Five things that happen to your liver as a result of heavy drinking

We all know that alcohol can have an impact on our liver. It’s one of the main risks we’re aware of when it comes to drinking. However, we never quite believe we could suffer from a liver condition until it actually happens. After all, Keith Richards has lived the rock and roll lifestyle all his life and he’s perfectly fine. And he’s 80!

However, your liver is at dangerous risk if you are a heavy drinker for a number of reasons. So, if you are drinking above a moderate level then it may be worth seeking help. There are plenty of options out there from alcohol rehab to support groups, but what about the liver? Well, here are five things that could happen to it as a result of your drinking…

One of the earliest and most common consequences of heavy drinking is the development of fatty liver disease. This is also known as steatosis and happens as a result of alcohol disrupting the metabolism of acetaldehyde, a toxic compound found in the liver cells. This can lead to fat droplets within liver cells which will impare functioning of it and increase the risk of more severe liver conditions.

This is a more severe problem that is caused by prolonged and heavy consumption of alcohol. It creates an inflammatory response that causes damage to liver cells and impaired functioning.

You will experience several symptoms including jaundice, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and loss of appetite. It can actually also lead to liver failure, which can be life threatening and require urgent medical attention.

This is a late-stage liver disease and can occur following prolonged heavy drinking. It is the irreversible scarring of liver tissue and impairs liver functioning that can lead to a large range of complications from portal hypertension to hepatic encephalopathy, which is essentially brain dysfunction due to liver failure.

It can also increase your susceptibility to liver cancer. There is no cure at present and its important to identify this early before you do significant lasting damage as a result of alcohol abuse.

Liver cancer can also develop directly as a result of chronic alcohol abuse. That’s because exposure to the metabolites in alcohol can damage liver cells and increase the risk of those genetic mutations associated with cancerous tumours.

Hepatocelluar carcinoma, is the most common form of liver cancer that’s associated with alcohol consumption, with the risk also higher for those with advanced liver disease.

Finally, heavy drinking can also compromise the organ’s ability to perform essential metabolic and detoxification functions. This makes it more difficult for the liver to synthsise proteins, process nutrients, filter toxins from the blood and produce bile.

It also makes it more difficult for the liver to detoxify other harmful substances and also cause symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, poor appetite and weight loss.

So, if you are drinking heavily, it may be worth reassessing your relationship with alcohol as well as visiting your doctor for a liver functioning test.