The liver breaks down 90 percent of the alcohol we drink. Some toxins are produced in this process. As the amount of alcohol consumed increases, the liver cannot handle it, and it starts to destroy the liver cells. This mainly occurs in 3 stages:
Stage 1: Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
This is the first problem seen in chronic drinkers. While breaking down alcohol, the liver is unable to dissolve the fat in the body, and that fat accumulates in the liver.
Special: Most people do not have symptoms at this stage. However, if you stop drinking alcohol completely at this time, the liver will return to its previous health.
Stage 2: Alcoholic Hepatitis
This is a condition in which the liver becomes inflamed in people who drink excessively for years. This is where the liver cells begin to die.
Symptoms: Severe fatigue, loss of appetite, stomach pain, mild jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), and vomiting. This can also be cured to some extent with treatment.
Stage 3: Liver Cirrhosis
This is the final stage where alcohol completely destroys the liver. Scar tissue forms instead of healthy liver cells. With this, the liver stops functioning.
Special: Once cirrhosis occurs, it cannot be completely cured. Liver Transplant is often the only way to save life. Water retention in the stomach and vomiting blood can occur at this stage.
Factors that accelerate liver damage:
Quantity and duration: Drinking excessively every day and drinking without breaks causes the liver to not get rest.
Alcoholism in women: Women have fewer enzymes to process alcohol than men. So even low levels of alcohol consumption can cause liver disease more quickly in women.
Other diseases: People with obesity, diabetes, and hepatitis B or C can drink alcohol twice as fast as those with liver disease.
Don’t ignore the symptoms!
If you experience persistent fatigue, pain in the upper right side of your abdomen, sudden weight loss, or yellowing of your eyes, you should see a doctor immediately and get a liver function test (LFT) done.