You are probably aware of the fact that drinking a lot of alcohol has an adverse effect on your health. But are you aware of the interrelation between liver disease and alcohol consumption? Liver disease and alcohol consumption are very closely related to each other. There are three types of liver disease that you can suffer from if your consumption of alcohol is more than what is recommended. These diseases include cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, and alcoholic hepatitis.
Fatty liver disease is the most commonly seen liver disease due to alcohol. It is caused by the excess accumulation of fat cells within the liver. In case you are suffering from this alcohol-induced disorder, your liver will get enlarged, because of which you will experience abdominal discomfort on the right side.
Alcoholic hepatitis could be described as acute inflammation in the liver. This condition leads to liver getting scarred as well as destruction of individual liver-cells. In case you are suffering from this problem, you are likely to notice symptoms like jaundice, fever, a tender liver and spider-veins on the skin.
Cirrhosis refers to the destruction of the normal liver tissues, leaving behind scarred tissues that do not function properly. This disease is accompanied by several serious symptoms and could also lead to liver cancer.
A liver disease from alcohol abuse usually occurs if you consume excess amounts of the harmful substance for years together. Any alcohol that you drink gets absorbed into your bloodstream, after passing through your stomach and your intestines. All the blood in your intestines and stomach goes through the liver, before it circulates through the rest of the body. Therefore, the blood that is in the liver has the highest concentration of alcohol, as compared to the rest of the body. The enzymes or chemicals present in the liver cells metabolize alcohol, by first breaking it down into different chemicals and then into water and carbon dioxide. They are then passed out from the lungs and in the urine. There is only so much alcohol that your liver can process in an hour. If you drink alcohol at a pace faster than what your liver can handle, it is only natural that the levels of alcohol in your blood stream will rise. In order to reduce the risk of any liver disease due to alcohol you need to make sure that you consume no more than one or two units in a day.
Common Causes of Liver DiseaseYour liver is a very important organ, which is located on the upper-right side of your abdomen. It performs several important functions like:
Converting the nutrients absorbed from food into blood componentsDetoxifying the substances that may be harmful to the bodyEnabling the immune system to combat infectionsMaintaining the balance of hormonesMaking bile for digestionMetabolizing all the foods and beverages that are consumedProducing enzymes and proteinsRegulating the clotting of bloodRemoving bacteria from the bloodStoring vitamins and mineralsA liver disease could include any condition that damages your liver tissue or causes your liver to get inflamed, thereby affecting liver function adversely. Liver diseases can be categorized by their cause as well as the effect they have on the liver.
Causes of Liver Diseases
There are several different factors that could cause you to suffer from a liver disease. Some of the most common causes of liver diseases include:
Infections or injuries around the liverAlcohol abuseExcess exposure to toxic substances or drugsAutoimmune or genetic defectsCertain medical conditionsSymptoms of Liver Disease
The early symptoms of liver disease like loss of energy and weakness are fairly common. Therefore most liver diseases go undetected in the initial stages. However, as the disease progresses and gets more severe, the symptoms also become more evident. In fact, the symptoms of liver disease may be absent, till the condition reaches an advanced stage. Some of the most common symptoms of liver disease include:
Dark urine, often accompanied by light stoolsDiarrheaAppetite lossVomiting and NauseaAbdominal painPruritusSwelling in the abdominal areaUnexplained weight gain or weight lossJaundice or the skin and eyes turn yellowHome Remedies for Liver Disease
There are several effective home and natural remedies that can help alleviate the symptoms caused by liver diseases. Given below are some of the most common natural and home remedies for liver disease:
Drinking the juice extracted from two raw oranges once each dayConsuming a mixture made from equal parts of spinach juice and carrot juiceHaving a mixture made from papaya seeds extract and a teaspoon of lime juiceThese home remedies for liver disease do not really cure the disease, but can alleviate the discomfort. It is best to consult a doctor and get an approval, before using any of them.
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