How does alcohol affect the liver? Folk methods of protecting the liver from alcohol. Know that there is a bright side too

The liver is one of the most amazing organs in our human body. She is responsible for the normal flow huge amount metabolic and other processes without which a person cannot survive. And at the same time, by abusing alcohol, we often do not even think that by doing so we are cutting ourselves a branch on which we are already sitting precariously. What is the negative and often dangerous for life and health effect of alcohol on the liver?

Unique properties of the liver

The liver in its importance for the body may well compete with the heart, because:

• This is the most important "chemical laboratory" of all that exists in our body,
• During the day, the liver filters more than 720 liters of blood,
• The organ itself consists of more than 300 billion hepatocytes - liver cells that around the clock process one substance into another, including synthesizing vitamins,


• The liver is responsible for the production of enzymes necessary for normal digestion and at the same time neutralizes food and other poisons and toxins,
• This amazing organ has the unique ability to self-heal when favorable conditions, but, of course, to a certain limit - often drinkers bring the liver to such a degree of destruction that its full recovery becomes impossible.
• It is the liver, which fully performs its functions, that provides the body with strong immunity.
• And, finally, it is in the liver that ethanol breaks down to harmless water and carbon under the influence of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase.

The harmful effect of alcohol on the liver

The liver, despite its ability to heal itself, usually becomes defenseless against excessive drinking, and as a result, the following happens:

1. The balanced metabolic processes occurring in hepatocytes are disrupted - as a result, fat metabolism is drastically changed and the work of the hepatocytes themselves is disrupted.
2. Often, liver tissue under the influence of an excessive amount of alcoholic beverages is reborn - it develops pathological process leading to fatty degeneration. It happens like this: the structural components (organelles) of each hepatic cell begin to deform, the cell nucleus changes position due to the fact that the cytoplasm is filled with fat. Over time, the cell increases in size and almost completely ceases to perform its functions.


3. Due to the depletion of liver cells due to a decrease in the production of alcohol dehydrogenase (the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of alcohol), the protective properties of the liver deteriorate, and as a result, it ceases to provide high level immunity - the body weakens and becomes vulnerable to many infections and viruses.
4. As a result, fatty degeneration becomes the cause of inflammatory processes, and they, in turn, cause alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis.

How to repair an alcohol-damaged liver

In the early stages of alcoholism, this extraordinary self-healing organ is still able to fully return to normal, so the only way help him - completely stop drinking alcohol-containing drinks and sit on a sparing diet without fatty, spicy, salty and fried foods.

If a person has consumed an excessive amount of alcohol for years, the liver can be so destroyed that there is no question of complete recovery. However, it is quite possible to stop the destruction and support the organ - in the place of the dead hepatocytes, connective tissue is formed, which looks like scars on ultrasound.

Finally, if chronic alcohol intoxication has nevertheless reached its climax, fatty steatosis and cirrhosis, adaptive alcoholic hepatomegaly and other diseases develop. The liver ceases to perform its protective and other functions. As a result, the whole body suffers - digestion worsens, immunity drops, metabolic processes are disturbed, a person becomes weak and very vulnerable.

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Consequences of alcohol abuse

Depending on the impact, the consequences of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can be classified:

1. Internal - health problems

• CNS disorders (aggression, depression, frequent change mood, loss of self-control, inattention);
• Loss of ability to work;
• emergence malignant tumors(cancer of the liver, stomach, pancreas, lungs);
• Violation of the heart muscle - tachycardia, shortness of breath, cardiomyopathy.
• Liver damage - hepatosis, fibrosis, cirrhosis.

2. External - traffic accidents, domestic accidents, increased crime rates, economic costs (unemployment benefits), etc.

The world's leading scientists have proven that greatest danger alcohol abuse is specifically for the liver. Latest Research showed that ingestion of 10 g of alcohol destroys up to 150 liver cells, and this is only 1 glass of beer. For the development of a chronic disease of the gland, it is enough to drink alcohol for 5-7 years. If there are comorbidities ( overweight, hepatitis, genetic predisposition) the time frame is reduced by 2 times, and the treatment is delayed and complicated.

Whose liver is least protected

As mentioned above, even a small dose adversely affects the functioning of the gland. Due to the amazing regenerative properties, we hardly notice failures. But as they say, "drop by drop and the stone wears off." The systematic ingestion of alcohol leads to a slowdown in the regeneration of gland cells and the formation of scar tissue, which contributes to the development of serious diseases.

Years of research have shown that most at risk the occurrence of organ damage due to alcoholism are exposed to:

Adolescents aged 14-22 years;

Girls 16-30 years old;

Patients taking potent medications (anabolics, analgesics, painkillers, ghetto-blockers, sugar-lowering drugs, etc.);

overweight people;

Patients with diagnosed diseases of the digestive system, chronic pathologies organ ( viral hepatitis, hepatosis), diabetes mellitus.

People with psycho-emotional disorders (stress, depression);

Individuals who grew up in an unfavorable family.

Liver damage by stages

Exists whole list diseases caused by alcoholism. The destruction caused by these pathologies can be divided into 3 stages: fatty degeneration of the liver, fibrosis and cirrhosis. Let's consider them in more detail.

Stage 1 - fatty degeneration of the liver

Fatty degeneration or hepatosis is a non-inflammatory chronic disease caused by a metabolic disorder in hepatocytes (cells), which provokes the replacement of healthy cells with adipose tissue. The disease belongs to the category of reversible. The disease is diagnosed with the same probability, both in women and in men aged 30 to 50 years.

Pathology has a long process of development. Within 5-6 years, the patient may not feel any changes at all. Then there is a sharp jump, in which the patient has pathological changes not only in the liver, but also in the accompanying organs. The patient may complain of: constant fatigue; poor general health; distraction; pain in the right hypochondrium, radiating to the upper abdomen; the appearance of spots on the skin. On palpation, the doctor can detect a significant increase in the liver (most often the upper right sector). A blood test will show high levels of bilirubin, cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Often, therapy at this stage consists of prescribing a diet, avoiding alcohol, and cleansing the liver with drugs containing amino acids.

