Alcoholic Liver Disease

People who drink alcohol regularly will acquire a tolerance to the alcohol as their liver modifies it behaviour and increases the enzymes that are used to destroy the alcohol. In heavy drinkers, the levels of the liver enzymes can increase 3 times.

As the alcohol is now being broken down faster, the drinker will feel less effect with the same amount of alcohol, so starts drinking more.

When the liver breaks down alcohol, ethanal is produced. Now ethanal is toxic substance that can interact with molecules of the body and stop cells from working properly. If ethanal gets it grip on your body, alcoholic liver disease can result.

Alcohol will not just affect the liver. Your brain and also the blood vessels of your body can be affected. In the early stages of alcohol addiction, the effects can be reversed by stopping. If the person does not stop, the disease can lead to death.

As the dependence on alcohol continues, and the ethanal causes havoc with the cells of the body, changes will be happening.

As more alcohol is consumed, the body starts storing fat deposits in the cells of the liver. These can lead to bloating of the liver. The liver has a great capacity to repair itself, and if the person stops 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 not curable due to the fibrous nature of the liver.

Cirrhosis of the liver happens as more and more fibrous material replaces the cells in the liver. A point comes when the liver can no longer function properly.

If a person with cirrhosis stops drinking, the liver will stop being damaged. Damage already there will not be repaired though.

The problem with alcohol is that it is extremely addictive, and heavy users become dependent on it. Alcohol dependence can be seen by the following signs:

Drinking a lot of alcohol every day so that the blood has high levels, but the patient does not appear to be under the influence. If you think you are becoming dependent on alcohol, please consult your doctor.

Article Source: http://www.mycontentbuilder.com

Peter Johnson writes on a variety of health related websites. He has recently been testing out the Alcohawk digital breathalyzers which come in a variety of models, suitable for home or professional use. The Alcohawk Precision meets DOT standards.

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