While alcohol is enjoyed by many, it comes with a risk: alcohol-induced liver disease. The effects
of alcohol on the liver depend on how much, and how long, someone’s been drinking, as well as their
genetics. Typically, heavy use of alcohol for 10 years or more can put someone at risk.
The liver is a large organ that plays an important role in health. It helps filter waste, makes bile to digest
food, stores sugar used for energy, and creates proteins that work in many places in the body. The liver’s
job is to break down alcohol. If you drink more than it can process, it can become damaged.
Liver disease often progresses through three types:
- Fatty liver is the build-up of fat inside the liver cells. It leads to an enlarged liver.
It often causes no symptoms but can cause discomfort on the right side, tiredness,
weakness, and weight loss.
- Alcoholic hepatitis is inflammation of the liver from the death of liver cells, often
followed by scarring. Symptoms can include pain over the liver, fever, weakness, nausea
and vomiting, appetite loss, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
- Alcoholic cirrhosis is the destruction of normal liver tissue. It leaves scar tissue in place
of working liver tissue. Symptoms include limited blood flow through the liver,
enlarged spleen, bleeding in the intestines, fluid build-up in the belly, kidney
failure, and confusion. It can also cause liver cancer.
Depending on the type, some or all liver functioning can be restored if the person
stops drinking alcohol. The liver is often able to fix some of the damage, and
scarring from cirrhosis may be partially reversible. There is no chance to reverse
damage if a person continues to drink. Other treatments include dietary changes,
vitamins, procedures to shrink swollen veins, or anti-inflammatory medicines.
If you believe you may be at risk for liver
disease, talk to your doctor or find a provider
at spectrumhealthlakeland.org/primarycare