2nd stage - liver fibrosis

Fibrosis of the liver is a pathological phenomenon in which scar tissue grows around the central hepatic veins or from the center of the organ along the hepatic beams to the parenchyma.

Fibrosis can only be diagnosed with histological examination. Symptomatically manifests itself in the form of poor appetite, nausea, pain syndromes, slight hair growth, impotence, jaundice, bloating, etc. A blood test will reveal the development of anemia, a decrease in platelet levels, and the presence of transferrin markers.

The treatment is carried out by the classical method - a complex of diet and medications that are prescribed to cleanse the body of accumulated harmful toxins, eliminate existing damage, relieve inflammation and saturate the body with the missing enzymes and vitamins.

Not timely treatment disease leads to the development of fibrosis into cirrhosis.

Stage 3 - cirrhosis of the liver

Alcoholic or toxic cirrhosis of the liver occurs when a combination of a number of factors:

• Prolonged use of alcohol;
• Heredity;
• The presence of a concomitant chronic disease;
• Female;
• vitamin deficiency;
• Excess in the diet of fatty and spicy foods.

This disease manifests itself after 10 years of drinking alcohol. Patients complain of muscle weakness, sleep disturbance, sudden loss weight, bloating, nausea, loss of appetite, yellowness of the skin, sclera and mucous membranes. In the later stages of the development of the disease, severe skin itching, bleeding of the gums and pain, tachycardia, varicose veins, ascites. Alcoholic cirrhosis is characterized by the formation of small nodular formations that can be detected on ultrasound.

It is impossible to completely cure the disease. The patient will need to make a lot of efforts in order to stop the development of pathology and resuscitate the gland. First of all, it is necessary to completely get rid of alcohol addiction and only then begin drug treatment.

Therapy of extensive (more than 70%) education fibrous tissue requires surgical intervention in the form of a transplant.

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4 main types of liver disease

There are quite a few types of liver disease, but the main ones include the following:

1. Alcoholic fatty disease liver
2. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
3. Viral infections (Hepatitis)
4. Autoimmune disorders (chronic hepatitis)

All of these types can cause significant damage to the liver, but we will only talk about diseases that can be caused by excessive drinking, since controlling how much you drink can prevent their development in most cases.

Excessive alcohol consumption can damage the liver in two ways.

There are two types of liver disease: acute and chronic. In the first case, the disease develops under the influence of any factors within a few months, in the second - several years.

As for provoking factors, there are a lot of them, including excessive alcohol consumption, which leads to the development of alcoholic liver disease. In fact, scientists still haven't figured out exactly why large amounts of alcohol damage the liver, but among possible causes are called the following:

1. oxidative stress. When the liver breaks down alcohol, the accompanying chemical reaction damaging her cells. Subsequently, this can lead to inflammation and scarring as the liver tries to repair itself.
2. Toxins in gut bacteria. Alcohol can disrupt the bowel, allowing toxins out intestinal bacteria penetrate the liver and cause all the same inflammation and scarring.

Drinking alcohol increases your chances of developing liver disease, that's a fact. At the same time, there are no specific dosages, the excess of which will significantly affect the chances of developing the corresponding problems. So far, all studies have established only a direct relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed and the likelihood of developing liver diseases.

Other risk factors include:

• alcohol addiction. On average, 7 out of 10 people with alcoholic disease liver suffer from alcohol addiction.
• Female. Apparently, this is due to the peculiarities of the assimilation of alcohol by the female body.
• Excess weight. Overweight can exacerbate many of the mechanisms of liver damage from excessive alcohol consumption.

Excessive drinking causes the liver to increase in size, and reducing its amount helps return it to its normal size.

The liver converts sugar into fat and stores it for later use when needed. So, alcohol directly affects how the liver distributes fat, provoking its deposition inside the cells of the liver itself.

When this happens, you may feel mild discomfort in the abdomen due to the enlargement of the liver. You may also feel unwell and lose your appetite. The presence of fatty liver disease can be determined with a blood test.

Determining the severity of liver disease: symptoms

In fact, people can cause damage to the liver for 20 years and not feel any particular problems.

Early symptoms of liver disease include:

• Stomach ache
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomit

Here are the symptoms late stages already more serious, and it is impossible not to notice them. Among those:

• Intestinal bleeding
• Easy bruising
• Fatigue
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin)
• Hypersensitivity to alcohol and medicines because the liver simply cannot process them
• Skin itching
• Leg swelling or bloating
• Hematemesis
• Weakness, loss of appetite

With cirrhosis, the refusal of alcohol is a mandatory point of treatment, otherwise the liver will stop working, leading to death. In especially severe cases the only treatment option may be a liver transplant, after which you can not drink alcohol for at least 3 months.

If treatment is not delayed, alcohol-induced liver problems can be reversed.

First of all, we are talking about a significant reduction in the amount of alcohol consumed, due to which it is possible to reverse the damage caused in the earlier stages.

If cirrhosis is diagnosed, prognosis will depend in part on whether the person continues to drink. If the patient does not give up alcohol, he will soon feel much worse and die much faster. It is very important to understand that it is never too late to stop drinking, even if you already have cirrhosis.

Consumption control

The likelihood of developing alcohol-induced liver problems can be significantly reduced by following the recommendations. We bring to your attention three simple and effective tips:

1. Divide daily dose alcohol for 3 days or more. If you want to learn how to drink less, do not drink a lot at one time, but rather spread the same amount over several days of the week. Just try this approach and you will be surprised at the result.
2. eat well. Full reception healthy food before drinking and low-fat and unsalted snacks during the time will reduce the rate of absorption of alcohol. healthy eating supports liver function and plays a key role in your health.
3. Keep track of what and how much you drink. The liver can't tell you what you've overdone.

alco life

Liver disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and death. A large number of people suffer from liver diseases caused by alcohol. As a rule, liver diseases affect those who have been heavily abusing alcohol for many years.

