Alcohol intake

The liver breaks down alcohol so it can be eliminated from body. If body consumes more alcohol than the liver can process, the resulting imbalance can injure the liver by interfering with its normal breakdown of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.

There are 3 kinds of liver disease related to alcohol consumption:

- Fatty liver is marked by a build-up of fat cells in the liver. Usually there are no symptoms, although the liver may be enlarged and person may experience discomfort in your upper abdomen. Fatty liver occurs in almost all people who drink heavily. The condition will improve after one stops drinking.

- Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Up to 35 percent of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis. Symptoms may include loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain and tenderness, fever and jaundice. In its mild form, alcoholic hepatitis can last for years and will cause liver damage. The damage may be reversible if one stops drinking. In its severe form, the disease may occur suddenly, after binge drinking, and it can quickly lead to life-threatening complications.

- Alcoholic cirrhosis is the most serious type of alcohol-induced liver disease. Cirrhosis refers to the replacement of normal liver tissue with scar tissue. Between 10 and 20 percent of heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis, usually after 10 or more years of moderate to heavy drinking. Symptoms of cirrhosis are similar to those of alcoholic hepatitis. The damage from cirrhosis is not reversible, and it is a life-threatening disease. The condition may stabilize if one stops drinking.

Many heavy drinkers will progress from fatty liver to alcoholic hepatitis and finally to alcoholic cirrhosis, though the progression may vary from patient to patient. The risk of developing cirrhosis is particularly high for people who drink heavily and have another chronic liver disease such as viral hepatitis C.

Serious complications from alcohol-induced liver disease typically occur after many years of heavy drinking. Once they do occur, the complications can be serious and life-threatening. They may further include:
- Accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
- Bleeding from veins in the esophagus
- Enlarged spleen
- High blood pressure in the liver
- Changes in mental function, and coma
- Kidney failure
- Liver cancer

Alcohol-induced liver disease may be suspected based on other medical and lifestyle issues related to alcohol abuse. Blood tests and imaging tests (MRI, CT scan, or ultrasound) may help in diagnosis and to rule out other causes of liver disease. Proof is best established by liver biopsy.

Even small amounts of alcohol can be dangerous when taken with medications containing acetaminophen, found in many over-the-counter pain relievers. The combination of alcohol and acetaminophen can be very harmful to the liver for anyone who drinks. Never take acetaminophen with alcohol, or immediately after a period of heavy drinking.