How Alcohol Affects Your Liver: Steps to Achieve a Spotless Liver

Excessive and chronic consumption of alcohol is a global problem that can lead to short to long-term liver damage. While some might claim that alcohol in small amounts has no impact on your body, your liver can handle only so much of its consumption.

The liver is the organ that filters waste from the body, makes bile to digest food, stores sugar that the body uses for energy, and makes protein that causes the blood to clot. However, over a period of time, your liver can reach its tipping point with continuous alcohol consumption.

This blog explores how alcohol consumption can affect your liver.

Fatty liver
The first stage of alcohol-related liver disease, fatty liver, affects almost all heavy drinkers. Although they may experience mild discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen or an enlarged liver, most patients with fatty livers do not exhibit any symptoms. If detected in the early stages, it can be prevented and even reversed.

Acute Hepatitis caused by alcohol
Alcoholic hepatitis causes the liver to swell become inflamed, and damages liver cells. The severity of this hepatitis ranges from mild to severe, and symptoms include fever, jaundice, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Severe alcoholic hepatitis can be fatal and develops abruptly, generally following a binge drink. Quitting alcohol is the only way to possibly keep this hepatitis from getting worse and have a chance at improving the quality of life.

Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a dangerous condition that typically appears ten or more years after a person starts drinking. In this illness, the scar tissue accumulates and replaces the majority of the liver cells, which makes it an irreversible condition. Cirrhosis usually worsens and causes substantial liver damage before it is identified, with symptoms of weakness, exhaustion, muscle atrophy, elevated liver pressure, fluid buildup in the legs and abdomen, bleeding from the esophageal veins, disorientation, and diminished focus. Cirrhosis can also cause liver cancer or catastrophic liver failure.

Is there a way you can achieve a spotless liver?
While excessive alcohol consumption can seriously damage your lungs, you can avoid fatty liver by simply eliminating its consumption. But practically talking, complete avoidance of alcohol is not possible. However, there is no cure for cirrhosis. You can reduce its symptoms, and have a better chance of survival by cutting alcohol completely. Alongside eliminating alcohol, you can achieve a spotless liver by-

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Quit smoking
• Getting regular exercise
• Eating a balanced diet and avoiding processed food
• Staying hydrated
• Getting regular medical check-ups
• Considering supplements upon doctor’s advice.

While alcohol consumption is associated with serious medical issues, the liver has a remarkable way of regenerating, before it reaches its tipping point. Therefore, it is crucial that when you aim to achieve a spotless liver, you start taking proactive actions towards it and make substantial changes in your lifestyle.

“The above article is not to be used as medical advice or recommendations. Please speak with your doctor if you have any queries related to your health.”