While many of us know that excessive drinking leads to liver disease, we may not know why. Understanding the relationship between alcohol and the liver will help you make smarter choices about your drinking and take better control of your health.

Liver functions:

Your liver is working hard to keep your body healthy and healthy condition. It stores energy and nutrients. The liver produces proteins and enzymes in your body that are used to function and fight disease. It also rids the body of substances that can be dangerous, including alcohol.

The liver breaks down most of the alcohol consumed by a person. But the process of destruction ethyl alcohol creates toxins that are even more toxic than the alcohol itself. These metabolic products damage liver cells, promote inflammation, and weaken the body's natural defense mechanisms. Eventually, these problems can disrupt the body's metabolism and impair the functioning of other organs.

As the liver plays so important role in alcohol detox, it is especially vulnerable to damage from excessive drinking.

Consequences of alcohol abuse:

stage of alcohol-induced liver damage

Fatty degeneration of the liver

The deposition of adipose tissue causes an enlargement of the liver.

Persistent abstinence from alcohol can lead to a full recovery.

Fibrosis of the liver

Scar tissue is formed.

Recovery is possible, but scar tissue remains.

The growing connective tissue destroys the liver tissues.

The damage is irreversible.

Heavy drinking - even for a few days - can lead to the deposition of fatty tissue in the liver. This condition - called hepatic steatosis, or fatty liver disease - is the most early stage alcoholic liver disease and the most common alcohol-induced liver disorder.

Excess adipose tissue complicates the functioning of the liver and makes it vulnerable to the development of dangerous inflammatory processes, such as alcoholic hepatitis.

For some people, alcoholic hepatitis has no obvious symptoms. However, in others, it can cause fever, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and even confusion.

As the severity of alcoholic hepatitis increases, it dangerously enlarges the liver and causes jaundice, a tendency to bleed, and bleeding disorders.

Another liver disease associated with heavy drinking is fibrosis, which leads to the accumulation of scar tissue in the organ. Alcohol changes the chemicals in the liver that are needed to break down and remove this scar tissue. As a result, liver function suffers.

If you continue to drink, this excess scar tissue builds up and leads to a disease called cirrhosis of the liver, which is the slow destruction of the organ. Cirrhosis interferes with critical liver functions, including infection control, removal of harmful substances from the blood and absorption of nutrients.

Once cirrhosis impairs liver function, a variety of complications can occur, including jaundice, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and even liver cancer.

Risk factors—ranging from heredity and gender to the availability of alcohol, social drinking habits, and even diet—can affect an individual's susceptibility to developing alcoholic liver disease. Statistics show that about one in five people who abuse alcohol will develop alcoholic hepatitis, while one in four will develop cirrhosis of the liver.

Know that there is a bright side too:

The good news is that various lifestyle changes can help treat alcoholic liver disease. The most important such change is abstinence from alcoholic beverages. Avoiding alcohol will help prevent further damage to your liver. smoking, obesity and poor nutrition All of these factors contribute to alcoholic liver disease. To keep liver disease under control, it is very important to stop smoking and improve your diet. But when diseases such as cirrhosis become advanced, a liver transplant may be the only treatment option.

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The effect of alcohol on the brain

From negative impact alcoholic beverages affect all organs. But most of all goes to neurons - brain cells. How alcohol affects the brain is known to people by the feeling of euphoria, high spirits and relaxation.

However, at the physiological level, at this time, the cells of the cerebral cortex are destroyed even after small doses of ethanol.

1. Normal blood supply to the brain occurs through thin capillaries.
2. When alcohol enters the blood, blood vessels constrict and red blood cells stick together, forming blood clots. They clog the lumen of the capillaries of the brain. In this case, nerve cells experience oxygen starvation and die. At the same time, a person feels euphoria, not even suspecting the destructive changes in the cerebral cortex.
3. Capillaries from congestion swell and burst.
4. After drinking 100 g of vodka, a glass of wine or a mug of beer, 8 thousand nerve cells die forever. Unlike liver cells, which can regenerate after alcohol withdrawal, nerve cells in the brain do not regenerate.
5. Dead neurons are excreted in the urine the next day.

Thus, under the influence of alcohol on the vessels, an obstacle is created for the normal blood circulation of the brain. This is the reason for the development alcoholic encephalopathy, epilepsy.

On the autopsy of the skull of persons who abuse alcohol, destructive pathological changes in their brain are naturally traced:

• reduction in its size;
• smoothing of convolutions;
• the formation of voids at the site of the dead areas;
• foci of point hemorrhages;
• Availability serous fluid in the cavities of the brain.

With prolonged abuse, alcohol affects the structure of the brain. Ulcers and scars form on its surface. Under a magnifying glass, the brain of an alcoholic looks like the lunar surface, riddled with craters and funnels.

The effect of alcohol on the nervous system

The human brain is a kind of control panel for the whole organism. In its cortex there are centers of memory, reading, movement of body parts, smell, vision. Violation of blood circulation and death of cells of any center is accompanied by a shutdown or weakening of brain functions. This is accompanied by a decrease in the cognitive (cognitive) abilities of a person.

The influence of alcohol on the human psyche is expressed in a decrease in intelligence and personality degradation:

• memory impairment;
• decrease in intelligence quotient;
• hallucinations;
• loss of self-criticism;
• immoral behavior;
• incoherent speech.

Under the influence of alcohol on the nervous system, a person's behavioral reactions change. He loses his modesty, restraint. He does things he wouldn't do in his right mind. Stop being critical of your emotions. He has unmotivated bouts of rage and anger. A person's personality degrades in direct proportion to the amount and duration of alcohol consumption.

Gradually, a person loses interest in life. His creative and labor potential is declining. All this negatively affects career growth and social status.

Alcoholic polyneuritis lower extremities develops after prolonged use of ethyl alcohol. Its cause is inflammation of the nerve endings. It is associated with an acute deficiency in the body of B vitamins. The disease is manifested by a feeling of sharp weakness in the lower extremities, numbness, and soreness in the calves. Ethanol affects both muscles and nerve endings- causes atrophy of the entire muscular system, which ends with neuritis and paralysis.

