Alcohol Treatment And Liver Disease Facts
Alcohol use is socially popular and often seen as relatively harmless in moderate amounts. However, people who develop heavy drinking patterns can do damage to their liver in various ways. Evidence of this damage may not be obvious at first, so it pays to learn about the signs and symptoms. A world class alcohol rehab center can provide treatment for serious alcohol problems that include liver disease.
How Alcohol Addiction Affects The Liver
The liver is a toxin filter for the human body. It works tirelessly keeping out things that would harm the body if allowed to build up. When a person eats and drinks in a fairly normal way, the liver has a very good chance of staying healthy for a lifetime.
Alcohol and drug use is knowingly putting toxins into your body. For that matter, medicine is a foreign substance to the body. But it’s all about the cost-benefit analysis. For healthy people, a small amount of alcohol once in a while can very likely be managed by the liver without a problem. Of course, anyone taking medication or having health problems needs to clear this with their doctor or completely avoid alcohol. But for those who can drink and act responsibly, the enjoyment of occasional light alcohol use outweighs any realistic health risk.
However, this is not the kind of drinking done by someone abusing or addicted to alcohol. By definition, their use far surpassing light and occassional. Problem drinking is also connected with poor judgment – think DUI, bar fight, MIP, assault, etc. When you drink that much, you also expose yourself to various levels of liver damage. After looking at the following information, you might start to really appreciate what your liver does for you every day.
Three Types of Liver Disease Linked With Alcohol Addiction
The first sign of heavy drinking affecting your liver is called fatty liver. Fat cells in the liver begin to swell in response to the high level of toxicity. According to Hazelden, this condition can come on after just a few days of heavy drinking. The good news is that this problem is reversible when the person stops drinking.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. This can be caused by viruses, bacteria, and other infectious substances. However, constant exposure to toxins like alcohol can also bring on hepatitis. Hepatitis can cause symptoms common with many illnesses like fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal pain. The symptoms that may tip someone of to liver damage include mental disorientation and jaundice (yellowish skin). If someone’s liver is already weakened in some way, hepatitis can kill a person. Again, when a person stops drinking, alcohol-induced hepatitis can be reversed.
The worst possible liver disease is cirrohosis. Unfortunately, this condition is not reversible with abstinence. Liver cells are replaced by scar tissue, causing permanent damage. The liver can’t even handle the average body-filtering needs of the human body at this point. When a person reaches this stage of liver disease, they have already been drinking heavily for years. They have poisoned their own body to the point of self destruction. Sadly, some people at this stage still cannot stop drinking.
Drug Rehab Helps People With Cirrohosis of the Liver
As you can see, alcohol rehab centers cannot overlook the importance of physical health. It’s not enough to just shoot for abstinance. It’s important to understand the physical damage that’s already been done and what could still happen if drinking continues. Comprehensive treatment gives the person a more complete understanding of their situation. This is the kind of expert alcohol rehabilitation care you can expect at The Orchid Recovery Center for Women.