eating a balanced diet rich in lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help to maintain the health of your liver.
• Frequent exercise, exercise has been shown to enhance liver function.
• Reduce your exposure to other substances, such as narcotics and some medications, that can damage your liver.
• Frequent medical check-ups

Conclusion

Your liver works nonstop to keep your body running smoothly, drinking too much alcohol can harm this important organ and cause major health issues. Making thoughtful judgments about your drinking habits and being aware of the effects alcohol has on the liver can help safeguard your liver and keep it in good condition for many years to come.

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Dr. Ifeoma M. Uduh, Dr. John Afam-Osemene