The effect of alcohol on the cardiovascular system

The effect of alcohol on the heart is such that for 5-7 hours it works under load. During the intake of strong drinks, the heartbeat quickens, blood pressure rises. Fully the function of the heart is restored only after 2-3 days, when the body is completely cleansed.

After the entry of alcohol into the blood, a change in red blood cells occurs - they are deformed due to rupture of the membranes, stick together, forming blood clots. As a result, the blood flow in the coronary vessels is disturbed. The heart, trying to push the blood, increases in size.

The consequences of the influence of alcohol on the heart when abused are the following diseases.

1. myocardial dystrophy. In place of the cells that died as a result of hypoxia, connective tissue develops, which disrupts the contractility of the heart muscle.
2. Cardiomyopathy is a typical consequence that develops over 10 years of alcohol abuse. It affects men more often.
3. Heart arythmy.
4. Ischemic heart disease - angina pectoris. After drinking alcohol, the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine increases in the blood, which increases the oxygen consumption of the heart muscle. Therefore, any dose can cause coronary insufficiency.
5. The risk of developing myocardial infarction in drinking people is higher than in healthy individuals, regardless of the state of the coronary vessels of the heart. Alcohol increases blood pressure, which leads to heart attacks and premature death.

Alcoholic cardiomyopathy is characterized by hypertrophy (dilation) of the ventricles of the heart.

The symptoms of alcoholic cardiomyopathy are as follows:

• dyspnea;
• cough, more often at night, which people associate with a cold;
• fast fatiguability;
• pain in the region of the heart.

Progression of cardiomyopathy leads to heart failure. Edema of the legs, liver enlargement, and cardiac arrhythmia are added to shortness of breath. With pain in the heart in people, subendocardial myocardial ischemia is often detected. Drinking alcohol also causes hypoxia - oxygen starvation of the heart muscle. Since alcohol leaves the body within a few days, myocardial ischemia persists all this time.

Important! If the next day after alcohol hurts the heart, you need to do a cardiogram and consult a cardiologist.

Alcoholic drinks affect the heart rate. After heavy drinking, often develop different kind arrhythmias:

• paroxysmal atrial tachycardia;
• frequent atrial or ventricular extrasystole;
• atrial flutter;
• ventricular fibrillation, which requires anti-shock medical measures(often fatal).

The presence of this kind of arrhythmias after taking large doses of alcohol is called a "holiday" heart. Violation heart rate, especially ventricular arrhythmias, often ends in death. Arrhythmias can be regarded as signs of cardiomyopathy.

The effect of alcohol on the human cardiovascular system is a fact that has been scientifically established and substantiated. The risk of these diseases is directly proportional to the use of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol and its breakdown product, acetaldehyde, have a direct cardiotoxic effect. In addition, it causes a deficiency of vitamins and proteins, increases blood lipids. During acute alcohol intoxication, the contractility of the myocardium is sharply reduced, which leads to a lack of blood in the heart muscle. Trying to compensate for the lack of oxygen, the heart increases contractions. In addition, during intoxication, the concentration of potassium in the blood decreases, which causes rhythm disturbances, the most dangerous of which is ventricular fibrillation.

The effect of alcohol on blood vessels

Alcohol raises or lowers arterial pressure? - Even 1-2 glasses of wine increase blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension. After taking alcohol in the blood plasma, the concentration of catecholamines - adrenaline and norepinephrine, increases, which increase pressure. There is a concept, "dose-dependent effect", which shows how alcohol affects blood pressure depending on its amount - systolic and diastolic pressure increases by 1 mmHg with an increase in ethanol by 8-10 grams per day. People who abuse alcohol are at risk hypertension increased by 3 times compared with teetotalers.

How does alcohol affect blood vessels? Let's figure out what happens to our blood vessels when we drink alcohol. The initial effect of alcohol on vascular wall expanding. But this is followed by a spasm. This leads to ischemia of the vessels of the brain and heart, leading to heart attack and stroke. Alcohol also has toxic effect on the veins in such a way that the flow of blood through them is disturbed. It leads to varicose veins veins of the esophagus and lower extremities. People who abuse libations often experience bleeding from the veins of the esophagus, which ends in death. Does alcohol dilate or constrict blood vessels? - these are only stages of its successive impact, both of which are destructive.

The main damaging effect of alcohol on blood vessels is related to how alcohol affects the blood. Under the influence of ethanol, erythrocytes clumping occurs. The resulting blood clots are carried throughout the body, clogging the narrow vessels. Moving through the capillaries, the blood flow becomes much more difficult. This leads to impaired blood supply in all organs, but the greatest danger is to the brain and heart. The body activates a compensatory reaction - it raises blood pressure in order to push the blood through. This leads to a heart attack, hypertensive crisis, stroke.

Effect on the liver

It's no secret how alcohol adversely affects the liver. The stage of release of ethyl alcohol is much longer than absorption. Up to 10% ethanol is released into pure form with saliva, sweat, urine, feces and breathing. That is why, after drinking alcohol, a person has a specific smell of urine and “fumes” from the mouth. The remaining 90% of ethanol has to be broken down by the liver. Complex biochemical processes take place in it, one of which is the conversion of ethyl alcohol to acetaldehyde. But the liver can only break down about 1 glass of alcohol in 10 hours. Unsplit ethanol damages liver cells.

Alcohol affects development the following diseases liver.

1. Fatty liver. At this stage, fat in the form of balls accumulates in hepatocytes (liver cells). Over time, it sticks together, forming blisters and cysts in the area. portal vein that interfere with the flow of blood from it.
2. At the next stage, alcoholic hepatitis develops - inflammation of its cells. At the same time, the liver increases in size. There is fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. At this stage, after stopping the use of ethanol, the liver cells are still able to regenerate (recover). Continued use leads to the transition to the next stage.
3. Cirrhosis of the liver is a typical disease associated with alcohol abuse. At this stage, the liver cells are replaced by connective tissue. The liver is covered with scars, when palpated, it is dense with an uneven surface. This stage is irreversible dead cells cannot recover. But stopping alcohol stops liver scarring. The remaining healthy cells perform a limited function.

