Alcohol is highly addictive for many people, with the threshold for addiction varying by environmental circumstances and genetic makeup. Excessive consumption has repercussions for society, families and the individual. Biologically, alcohol can cause disease in several organ systems, particularly the liver. Alcoholic liver disease includes fatty liver, liver scarring and liver failure.
Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver disease is a common finding among heavy drinkers. The medical term for the condition is hepatic steatosis. The disorder involves the storage of excessive amounts of fat in the liver cells. It is thought to be benign and is reversible with the cessation of alcohol intake. It is generally asymptomatic, or does not produce symptoms. However, it enlarges the liver, which may be noticed by somebody with the condition. It may cause pain or tenderness at the right upper abdomen, according to The Merck Manual.
Symptoms of Liver Scarring
Liver scarring occurs when toxins from the metabolism of alcohol and activation of the immune system destroy liver cells. The cells are replaced with scar tissue. The more mild form of this is alcoholic steatohepatitis, but when so much of the liver has been replaced by scar tissue that it fails to function properly, it is referred to as alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Symptoms depend on the severity. MedlinePlus reports that some of the symptoms include fatigue, fluid in the abdomen called ascites, confusion, dilated veins in the esophagus that are prone to bleeding, pale stools, red palms and abnormal spider-like vessels under the skin, weight loss, and yellowing of the skin.
Symptoms of Liver Failure
Liver failure can develop quickly and be life-threatening. Symptoms of liver failure include a tendency to bleed because the liver produces proteins that help the blood to coagulate and eliminates toxins that interfere with cell fragments called platelets, which help stop bleeding, explains the Mayo Clinic. Nausea and vomiting are also caused by the buildup of toxins normally cleared by the liver. Confusion, disorientation, fatigue, behavioral changes and tremors may be experienced from the effects of toxins such as ammonia on the brain, notes the Mayo Clinic.
