How Does Drinking Alcohol Affect Your Liver: Early Signs of Damage

24 Feb How Does Drinking Alcohol Affect Your Liver: Early Signs of Damage

Binge drinking and liver damage are on the rise. 

The fact that your liver can’t filter too much alcohol at a time and hence, requires to be overworked answers why alcohol affects the liver.

Furthermore, overworked liver results in inflammation, accumulation of fatty acids, and finally a scarred liver. 

The scar tissues interrupt the functioning of the liver and ultimately the body surrenders the filtration process. 

The only solution then remains is a liver transplant. 

Well, this is the short answer to how alcohol affects the liver.

Interestingly, when alcohol affects the liver, the symptoms aren’t noticeable until major damage has already taken place.

So, here we are with some of the early signs of liver damage from alcohol along with the prevention tips for liver health. 

How Does Alcohol Affect Liver: Early Signs Of Liver Damage 

Be it filtering blood, detoxifying chemicals, or metabolizing drugs, a healthy liver does it all for you. 

And even though it is one of the most vital organs of the body, it is low maintenance. So, if something makes the issues noticeable enough, it has to be something serious.

Moreover, when a person drinks too much alcohol, he/she puts the entire body at risk, especially their liver. 

A UCSF study done on mice finds fatty liver, enzyme changes, and inflammation within 7 weeks of drinking. 

According to researchers of UC San Francisco, binge drinking harms the liver more than moderate drinking does. 

As per the research, with only 21 binge drinking sessions, mice were already showing the symptoms of early-stage liver disease. 

It is also made clear in the research that ARLD is not the result of years of heavy drinking. Liver dysfunction can also happen with a short term of heavy drinking.

Furthermore, heavy drinking that leads to liver damage is known as Alcohol-Related Liver Disease (ARLD), and it can lead to 3 different liver issues, namely:

1. Alcoholic Fatty Liver
2. Hepatitis
3. Cirrhosis

Excessive alcohol consumption can create a lot of complications, and the only way (after not drinking at all) to reduce the repercussions is to be aware of the signs. 

Here are some of the early signs of liver damage from alcohol that you need to look for:

#1. Loss Of Appetite

#2. Sudden & Dramatic Weight Loss

#3. Nausea

#4. Fatigue

#5. Swelling In Liver

If the inflammation happens to be severe, you might experience other signs like:

• Itchy Skin
• Jaundice
• Swollen Ankles and Feet
• Sensitive To Illness
• Confusion
• Slurred Speech
• Loss Of Sex Drive [RELATED: Effects of Alcohol on Sperm Quality]

Now, let’s discuss these signs of liver damage in detail to understand how does alcohol affects your liver.

#1. Appetite Loss

Does alcohol affect your liver?

Absolutely yes!

Excess consumption of alcohol decreases your appetite, making you feel nauseous and weak. 

Lack of proper nutrients and vitamins can further damage the liver cell and contribute to the damage. 

#2. Sudden Weight Loss

Considering the fact that excessive alcohol consumption can result in loss of appetite, it can undoubtedly result in unexplained weight loss. 

Additionally, alcohol consumption also affects digestive secretion, interrupting the breakdown of food into macro-nutrients.

#3. Nausea

ALD (Alcoholic Liver Disease) can cause you to vomit and often lead to nausea. Not only this, but consumption of excessive alcohol can also cause tender abdomen, low fever, and feeling unwell in general. 

Furthermore, continuous alcohol consumption can lead to liver inflammation and begin to damage the liver. 

#4. Fatigue

How alcohol affects the liver may vary from person to person. However, fatigue and weakness are some of the common early signs of liver damage from alcohol. 

Lack of nutrients, weight loss, and nausea because of alcohol are enough to cause weakness and fatigue. 

#5. Swelling In Liver

Inflammation and swelling of the liver are common among those consuming alcohol for long. 

It is one of the common symptoms of alcohol-related liver damage. Not to forget, it can further result in Cirrhosis – the final stage of liver disease. 

So, basically, drinking does affect your liver, and binge drinking for a longer duration can even be life-threatening. 

NOTE: These symptoms could indicate an illness. Hence, it is recommended not to self-diagnose and consult a professional health advisor only. 

Moving on, let’s talk about how does alcohol affect your liver in stages.