If the consumption of alcoholic beverages does not stop at the stage of cirrhosis, the process passes into the stage of cancer. A healthy liver can be maintained with moderate consumption.

The equivalent is a glass of beer or a glass of wine a day. And even with such dosages, you can not drink alcohol daily. It is necessary to allow alcohol to completely leave the body, and this requires 2-3 days.

The effect of alcohol on the kidneys

The function of the kidneys is not only the formation and excretion of urine. They take part in balancing the acid-base balance and water-electrolyte balance, produce hormones.

How does alcohol affect the kidneys? - when using ethanol, they go into intensive mode of operation. The renal pelvis is forced to pump large volume liquids, trying to remove substances harmful to the body. Constant overloads weaken the functional ability of the kidneys - over time, they can no longer work constantly in an enhanced mode. The effect of alcohol on the kidneys can be seen after festive feast on a swollen face high blood pressure blood. The body accumulates fluid that the kidneys are not able to remove.

In addition, toxins accumulate in the kidneys, and then stones form. Over time, nephritis develops. At the same time, after taking alcohol, it happens that the kidneys hurt, the temperature rises, protein appears in the urine. The progression of the disease is accompanied by the accumulation of toxins in the blood, which are no longer able to neutralize the liver and excrete the kidneys.

Lack of treatment leads to development kidney failure. In this case, the kidneys cannot form and excrete urine. The poisoning of the body with toxins begins - general intoxication with a lethal outcome.

How alcohol affects the pancreas

The function of the pancreas is to secrete enzymes into small intestine to digest food. How does alcohol affect the pancreas? - under its influence, its ducts are clogged, as a result of which enzymes do not enter the intestine, but inside it. Moreover, these substances destroy the cells of the gland. In addition, they affect metabolic processes with insulin. Therefore, alcohol abuse can lead to diabetes.

Being decomposed, enzymes and decay products cause inflammation of the gland - pancreatitis. It is manifested by the fact that after alcohol the pancreas hurts, vomiting appears and the temperature rises. Pain in lumbar region are enveloping in nature. Alcohol abuse affects the development chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for breast cancer.

The effect of alcohol on the female and male body

Alcohol affects a woman's body to a greater extent than a man's. In women, the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which breaks down alcohol, is contained in a lower concentration than in men, so they get drunk faster. The same factor affects the formation of alcohol dependence in women faster than in men.

Even after taking small doses, women's organs undergo great changes. Under the influence of alcohol on a woman's body, reproductive function primarily suffers. Ethanol violates monthly cycle, negatively affects reproductive cells and conception. Drinking alcohol speeds up the onset of menopause. In addition, alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the breast and other organs. With age Negative influence alcohol on female body increases because it slows down its excretion from the body.

Alcohol negatively affects important brain structures - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The consequence of this is his bad influence on the male body- the production of sex hormones decreases, due to which the potency decreases. As a result, family relationships are destroyed.

Alcohol affects negatively all organs. The fastest and dangerous impact it has on the brain and heart. Ethanol increases blood pressure, thickens blood, disrupts blood circulation in the cerebral and coronary vessels. Thus, it provokes a heart attack, stroke, hypertensive crisis. With prolonged use, irreversible diseases of the heart and brain develop - alcoholic cardiomyopathy, encephalopathy. The most important organs designed to remove toxins from the body - the liver and kidneys - suffer. The pancreas is damaged, digestion is disturbed. But stopping alcohol early in the disease can repair cells and stop organ damage.

Rubric: Alcohol and the liver - the effect of alcohol on the liver

Liver diseases of alcoholic etiology occupy 30-40% of all liver lesions. AT last years The proportion of liver diseases associated with excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages has sharply increased. The systematic use of alcohol leads to the destruction of hepatocytes, fatty degeneration of the liver, its inflammation, and ultimately to cirrhosis.

Stages of alcoholic liver disease

Alcoholic liver disease goes through five stages in its pathogenetic development.

Adaptive alcoholic hepatomegaly

"" in translation into Russian means "enlarged liver". At this stage, there are subtle metabolic disorders in the liver tissue, primarily protein metabolism disorders. Clinically, the stage of adaptive hepatomegaly does not manifest itself in any way; There are also no specific changes in biochemical analysis blood. Only with electron microscopy can ultrastructural changes be detected, indicating increased output lipids.

Alcoholic fatty steatosis

Fatty degeneration is the most common manifestation of liver pathology in chronic alcoholism. It is clinically manifested by an increase in the liver (in some cases quite significant), the absence or unsharp pronounced changes in a biochemical blood test.

Subjective sensations may either be absent or manifest as a feeling of heaviness and discomfort in the right hypochondrium, fatigue, and decreased performance. The final diagnosis of fatty liver steatosis is made during needle biopsy: the diagnosis is qualified in the presence of more than 50% of hepatocytes containing fat droplets.

It should be noted that alcoholic liver disease at this stage is completely reversible: with the complete exclusion of alcohol, the liver restores its properties in 2-4 weeks (sometimes a little longer).

The terms of rehabilitation depend on many factors (heredity, good nutrition, age of onset of alcoholism, etc.).

Alcoholic hepatitis

This condition is found in approximately 34% of drinkers, more often in men aged 35-55 years. Mortality from the disease is 30 - 44%, and in severe cases of hepatitis without proper treatment, about 60% of drinkers die in the first 2 weeks.

Morphologically, alcoholic hepatitis is manifested by inflammatory and degenerative disorders of the liver. The clinical picture is dominated by icteric forms of the disease with discoloration skin, pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, sometimes bloating and fluid accumulation in abdominal cavity.

The severity of the pain syndrome may be minimal (a feeling of discomfort), but often gives a picture acute abdomen, which may be mistaken for acute appendicitis or . At adequate treatment, refusing to drink alcohol, the liver can partially restore its structure, but changes in the biochemical blood test do not completely return to normal.

