Your liver is one of the hardest-working organs in your body. It removes harmful substances from your blood, stores nutrients, and helps digest food.
It also breaks down alcohol, but drinking too much over a long time can overwhelm the liver and lead to alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), a major cause of illness and death worldwide.
When the liver processes alcohol, it creates harmful substances that can injure liver cells. Heavy drinking again and again gives the liver little chance to recover. Over time, this can cause fat to build up, trigger inflammation, create permanent scarring, and increase the risk of liver failure and liver cancer.
Alcohol-related liver disease usually develops in stages. The earliest stage is alcoholic fatty liver disease, which happens when fat collects inside liver cells. Many people have no symptoms at this stage, but the liver can often recover if alcohol is stopped early enough.
If heavy drinking continues, the disease may progress to alcoholic hepatitis. This means the liver has become inflamed and damaged. People may develop pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, lose their appetite, feel sick, vomit, or notice yellowing of the skin and eyes, known as jaundice. Severe cases can become life-threatening.
The final stage is cirrhosis. At this point, healthy liver tissue has been replaced by scar tissue, making it difficult for the liver to do its job. The damage is usually permanent and can lead to liver failure, internal bleeding, and the need for a liver transplant.
The symptoms of ARLD depend on how much damage has already occurred. Early signs may include tiredness, weakness, or feeling generally unwell. As the disease becomes more serious, swelling of the abdomen from fluid buildup, nausea, vomiting, and poor appetite are more likely to appear.
In advanced disease, harmful toxins that the liver can no longer remove may build up in the blood and affect the brain. This can cause confusion, memory problems, and changes in behavior, a condition called hepatic encephalopathy. Some people also develop red palms or tiny spider-like blood vessels on the skin.
The good news is that the liver has a remarkable ability to repair itself, especially in the early stages of disease. Cutting back on alcohol or stopping completely is the most effective way to prevent further damage. Even people with more advanced liver disease can improve their health by giving up alcohol.
Regular medical check-ups are important for people who drink heavily or have other risk factors, such as a family history of liver disease.
Early diagnosis allows treatment to begin before permanent damage develops. If you or someone you know has symptoms of liver disease and a history of heavy alcohol use, seeking medical advice as soon as possible could make a life-changing difference.
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