Many individuals struggle with alcohol abuse. The liver metabolizes alcohol and fatty acids, but they may build up in other body locations such as the brain, heart, and pancreas if the liver doesn’t process fatty acids. Alcoholism can cause fatty liver disease, which leads to chronic liver disease in the long run. We talk about why fat accumulation is a big problem with alcohol abuse and how it leads to chronic liver disease in this blog article.
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Liver Function
The liver is situated on the upper right side of the abdomen, which is the body’s main internal structure. The liver’s primary functions are eliminating poisons and converting nutrients from food. Before being sent throughout the body, blood from the stomach is filtered through the liver.
The liver is a vital bodily organ that has several life-saving functions. The following are some of the responsibilities of the liver:
- Bile is secreted in the liver, pushing fat and waste out of the small intestine during digestion.
- Protein synthesis in the blood plasma
- Control blood clotting
- Cholesterol and unique proteins aid in the transport of lipids throughout the body.
- Excess glucose is converted into glycogen (stored and then reconverted to energy) to maintain equilibrium and make glucose as required.
- The maintenance of adequate blood levels of amino acids, which are the components of proteins.
- The liver removes the iron from hemoglobin for use in the body (stores iron).
- The conversion of deadly ammonia to urea (urea is a final by-product of protein metabolism and is excreted in the urine)
- Dealing with blood that has been poisoned by substances and other harmful substances
- By generating immune factors and removing germs from the circulation, you may help to prevent infections.
- Bilirubin clearance, which is caused by red blood cells. If there is an accumulation of bilirubin in the skin and eyes, they will become yellow.
When the liver has done its job of breaking down, poisons and by-products are excreted in the bile or blood. Bile by-products travel through the intestines and are eliminated from the body via feces. Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidneys, which discharge them as urine.
Then What is fatty liver disease?
Known as hepatic steatosis, it is a Fatty liver disease; it is a disease in which the liver becomes fatty. A healthy liver has very little fat. When fat outweighs 5% to 10% of your liver’s weight, it becomes an issue.
Excess fat in your liver can irritate the organ, causing it to swell and scar. Scarring can cause your liver to fail under challenging situations.
Chronic excessive drinking can cause liver damage. It’s also more likely to get it if you’re a heavy drinker. Over time, too much alcohol causes fat to accumulate in your liver cells, making it more difficult for your liver to function.
Even if you don’t consume a lot of alcohol, you can get fatty liver disease.
Fatty liver disease may be classified into two types:
NON ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE
- Benign fatty liver: Because fatty liver is characterized by fat in the liver without corresponding inflammation or cell damage, it’s usually a benign condition. It seldom gets worse or causes issues with your liver.
- Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is more severe than a simple fatty liver. NASH ICD-9 diagnoses NASH.NASH implies that your liver is inflamed. Inflammation and cell damage caused by NASHA can result in serious side effects, including fibrosis and cirrhosis, both of which are types of liver scarring and liver cancer in specific people. About 20% of those with fatty liver will develop NASH.
ALCOHOLIC RELATED FATTY LIVER DISEASE (ARLD)
Alcoholic fatty liver disease is avoidable. When you stop consuming alcohol, it generally improves. If you continue to drink, ALD might induce severe health issues, including:
Alcoholic fatty liver disease
Even for only a few days, drinking alcohol might result in fats in the liver.
Fatty liver disease is when your liver becomes swollen and thickened due to excessive fat intake. Although fatty liver disease seldom has any symptoms, it is a warning sign that you consume too much fat.
The condition is treatable. Fatty liver disease is reversible if you quit drinking alcohol for two weeks.
Alcoholic-hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis, distinct from viral hepatitis, is a severe disease caused by prolonged drinking.
A person should be aware that they are harming their liver through drinking.
If you quit drinking permanently, the liver damage caused by minimal alcoholic hepatitis is generally reversible.
However, alcoholic hepatitis is a severe and potentially fatal condition.
Every year, a significant number of individuals die from liver injury. Some people only learn that they have liver damage when too late.
Cirrhosis
The final stage of ARLD is known as cirrhosis, a liver scarring. There could or may not be any visible symptoms at this time.
It’s rarely reversible, but quitting drinking right away might help prevent additional damage and add years to your life.
A person with alcoholic cirrhosis who does not cease drinking has a less than 50% chance of living for at least five years.
Cirrhosis is the most common cause of chronic liver failure. Cirrhosis scars the liver due to repeated or long-term harm, such as drinking excessively over a lengthy period or persistent hepatitis infection. The liver’s function deteriorates as scar tissue replaces healthy liver cells.
Causes of acute liver failure include:
- Bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella. Viruses that cause infections in the liver, such as Hepatitis B (HBV)
- Excesses of specific medicines or poisons, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®), and the use of other medications (particularly anticonvulsants, antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, artificial hormones, and antifungal herbs).
- Wilson and autoimmune hepatitis are metabolic (biological) or vascular (arteries that transport fluids) diseases.
Must Read: How Does Alcohol Affect the Kidneys
The following are signs of cirrhosis:
- Nausea
- tiredness or weakness
- Vomiting
- itching skin
- yellow eyes
- abdominal pain
- weight loss
- fever cough throat
- ulcers
- loss of appetite
- breast swelling (edema) in men
- confusion syndrome
- Restless legs syndrome is often another sign.
Fatty Liver Disease Causes
Liver failure can be caused by various diseases and conditions, including Hepatitis B and C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcohol abuse, and hemochromatosis.
The most common cause of the fatty liver disease is alcoholism. It can then worsen and develop into alcoholic hepatitis, a form of chronic liver damage. It may progress to alcoholic cirrhosis over time.