Fibrosis of the liver

This stage begins with the activation of stellate cells of the liver, which are normally in an inactive state. When activated, stellate cells begin to produce collagen and other substances that lead to the development of connective tissue.

Progression leads to cirrhosis, portal hypertension and liver failure, the main method of treatment of which is transplantation. In its development, fibrosis goes through 5 stages (F0, F1, F2, F3, F4), the last of which (F4) is called liver cirrhosis.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver

It is characterized by abundant replacement of hepatic cells with scar tissue; the liver of an alcoholic, as a rule, shrinks, decreases in size, and its functional activity decreases.

Clinically manifested by yellowness of the skin, the appearance of spider veins on the skin (due to pathological expansion of capillaries), erythema of the palms, pronounced venous network on the abdomen, accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, itching.

In most cases, esophageal varices are diagnosed, which can serve as a source of bleeding. Portal hypertension syndrome develops, in which pressure in the veins of the systemic circulation increases.

The final stage in the evolution of alcoholic disease is hepatocellular cancer. With continued alcohol consumption, the mortality rate for 5 years reaches 80%.

This is the negative effect of alcohol on the liver, expressed in the initial stages in minor metabolic disorders, which entail the formation of cirrhosis or hepatocellular cancer.

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As you know, alcoholic liver disease consists of mutually arising from each other successive stages. All medications, designed to combat alcoholic liver disease, have a certain effect at each stage ...

The problem of alcoholism occupies a leading position as the cause of the development of many diseases. The main target that alcohol strikes is the hepatobiliary system, which includes the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. The effect of alcohol on...

In the human body, the liver performs one of the most difficult and dangerous tasks - it passes blood through itself, becoming a barrier against intoxication. This is especially important in cases of alcohol, since it is this organ that collects approximately 90% of the harmful products of its decay, where it breaks down and removes all by-products. It is impossible to underestimate the effect of alcohol on the liver, the harm caused by strong drinks, with to a large extent probability can cause the death of a drunkard.

How does the liver break down ethanol?

The liver breaks down alcohol with the help of three main enzyme systems. Most of the ethanol decomposes under the influence of a group of enzymes that provoke the oxidation of primary alcohols to organic compounds (alcohol dehydrogenase), a smaller part - with the participation of the microsomal ethanol-oxidizing system (MEOS).

MEOS usually begins to act at a high concentration of ethanol in the blood; it can oxidize 10-50% of the alcohols that enter the body. This is a "reserve" system, which is activated only with a significant impact on the body of xenobiotics, including drugs. The third enzyme system is catalase, located in the liver cells, which destroys hydrogen peroxide and breaks down less than 2% of ethyl alcohol.

When passing through the protective barriers of the liver, alcohol (ethanol) in the blood:

1. Oxidized to acetaldehyde.
2. Transforms into acetic acid (acetate).
3. Becomes part of the metabolic process.
4. Utilized by liver cells.

Which component is the most harmful

Regardless of what kind of alcohol (beer, wine, cognac or vodka) was introduced into the human body, acetaldehyde, an intermediate decay product, which is the so-called "liver poison", harms the liver.

It is harmful in that it provokes a malfunction of nerve cells due to interaction with neurotransmitters, carriers nerve impulses. As a result, active alkaloids are formed in the body, which, in fact, being a poison, cause addiction to alcohol and the development of alcoholism.

When abused alcoholic drinks liver cells increase, where the oxidation of ethylene components occurs. Because of this, the synthesis of fatty acids increases, the utilization of fats slows down, the intracellular outflow of bile is disturbed, the organ “gets fat”. The rate of processing of "liver poison" decreases, ethanol stops turning into acetic acid, accumulates and further damages the liver, provoking the development of connective and adipose tissue. This can lead to the development of cirrhosis and cancer liver (hepatocellular cancer develops in 5-15% of cases).

No less seriously, the breakdown products of alcohol harm the proteins of the liver cells. Ethyl alcohol has a depressing effect on the process of their formation, simultaneously provoking the formation of a specific protein (alcoholic hyaline), to which the immune system reacts sharply, up to the onset of autoimmune processes. Such processes lead to the development of hepatitis and cirrhosis.

How alcohol damages the liver

Doctors say that drinking alcohol in small doses for the body is not only not harmful, but even beneficial. The safe dose is less than 80 grams. per day, provided the duration of use is not more than 5 years. Systematic and copious reception strong drinks, no matter whether it is vodka, wine or just beer, has a toxic effect on the liver. Sooner or later, lovers of abuse are waiting for 3 main forms of pathology:

• fatty degeneration;
• hepatitis;
• cirrhosis.

The first to develop is alcoholic fatty degeneration, which is accompanied by poor health, heaviness in the liver, weak painful sensations when pressed against it. After a person stops drinking, his condition can still return to normal.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is accompanied by loss of appetite, muscle mass, nausea and vomiting. The liver enlarges (significantly), touching it is painful. A lethal outcome at this stage is very likely.

On the different stages the effect of alcohol on the liver leads to the development or exacerbation of many diseases. Entire organ systems suffer:

• cardiovascular;
• nervous (central and peripheral);
• musculoskeletal;
• circulatory;
• digestive.

Whose liver is least protected

Under the influence of alcohol, liver intoxication occurs, stimulated inflammatory process, due to which liver cells die, the functioning of this important body. Alcohol is the most harmful (not only vodka or beer, but even wine) for:

• women and children;
• people who are prescribed medications that depress the liver;
• people who are overweight or underweight;
• patients with diagnosed diseases of the digestive system;
• patients with viral hepatitis.

In some diseases, ethyl alcohol is not only harmful, but also dangerous. So it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol with hepatitis C - even a small dose will be fatal.

