Alcohol And Liver Damage

Alcohol And Liver Damage, In addition, excessive and chronic alcohol is the most important cause of illness and death from hepatitis and cirrhosis in the United States. Normal function of the liver is essential to life. The liver is the largest and, in some ways the most complex organ in the body. One of its main function is to degrade toxic substances absorbed from the intestine or produced in other areas of the body and then excretes them through the bile or blood products are not harmful. In addition, the liver release bile into the small intestine to ahd digestion and absorption of fats, vitamin store, synthesize proteins and cholesterol, and metabolize glucose stores. Careful control of blood viscosity and set the clotting mechanism.

Alcohol And Liver Damage
The liver is an organ highly susceptible to damage caused by alcohol, as it is the primary site of metabolism of this substance in the body.

In the liver is one of the largest organ of the human body, it has the ability to regenerate, therefore, symptoms related to liver damage caused by alcohol may not appear until it is completely spacious. In males, this condition can be achieved by using about 2 liters of beer, 1 liter of wine or 240 ml of distilled ingested every day for at least 20 years. In women, the amount needed to produce similar injuries only for this amount.

Daily consumption of alcohol during the long period of time, is a condition strongly associated with progression of liver injury, however, only half of the users who use it with this frequency will develop alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis. These findings suggest that other conditions such as hereditary factors, environmental factors or both should influence the course of liver disease.

Alcohol metabolism:
Most of the ingested alcohol is metabolized in the liver by the action of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenize (ADH). These enzymes convert alcohol into acetaldehyde, which even in small concentrations, is toxic to the body. Dehydrogenize enzyme aldehyde (ALDH), in turn, convert acetaldehyde to acetate 3. Most of the produced acetate reach other parts of the body via the blood stream where it participates in other metabolic cycles.

In individuals who abuse alcohol liver disease most commonly found are:

1. Alcohol (fatty liver). Fat deposition occurs in almost all individuals who abuse alcohol and often. However, this is a clinical condition that can also occur in individuals after a single episode of alcohol abuse alcohol. This is the first stage of alcoholic liver disease. If a person stops drinking at this stage, will restore its function. It can also occur in diabetes, obesity, poor nutrition and users with certain drugs
2. Alcoholic Hepatitis: This condition results in inflammation and / or destruction of liver tissue. Symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, and in some cases, confusion. Although the disease can cause death, in most cases can be resolved with abstinence from alcohol.
3. Cirrhosis: This is an advanced form of liver disease caused by progressive destruction of liver cells. Cirrhosis is usually diagnosed in 15 to 30% of chronic users of alcohol and rough.

A liver cirrhosis is characterized by extensive fibrosis that affects liver function may affect the function of other organs such as brain and kidney. Although alcoholic cirrhosis can cause death due to complications, can be stabilized by complete abstinence from alcohol.

Intense and chronic alcohol consumption predisposes to liver disease in susceptible individuals. However, the fact that only part of the individual to develop hepatitis or cirrhosis, which indicates the importance of other factors such as other forms of heredity, gender, diet and other liver diseases that affect the risk of alcoholic liver disease.

Alcohol And Liver Damage
Liver injury caused by alcohol are most associated with alcohol metabolism and metabolic products. Other research will bring other biological mechanisms may be involved in liver damage, and alternative treatment or not alcohol dependent.