Alcohol abuse & Liver disease

People who drink alcohol regularly will acquire a tolerance to the alcohol as their liver adapts and increases the enzymes that are used to destroy the alcohol. In people who abuse alcohol, the levels of the liver enzymes can increase 3 times.

Since the liver then destroys the alcohol more quickly, the drinker requires more alcohol to have the same effect.

When the liver breaks down alcohol, it produced ethanal. Now ethanal is nasty chemical that can interact with molecules of the body and stop cells from functioning properly. If ethanal gets a hold on your body, alcoholic liver disease can result.

The damage caused by over-drinking can cause damage in a variety of organs and tissues of the body, including the brain, liver, blood vessels etc. If the drinker doesn't stop, the damage may become irreversible and ultimately cause death.

A person who drinks a lot will go through various stages of the disease.

As more alcohol is drunk, the body starts storing fat droplets in the cells of the liver. These can cause bloating of the liver. The liver has a great capacity to repair itself, and if the person stopped drinking for several weeks, the liver could repair itself. However, if they continue, the damage that results will become irreversible.

Jaundice and hepatitis can follow and these will lead onto cirrhosis which is totally irreversible due to the fibrous nature of the liver.

Cirrhosis is a state of the liver where much of the good cells have been replaced with fibrous tissue. New cells try to regenerate in lobules, but these tend to have low blood supplies, so are doomed from the start.

If patient with cirrhosis stops drinking, the liver will stop being damaged. Existing damage will not be repaired though.

Alcohol is addictive, and many people who drink often find they become dependent on it and its effects. If you find that you suffer from the following symptoms, you should consult your doctor:

Drinking a lot of alcohol every day so that the blood has high levels, yet the drinker doesn't appear to be under the influence. If you think you are becoming dependent on alcohol, go and see your doctor.