The Many Problems of Excess Alcohol Intake (1)
As a practicing medical practitioner who routinely utilizes advanced ultrasound technology to diagnose variety of medical conditions, I can say emphatically that a lot of people in the society go about with degenerating liver tissues unbeknown to them. Incidentally, majority of these degenerating liver conditions are aftermath of regular heavy consumption of alcohol. This is not surprising from the benefit of the knowledge that the liver being the main ‘detoxicating’ organ in the body, which converts extraneous chemicals like drugs and alcohol into safe products for the body, readily get overwhelmed from excess consumption of alcohol.
Alcohol consumption and its effect on the liver is a well researched topic in the medical parlance with the outcome of studies pointing toward the path of caution: drinking too much alcohol can lead to three types of liver conditions, namely - fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. However, one is unlikely to develop these problems if drinking is within the recommended safe limits. Functions of the liver The liver is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. Its functions include: • Helping to process fats and proteins from digested food. Storing glycogen, a chemical made from sugars. When required, glycogen is broken down into glucose which is released into the bloodstream. Making proteins that are essential for blood to clot (clotting factors). Helping to remove or process alcohol, poisons, toxins from the body and processing many medicines we take. Making bile which passes from the liver to the gut and helps to digest fats.
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• Processing Alcohol When alcohol is drunk, it is absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach and intestines. All blood from the stomach and intestines first goes through the liver before circulating around the whole body via the portal-hepatic system. So, the highest concentration of alcohol is in the blood flowing through the liver. Liver cells contain enzymes (chemicals) which process (metabolise) alcohol. The enzymes break down alcohol into other chemicals which in turn are then broken down into water and carbon dioxide. These are then passed out in the urine and from the lungs. The liver cells can process only a certain amount of alcohol per hour. So, when alcohol is consumed faster than the liver can deal with it, the level of alcohol in the bloodstream rises. Excess alcohol The liver and body can usually cope with drinking a small amount of alcohol. Indeed, drinking a small amount of alcohol (1-2 units per day) may help to prevent heart disease and stroke.
However, drinking over the recommended limits can be harmful as the following can result: • • Serious liver problems (alcoholic liver disease). • Some stomach disorders. • Pancreatitis (severe inflammation of the pancreas). • Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. • Sexual difficulties such as impotence. • Muscle and heart muscle disease. • High blood pressure. Damage to nervous tissue. Accidents - drinking alcohol is associated with a much increased risk of accidents. In particular, injury and death from fire and car crashes. About 1 in 7 road deaths are caused by drinking alcohol. • •
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• Some cancers (mouth, gullet, liver, colon and breast). Obesity can results from excess alcohol intake since alcohol has many calories, in fact more than carbohydrates. Damage to an unborn baby in pregnant women. Alcohol dependence (addiction). As mention above, drinking too much alcohol can lead to three types of liver conditions - fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Any, or all, of these conditions can occur at the same time in the same person. Fatty liver A build-up of fat occurs within liver cells in most people who regularly drink heavily. In itself, fatty liver is not usually serious and does not cause symptoms. Fatty liver will usually reverse if you stop drinking heavily. However, in some people the fatty liver progresses and develops into hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The inflammation can range from mild to severe.
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• Mild hepatitis may not cause any symptoms. The only indication of inflammation may be an abnormal level of liver enzymes in the blood which can be detected by a blood test – liver function test (LFT). However, in some cases the hepatitis becomes persistent (chronic), which can gradually damage the liver and eventually cause cirrhosis. A more severe hepatitis tends to cause symptoms such as feeling sick, jaundice (yellowing of the skin, caused by a high level of bilirubin - a chemical normally metabolised in the liver), generally feeling unwell and, sometimes, pain over the liver. A very severe bout of alcoholic hepatitis can quickly lead to liver failure. This can cause deep jaundice, blood clotting problems, confusion, coma, bleeding into the guts, and is often fatal. The main treatment for alcoholic hepatitis is to provide adequate nutrition (this sometimes involves passing liquid feeds through a tube in the stomach) and steroids. Alcoholic cirrhosis Cirrhosis is a condition where normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis). The scarring tends to be a gradual process. The scar tissue affects the normal structure and regrowth of liver cells. Liver cells become damaged and die as scar tissue gradually develops. So, the liver gradually loses its ability to function well. The scar tissue can also affect the blood flow through the liver which can cause back pressure in the blood vessels which bring blood to the liver – this is referred to as portal hypertension.
About 1 in 10 heavy drinkers will eventually develop cirrhosis. It tends to occur after 10 or more years of heavy drinking. However, it worth noting that cirrhosis can develop in people who have never had alcoholic hepatitis.
Cirrhosis can also happen from many causes other than alcohol. A good example is persistent (chronic) viral hepatitis and some hereditary and metabolic diseases. Expectedly, if one has another persistent liver disease, and drink heavily, then one has increased risk of developing cirrhosis, a potentially fatal situation. Cirrhosis can lead to end-stage liver disease (liver failure) and ultimately death. Implicitly, it is medically advised to consume alcohol with extra-caution and high sense of responsibility to one’s health; this is because beyond intoxication, excess alcohol intake can also damage vital organs in the body most especially the unparalleled insult it showered on the liver.