Even after a powerful attack of alcohol on the liver, you can recover. Whatever the dose, whatever the drink, the main thing is to stop in time. A categorical refusal to drink early stages eliminates the causes of potential liver diseases, otherwise the lesions become chronic, the toxic effect of ethyl alcohol literally kills the body. Problems begin with blood circulation, metabolism, digestion, and all because the liver - the "guardian of the body" - fails. And least of all it is necessary for those who already suffer from other problems.

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Everyone knows that drunkenness does not lead to good. But still strong drinks are consumed with or without reason. But every reception on the chest is a blow to your liver and other internal organs. Of course, a lot depends on the dosage and frequency of drinking strong drinks. If a person has “went through” once, then the body can easily cope with this. But if this happens regularly, the consequences accumulate and multiply. Usually, heaviness in the abdomen soon begins to bother. The effect of alcohol on the liver has been fairly well studied by doctors, but this does not reduce the number of drinkers. Therefore, today we will analyze this issue again.

alcohol tolerance

This question is often asked by doctors. Why can a neighbor drink almost any amount of alcohol and always feel great in the morning? The fact is that alcohol and the liver can for a long time"to live in harmony". But when the damage to the liver cells becomes critical, all the symptoms will bloom violently. Moreover, the effect of alcohol on the liver cannot be calculated in advance. That is, it will be unambiguously toxic, but when a person crosses that line, then the affected organ will no longer be able to perform the functions assigned to it.

How quickly this happens depends on many factors. This includes the types of alcohol consumed, the frequency of feasts and the amount daily consumption alcohol. Add to this the age of the person, the presence of concomitant diseases and the initial state of the liver. The effect of alcohol on this organ cannot be positive, because its cells have to process the strongest toxins to their own detriment.

Mechanism of influence

Any drink that includes ethanol is bad for liver cells. This also applies to medicinal tinctures on alcohol. Another thing is that we consume them in small doses. That is, the body will not notice the effect of ethanol in this case. Moderate alcohol consumption is also not a big tragedy. The liver is prone to regeneration. That is, a small number of its cells will die, but they will be replaced by others. The effect of alcohol on the liver increases as the person drinks more frequently.

Liver damage

Having tried alcohol for the first time, a person will not even notice a morning hangover. The effect of alcohol on the liver increases gradually. Time after time will happen more and more serious defeat her cells. Despite their ability to regenerate, the number of functioning ones is getting smaller.

Doctors distinguish 4 stages of the lesion:

• The alcohol that enters the body is sent to the liver for disposal. At the same time, hepatocytes convert ethanol into acetaldehyde, which the body is able to process at the cellular level and excrete through the kidneys. But the liver cells themselves are exposed to it, which leads to the destruction of their membrane. That is, the effect of alcohol on the human liver is direct, and all other tissues suffer already from its derivative.
• Increasing the dose leads to the following backfire. Part of the alcohol the liver is no longer able to block, and it enters directly into the blood. It causes defeat nervous system.
• When the liver cells are no longer able to regenerate, this large organ undergoes major changes. Metabolic processes are disturbed and fat accumulation begins.
• cirrhosis of the liver develops. From alcohol, cells not only lose the ability to function properly, but also die rather quickly.

The danger of alcoholism

All these processes take place hidden from the person. The liver is a very "tolerant" organ. To the last, he will diligently dispose of the poison that a person uses completely voluntarily. And only when her strength is running out, you will feel the symptoms of severe intoxication.

The main problem is that the symptoms begin to appear only at the very late stages of the disease. A person does not worry about liver damage and does not go to the doctor. Periodic pain in the right side, belching and other dyspeptic symptoms can be considered as a digestive disorder. Moreover, they often cope with them by taking another dose of alcohol.

Light alcohol or worst enemy?

The liver suffers from alcohol in any case. It doesn't matter if beer, schnapps or whiskey is on your table. Of course, if you compare a drunk bottle of vodka or a glass of beer, then it is obvious which drink will bring less harm. But usually it's the other way around. It is customary to drink beer in liters. Of course, this does not apply to everyone. If you buy yourself a bottle of cold drink once a week after a bath, it is unlikely that this will greatly affect your health, as well as your figure.

The pronounced diuretic effect of this drink leads to the fact that all the liquid is replaced by a toxic product. Such a volume is not able to process liver cells, and alcohol enters the bloodstream, affecting all internal organs. Do not forget that non-alcoholic beer is also not safe for humans. In addition, the drink disrupts metabolism and leads to weight gain.

Vodka or beer

What is more harmful? All strong drinks contain alcohol to a greater or lesser extent. But the oppression of consciousness when drinking vodka occurs much faster. That is, it is physically impossible to drink a few liters. In the case of beer, a dosage of 2-3 liters per evening is considered quite normal for many. In addition, beer today is made using preservatives that are quite harmful to the whole organism. Surely you have heard the term "beer alcoholism". A person does not see a day without beer, and he considers this normal. The farther, the greater the number. And when there is not enough for beer, then vodka is also suitable, and bacon as a snack. A double blow to the unfortunate liver, which will be very difficult for her to survive. Don't be surprised by how you feel.

safe dose

Briefly, the effect of alcohol on the liver can be characterized as follows. Any amount of ethanol is harmful. But if the liver neutralizes a small dose and then quickly recovers, then a large amount kills it. Cells are reborn and become ordinary connective tissue. Anatomically, the organ is in place, but it can no longer perform its functions. Based on this, the question arises: how much can you drink so as not to jeopardize your body?

Based on numerous studies, experts conclude that a dose of 1 g per 1 kg of body weight is safe for human health. It is difficult to understand how much it will be in the end.

• For a woman, this is 150 ml of wine, 330 ml of beer, 30 ml of cognac or vodka.
• For a man - up to 250 ml of wine, up to 500 ml of beer and up to 50 ml of spirits.

It doesn’t really resonate with the usual “between the first and second”, but this is exactly the framework that allows you to maintain your health and not break away from the team.

Alcohol and the gastrointestinal tract

Every person should know the effect of alcohol on the pancreas and liver. This will allow you to consciously say “no” at the right time. The liver is a natural barrier that is designed to neutralize toxins. Other organs of the gastrointestinal tract are much more sensitive to such effects.

Comparing the effect of alcohol on the liver and pancreas, it should be noted that the development of pancreatitis under its influence occurs much faster than cirrhosis. In more than 50% of cases, the development of chronic pancreatitis is caused precisely by alcohol abuse. Alcohol causes through which the contents of the gland are released into duodenum. These enzymes are not involved in digestion, but continue to digest the body from the inside.

Signs of damage to the pancreas

Pancreatitis is characterized the following symptoms:

• Girdle pain, which captures the entire hypochondrium.
• Dyspeptic syndrome. it increased salivation, severe bloating, nausea and belching, sometimes vomiting and aversion to fatty foods.
• Diarrhea with discharge a large number mushy feces with an unpleasant odor.

Recovery and treatment

The first task is the treatment of alcoholism. If a person continues to drink, the disease will progress. In the most severe cases, when alcohol intoxication is very strong, blood purification may be required. For this patient is placed in special institution where special solutions are introduced.

If a person is ready to give up drinking himself, then this moment can be skipped. Then you need to help the body cleanse itself. For this you need to drink a lot. Suitable water, weak brines and juices. About a week after drinking alcohol, you can start a course of treatment. It includes adsorbents and drugs to restore liver function. These are Karsil, Essentiale and many other hepaprotectors. Funds traditional medicine also work very well. In particular, try oatmeal jelly. And of course, you need to follow a strict diet throughout your life. Sweet, fatty, fried - only in minimal quantities, occasionally, during remission.

Instead of a conclusion

Health and alcohol are poorly compatible concepts. If you use it sometimes and in minimal quantities, then great harm he won't inflict. Our biological filter neutralizes ethanol. But drinking in large doses and regularly, you expose your body to very serious stress. Indigestion, metabolism, dry skin and hair problems, constant fatigue and bad feeling- that's what you have to pay for bad habits. Add to this problems with blood vessels and the heart, reproductive functions, disruption of the urinary system, and you will understand that it is much better to give up alcohol completely.

Alcohol abuse is the cause of many diseases internal organs. Doctors have long described the negative effect that it has on the heart, kidneys, lungs, stomach, bone tissue. But the harm of alcohol to the liver is a topic for a separate article. Why is this happening? What kind chronic diseases risks getting a person who consumes alcohol in an immoderate amount?

Alcohol and the liver: alcohol starts and wins

The liver is one of the most complex and multifunctional bodies. Doctors estimate that she performs over 500 various functions in our body, while most organs are only 2-3. The liver not only synthesizes and accumulates vital substances, but also produces bile, which is necessary in the process of digestion. That is why a healthy liver and alcohol are absolutely incompatible things.

How does alcohol damage the liver?

Alcoholic beverages, consumed in any quantity, destroy the membranes of the cells that make up the liver. As a result, this body is increasingly coping with its responsibilities.

One of the main functions of the liver is to neutralize and remove toxins from the body, for which special enzymes are produced. However, doses of alcohol for a long time lead to the fact that the liver produces less and less enzymes, and toxins gradually poison the body.

Violation normal functioning The liver immediately affects the work of all other organs, since they are closely interconnected, and the cessation of the liver means the death of the whole organism.

Acute and chronic liver disease due to alcohol consumption

Alcohol and the liver are absolutely incompatible things if you care about your health and do not want to become a regular patient of hospitals and clinics. Most diseases caused by alcohol pass from the acute phase to the chronic phase if timely treatment is not started and the intake of alcoholic beverages is not reduced.

One of the first alarming "calls" that the liver gives can be alcoholic hepatitis. it inflammatory disease liver with necrosis of individual lobes develops over three to five years, while initial stage there may not be any anxiety symptoms. Alcoholic hepatitis in its clinical manifestations is similar to normal. Patients complain about:

• Elevated (up to 37 degrees Celsius) temperature;
• Yellowed whites of the eyes, skin and oral mucosa;
• Cloudy urine and light-colored feces;
• Nausea, belching with a taste of bile;
• Weakness, fatigue;
• Heaviness under the right rib.

Alcoholic hepatitis can be diagnosed by palpation of the liver (it turns out to be enlarged) and a blood test (which will show elevated bilirubin). If in doubt, a biopsy is performed.

In two out of ten patients, in the case of refusal to drink alcohol and maintain healthy lifestyle life, alcoholic hepatitis can be cured.

If a person continues to abuse alcohol, the next stage begins - the liver after alcohol begins to malignantly degenerate and alcoholic hepatitis leads to cirrhosis of the liver. This disease is diagnosed in a quarter of people who drink alcohol.

The main symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver

Cirrhosis - incurable disease which can lead to liver cancer. Signs of cirrhosis:

• A sharp decrease in body weight with a simultaneous increase in the abdomen;
• Lack of elasticity and swelling of the skin;
• Vitamin deficiency and, as a result, bleeding gums, slow wound healing, bone fragility;
• Change in color and consistency of stool and urine;
• Bitter taste in mouth after eructation;
• Pain in limbs, including muscles.

Against the background of cirrhosis of the liver, diseases of other internal organs can also develop, for example, chronic pancreatitis, . Violation of the activity of the central nervous system in cirrhosis can cause unmotivated aggression, sleep disturbances, and the occurrence of delirium tremens.

With cirrhosis of the liver, the prognosis of treatment is extremely unfavorable. At complete failure from alcohol and timely treatment started for five years, only half of the patients survive.

Least likely to recover:

• among women;
• patients who are overweight;
• in the presence of a disease chronic hepatitis type "B" and "C";
• patients over 50 years of age.

Liver cancer as a result of alcohol consumption

According to medical statistics, in 15% of cases, cirrhosis transforms into liver cancer. There are primary (the tumor is located in the organ itself) and secondary or metastatic cancer. The symptoms are similar to those that occur with cirrhosis, but they are more pronounced, and the pain in the right hypochondrium is stronger. These may include stomach bleeding.

Video about the dangers of alcohol for the liver and not only

Video about the dangers of alcohol