If someone continues to take alcohol for many years, liver damage starts to take place and usually happens in stages. 

Stages Of Liver Damage

Liver damage as a result of alcohol intake obviously doesn’t happen overnight or with just a drink. 

Continuous alcohol consumption damages the liver in stages. 

And there are 4 stages of liver damage because of alcohol consumption: 

First stage: Fatty Liver Disease

Second stage: Hepatitis

Third stage: Alcoholic Fibrosis

Fourth stage: Cirrhosis

Let’s discuss these levels of extremity caused because of excess alcohol consumption in more detail.

First Stage: Fatty Liver Disease

As the name suggests, “fatty liver disease” is the excess fat deposit in the liver. 

It generally happens when someone drinks a lot for a shorter period. According to a study, around 90% of the people who drink heavily have this condition. 

Some of the symptoms present at this stage are:

1. Fatigue
2. Sudden weight loss
3. Pain or discomfort around liver

Nevertheless, if the person stops drinking immediately, the fatty liver disease may subside. 

Second Stage: Hepatitis

Alcoholic hepatitis is the second stage of liver damage from alcohol. If a person continues to drink, liver inflammation and scar tissue begin to happen. 

As a result, there is a restricted blood flow in the liver, which interferes with its proper functioning. 

Moreover, alcoholic hepatitis causes organ failure and fluid retention in the abdomen. 

Hence, it’s important to stop drinking as soon as possible, or else it could be life-threatening. 

Adding to it, some of the symptoms of Alcoholic Hepatitis are:

1. Jaundice
2. Weight Loss
3. Blood in stool and vomiting
4. Low fever
5. Extreme tiredness

Third Stage: Alcoholic Fibrosis

This is the third stage of alcohol-related liver damage. This stage results in excess protein build-up in the liver. And due to damage, the liver ends up accumulating excess protein and develops fibrosis. 

Too much fibrosis can further give rise to alcoholic cirrhosis. 

Fourth Stage: Cirrhosis

This is the last stage of alcoholic cirrhosis and people at this stage often need a total detox from alcohol. 

Although this condition is permanent, its symptoms can be relieved if you take proper timely precautions.

Moreover, because it’s the last stage of liver damage from alcohol, it becomes difficult for the body to filter the toxins. 

Often, a person with alcoholic cirrhosis shows the following symptoms:

1. Strange Bruising
2. Dark Urine
3. Nasal Bleeding

Drinking excessive alcohol could be fatal and life-threatening. 

Additionally, if you have any underlying issues, it could be even more dangerous. 

Risk Factors Of Alcohol-Related Liver Damage

Binge drinking already creates serious health concerns. And if you are a person with co-morbidities, it gets even more difficult for your body to function properly. 

Some of the health risks that can accelerate the liver damage process from alcohol are:

#1. Obesity

Obesity increases the risk of liver damage because it itself creates fatty build-up in the liver. And these harmful cells then secrets the acids which destroy the good cells in the liver. 

Hence, being obese adds to the pressure on the liver’s functionality.

#2. Malnutrition

Alcohol interrupts the better digestion of food. Therefore, if you are malnourished, you already lack nutrients. 

In this case, drinking excess alcohol is only going to worsen your situation. 

#3. Hepatitis [Including viral hepatitis and particularly Hepatitis C]

Alcoholic hepatitis is the second stage of liver damage because of alcohol consumption. 

In such a case, being someone who is already dealing with hepatitis, especially hepatitis c, could increase the risk of developing liver damage. 

#4. Demographic Influences

It may sound weird at first, but demographic influences can also add to alcohol-related liver damage. 

To elaborate, African-American males and Hispanic males have high rates of Cirrhosis. 

#5. Family History Of ARLD

How your body reacts to alcohol and how it metabolizes the alcohol also depends on your genes. 

If there is an absence of certain enzymes that can restrict the body from counterfeiting the effects of alcohol, there are chances of ARLD to emerge. 

But if that’s the case, can limiting the amount of alcohol consumption save you from liver damage?

Yes, according to studies, limiting the amount of alcohol can not only save you from liver damage, but also help you in case you have any other underlying health issues. 

So, how much alcohol is hard on the liver?

How Much Alcohol Does It Take To Damage Your Liver?

So, how much really is too much? Answering this is not as easy as it seems. 

How much alcohol it takes to damage your liver depends on age, body weight, size, and gender. 