The following factors may lead to fatty accumulation:
- Obesity or being overweight
- Diabetes
- High cholesterol
- A fatty diet, especially one high in unhealthy fats
- Lack of exercise
- Alcohol abuse is the most prevalent reason for fatty liver disease is excessive consumption of alcohol. When you consume alcoholic beverages, your body transforms them into fatty acids, which the liver then stores.
- Other conditions cause fatty buildups in your body, such as Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism.
- Insulin resistance means that your body doesn’t react to insulin as it should (type-2 diabetes).
- You have high levels of triglycerides (or “bad”) cholesterol, or low amounts of good cholesterol (HDL), or you have been on a weight-loss diet for a long time.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Sleep apnea.
- being exposed to toxins and chemicals
A fatty liver is the first step to developing a chronic fatty liver. This heavy buildup causes inflammation and scar tissue in the liver, diminishing its ability to function correctly. As more fat accumulates, your body becomes less effective at filtering toxins from the blood as it should be able to do.
Fatty Liver Disease Complications
The major complication with NAFLD and NASH is cirrhosis, late-stage liver scarring. Cirrhosis occurs as a result of Liver Injury, such as that found in NASH. As the liver stops inflammation, it forms scars (fibrosis). Fibrosis grows through persistent inflammation because of its inability to regenerate healthy cells.
Other long-term complications of fatty liver disease include:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults in the United States. It occurs when abnormal cells in the liver, called hepatocytes, start to grow uncontrollably.
- End-stage renal disease (ESRD) occurs when your kidneys can no longer remove waste from the bloodstream.
- In women, fatty liver disease increases the risk of pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.
Prevention and Treatment for Fatty Liver Disease:
At this point, no known cure is established for fatty liver disease. If it’s detected early enough and you modify your lifestyle, you might be able to reverse the damage.
The most excellent method to avoid fatty liver disease is to:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Consume a healthy diet low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables.
- exercise regularly
- limit your intake of alcohol
If you already have fatty liver disease, your doctor may prescribe medications to help improve your liver function. These include:
- Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)
- Statins, which are cholesterol-lowering drugs
- Alternative medicine, such as weight reduction and exercise regimens, are other non-drug therapies.
- A liver transplant is the only definitive treatment for cirrhosis caused by fatty liver disease.
Why is alcohol bad for your liver?
Several studies have been conducted about the dangers of alcohol abuse. But fatty liver disease from alcohol avoidance is also a real thing you need to seek help for. If the health risks of fatty liver disease aren’t enough motivation to lay off the sauce, there are several other reasons as well:
- Alcohol abuse can cause depression.
- Drinking too much makes it way harder to stay healthy and maintain a good weight.
- Drinking too much alcohol also increases your risk of various cancers, including liver cancer.
Alcohol abuse leads to fatty liver disease. Alcohol induces fatty deposits in the liver by increasing triglyceride synthesis and reducing fatty acid oxidation, which are processes that lead to fat accumulation in your cells.
It is best not to drink alcohol of any kind if you have a fatty liver disorder or any complications due to heavy buildup in your liver unless your health care provider prescribes it. Alcoholic beverages are not recommended for anyone with fatty liver disease. Even one drink might aggravate an already damaged liver.
How is fatty liver disease diagnosed?
If fatty liver disease is suspected, your doctor will first take a detailed medical history and conduct laboratory tests. These tests can help determine the stage (degree) of fatty liver damage that you have.
If fatty liver disease is confirmed, you and your doctor will develop a treatment plan based on the specific stage of fatty liver disease.
The most common tests used to diagnose fatty liver disease include:
- blood tests to measure levels of certain liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], and gamma-glutamyltransferase [GGT])
- a liver ultrasound to create images of your liver,
- an MRI or CT scan to look for fatty deposits in your liver
- A biopsy is done to get a small tissue sample from your liver for examination under a microscope. This test is rarely used because it’s considered the most invasive step.
How to avoid drinking too much?
Here are a few tips to avoid drinking too much and damaging your liver:
- Pace yourself. Drink moderately
- Eat before you drink. Don’t drink on an empty stomach.
- Avoid high sugar mixers, such as fruit juices and soda.
- Between alcoholic beverages, drink water or club soda. This will help you hydrate and cut down on the empty calories you consume.
- Alternate alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic ones such as vodka or rum mixed with club soda, diet tonic water, grapefruit juice, and cranberry juice.
- Stick to light beers or wines if you do drink alcohol.
- Outsmarting the temptation to drink alcohol by staying busy and having fun with friends and family is a great way to avoid fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
Signs that you are addicted to alcohol :
- Do you drink at times when it’s physically hazardous for you to do so?
- Do you sometimes stay drunk or get back on drinking after a period of abstinence because of such problems as job-related difficulties, fights with family members, and depression?
- Does the thought of not drinking make you feel uncomfortable or anxious? Do you drink alone, in the morning, or before bedtime?
- Has your drinking caused problems at work, school, or home?
- Have you ever had doubts about your drinking?
- Do you drink to get high or feel better?
The probability is high if your answer to these questions is YES; there’s a chance you are addicted to alcohol and should seek professional help.
With fatty liver disease, you should also look at your nutrition. Following a nutritious diet high in fruits and veggies will be essential for recovery. Limit your alcohol intake as it can further damage your already struggling liver. Exercise regularly is another effective way for fatty liver disorder treatment that many people forget about when recovering. Lastly, seek professional help if you struggle to control your drinking.
Citation Source: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmra011775
