The concept of "drinking alcohol hurts the liver" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, but there are still many people who hold a fluke mentality and think that "drinking is pleasant". However, doctors remind that the damage of alcohol to the liver is cumulative, and if you drink a lot of alcohol for a long time, it will lead to a series of liver diseases such as alcoholic liver, fatty liver, and cirrhosis.
Recently, a 46-year-old male patient developed symptoms such as yellowing and liver pain after drinking. On examination, the patient was found to be alcoholic liver disease.
Long-term heavy drinking can cause liver cells to be damaged, and the fat content in the liver will increase significantly, fatty liver will appear, and alcoholic hepatitis will occur in severe cases.
When alcoholic hepatitis appears, patients will have symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, greasy, jaundice, etc., and the symptoms of cirrhosis are similar to alcoholic hepatitis, so many patients do not care.
Doctors remind that the development process of alcoholic liver disease is very fast, generally only mild fatty liver will be produced at the beginning, if not controlled and treated, it will lead to serious liver damage. Cirrhosis occurs when it progresses to a certain extent.
Therefore, for people who drink for a long time, in addition to reducing the amount of alcohol they drink, they must also undergo regular examinations and treatment to prevent further aggravation of the disease.
On the advice of a doctor, the patient begins to abstain from alcohol and undergo treatment. At present, the patient has successfully abstained from alcohol and stopped taking medication.
Alcohol causes great harm to the human body. If alcohol is not consumed sparingly, the ethanol component in alcohol will stimulate liver cells, leading to liver cell degeneration, necrosis, and alcoholic liver disease.
At the same time, acetaldehyde, an ethanol metabolite, also causes steatosis, necrosis and regeneration of liver cells. In addition, when the body consumes too many carbohydrates, it is converted into fat and accumulates in the liver. Excessive fat accumulation can also cause a series of liver diseases such as cirrhosis.
To protect liver health, you must pay attention to lifestyle habits, such as:
Stay up less late: Staying up late for a long time will make the liver "overloaded" to work, and in severe cases, it will also lead to liver damage.
Drink less: The metabolism of alcohol is mainly in the liver, and long-term drinking will overwhelm the liver.
Eat more vegetables: Fresh vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and fiber, which can promote intestinal peristalsis, help the body detoxify, and protect the liver.
More exercise: Exercise can promote metabolism, consume excess body fat, and reduce the burden on the liver.
Maintain a good mood: Long-term depression, anxiety, anger and other bad emotions will affect the normal operation of the liver.
For those patients who already have liver disease, they must pay attention to their living habits and stop taking drugs indiscriminately as before. If the symptoms worsen, go to the hospital for examination.
1) People who drink heavily for a long time: According to current research, long-term drinking is one of the main risk factors for alcoholic liver disease.
2) Men: The prevalence of alcoholic liver disease in men is significantly higher than that in women, and men who drink alcohol for a long time are more likely to develop alcoholic liver disease than women.
3) People who are alcoholic: If they have had liver damage, such as fatty liver, hepatitis and other diseases, they are more likely to develop alcoholic liver disease.
4) Obese people: long-term heavy drinking can make the body fat accumulation, and fatty liver, hepatitis and other diseases can lead to liver damage, so obese and people with a history of hepatitis are also prone to alcoholic liver disease.