For instance, as compared to males, a woman’s body absorbs more alcohol from every alcoholic drink. Hence, their liver is more likely to get damaged. 

Consuming two or more alcoholic drinks daily can easily damage the liver over time. Adding to this, binge drinking with 4 or more drinks for the long term can result in ARLD (Alcohol-Related Liver Damage). 

So, can moderate drinking helps you escape liver-related damage? 

Yes!

According to studies, modest alcohol consumption can help you reduce the risk or severity of liver damage from alcohol. 

According to the research led by the scientists of the University of California, if people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease consume modest amounts of alcohol, i.e., not more than 1-2 drinks, they are less likely to develop hepatitis as non-drinkers. 

Moreover, the study also demonstrated that even moderate drinking can be bad for patients with viral hepatitis or cirrhosis. 

So, it is clear how much alcohol is bad for the liver. 

But what if you drink once a week? Will it also affect the liver negatively? Let’s find out…

Will Drinking Once A Week Damage Liver?

Well, you might wonder, is drinking once a week bad for your liver?

Even if you are drinking once a week, you must keep in mind the limit of drinking. 

Not drinking for 6 days and binge drinking a whole day is not going to save you from liver damage. 

The safe limit for alcohol consumption is 21 units a week (1 unit is approximately 25 ml of whiskey) in men, and in women, it is 14 units.

It’s not safe to consume 3 units in a day.

So, make a safe choice accordingly and stay away from liver-related issues. 

How Many Years of Drinking before Liver Damage Will Happen?

It can’t really be said in absolute terms. In some people, liver damage shows up pretty fast due to excessive drinking.

Whereas some cases never progress to liver damage with just a few years of drinking. And it may take these individuals 10 or even 30 years to exhibit signs of serious damage.

What is almost certain, though, is liver damage is the end result when you have been an everyday consumer of alcohol for a measurable amount of time. Even 5 years of heavy and excessive drinking is enough to warrant some damage to your liver.

On that note, you can almost always prevent and even reverse liver damage by choosing some healthy changes over alcohol use.

How to Prevent Liver Damage from Alcohol?

Liver health is important for the proper functioning of the body. And interestingly, you can prevent liver damage and maintain your health by following some overly simple lifestyle tips. 

Some of the prevention tips for liver health are: 

#1. Limiting Alcohol Intake

If you are an alcoholic, liver damage is inevitable. 

Hence, to keep your liver healthy, it’s more than important to limit your alcohol consumption. 

Men can have 2 standard drinks and women can have only 1. 

Standard drinks include:

• A small whiskey shot.
• 1 small glass of wine
• 1 ordinary beer.

#2. Balanced And Healthy Lifestyle

A balanced and healthy lifestyle is the key to a fit and healthy body. 

Consuming fatty foods and foods with high cholesterol can be the reason behind the fatty liver disease. 

Hence, it is recommended to avoid fatty foods, high cholesterol foods, and eliminate saturated fats and trans fats from your diet. 

Instead, eat more fiber-rich foods. 

#3. Stay As Active As Possible

Regular exercise is more important these days than ever. Having an active life is a boon for your whole body including the liver. 

The fact that being active reduces the chances of obesity and helps control diseases like diabetes prevents liver damage. 

#4. Stop Or Reduce Smoking

According to some studies, smoking cigarettes can develop the chances of liver cancer. 

Smoking can enhance the toxic effects of some medications as well. 

Hence, if you are a smoker, it’s now time to have control over it if you want to live healthily. 

#5. Take Extra Care If You Have Health Conditions

If you have liver conditions like:

• Diabetes
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

…you need to take extra care of your lifestyle habits and reduce the risk of liver damage. 

Your liver can only process a limited amount of alcohol at a time. Therefore, it’s important to level up the care for better health. 

Final Verdict

So, now you know how badly alcohol can affect your liver?

The liver has the ability to convert nutrients, vitamins, and medicines into substances that our body can use for its benefit. 

It secretes enzymes, generates hormones, and creates proteins to help fight indigestion. 

Around 1 hour is required for the body to process 1 alcoholic drink. And with every drink, this time frame continues to increase. 

The fact that your body can process only a limited amount of alcohol at a time makes it vital to have limited alcohol consumption. 

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ALSO READ: Benefits of Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer