Alcohol Information
Although it is legal, alcohol causes more damage to
society than most, if not all of the illegal drugs combined. One of the first
major negative effects of the toxin is an impaired cognative and physical
ability. This is where people make bad choices, become violent, get in
accidents, etc. Since alcohol is a toxin, the liver is the major line of
defense against its long-term effects.
The liver is one of the largest and most complex organs in the body. It stores vital energy and nutrients, manufactures proteins and enzymes necessary for good health, protects the body from disease, and breaks down (or metabolizes) and helps remove harmful poisons, like alcohol, from the body.
Because the liver is the chief organ responsible for metabolizing alcohol, it is especially vulnerable to alcohol–related injury. Even as few as three drinks at one time may have toxic effects on the liver when combined with certain over–the–counter medications, such as those containing acetaminophen. Prolonged exposure to harmful toxins can severly damage the liver and often results in Advanced Liver Disease (ALD)
ALD includes three conditions: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Heavy drinking for as little as a few days can lead to “fatty” liver, or steatosis—the earliest stage of alcoholic liver disease and the most common alcohol–induced liver disorder. Steatosis is marked by an excessive buildup of fat inside liver cells. This condition can be reversed, however, when drinking stops.
Drinking heavily for longer periods may lead to a more severe, and potentially fatal condition, alcoholic hepatitis—an inflammation of the liver. Symptoms include nausea, lack of appetite, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain and tenderness, jaundice, and, sometimes, mental confusion. Scientists believe that if drinking continues, in some patients this inflammation eventually leads to alcoholic cirrhosis, in which healthy liver cells are replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis), leaving the liver unable to perform its vital functions.
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