Alcoholism and Covid 19
How Alcohol Affects the Liver – National Alcohol sales have risen 54% since the COVID-19 outbreak began. People of 18 yrs and older were drinking alcohol more frequently, according to a national survey published in the September 2020 issue of JAMA.
According to a 2020 study, alcohol consumption increased and frequency increased among those who were under the stress of COVID-19. Alcohol use has grown due to the epidemic, but this is not a new problem. The most prevalent drug use disorders worldwide include alcohol use disorders. Nearly 15 million Americans aged 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder, according to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
85.6% of those aged 18 and up admitted to using alcohol at some point in their lives. In adults, 6.3% and 25.8%, respectively, of users reported significant alcohol consumption in the previous month. For individuals between the ages of 12 and 20, 7 million persons, or 18.5% of this age group, said they had drunk in the previous month. impact on general health and well-being Your health, as well as your security and general well-being, can be dramatically impacted by drinking alcohol.
With 95,000 individuals dying each year from alcohol-related causes in the United States, alcohol is the third most common preventable cause of death.
The most common conditions associated with alcohol usage between 2011 and 2015 that led to death were:
1. Cirrhosis and cancer related to the liver
2. Stroke, high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, and heart disease
3. Cancer of the mouth and upper gastrointestinal tract
4. Breast cancer
5. Alcohol use disorder
Long-term alcohol consumption can raise the chance of getting some malignancies, such as those of the mouth, esophagus, colon, liver, and breast. Alcohol impairs the immune system and makes it more difficult for the body to fight infections, therefore it also doesn’t protect against contracting COVID-19. Beyond disease, alcohol has negative effects.
A visit to the emergency room related to alcohol use is 70 times more likely among people who drink at twice the binge drinking threshold, which is five or more drinks for males and four or more for women in around two hours. Thirty percent of all traffic fatalities in 2019 were caused by drunk driving. Underage drinking can lead to unintended injuries, sexual assaults, alcohol overdoses, and deaths, especially those from car accidents.
How Alcohol Affects the Liver
The liver is just one of the body’s organs and alcohol has both immediate and long-term effects. One of the liver’s primary functions is to aid in the breakdown of chemicals and the removal of toxins from the body. The liver serves many important functions. Alcohol abuse can overburden the liver and make it more difficult for it to filter alcohol, destroying the liver cells beyond repair. One of the most prevalent factors leading to liver damage is alcohol.
Normal liver function allows the liver to replace damaged cells, but scarring brought on by alcohol-related liver disease prohibits the liver from doing so. Even a few days of heavy alcohol usage can harm liver cells and cause fat to build up in the organ. Developing fatty liver disease and continuing to use alcohol might make the condition worse and lead to some permanent diseases.
To prevent liver disease and cure existing cases, alcohol consumption must be avoided or restricted. Because it makes it difficult for a person to cut back on drinking, an alcohol use disorder can raise the risk of liver disease. The prevention and treatment of liver disease can both be aided by seeking help for alcohol addiction.
Under the ribs, on the upper right side of the belly, is where the liver is situated. It is a significant and intricate organ with several functions. It creates bile to aid in the digestion of meals, purges blood from toxins, and aids in the elimination of waste.
The liver also stores the sugar that the body utilizes as fuel, which aids in controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It creates proteins throughout the body, including those that aid in blood clotting, and aid in the body’s defense against sickness and infections. The liver is strong and capable of regenerating by creating new cells.
Every time a person consumes alcohol, the liver filters the alcohol, liver cells degenerate, and new liver cells are produced. Three different types of liver disease can be exacerbated by excessive alcohol intake, which can negatively impact the liver:
1. Hepatic steatosis, sometimes referred to as fatty liver or hepatic accumulation of fat,
2. Hepatitis or liver inflammation brought on by alcohol
3. Cirrhosis brought on by alcohol or replaced normal liver tissue with scar tissue
A Fatty Liver
Fatty liver, the first sign of alcohol-related liver damage, develops in almost all heavy drinkers. The majority of fatty liver sufferers are asymptomatic, though they may experience slight abdominal discomfort on the upper right side or an enlarged liver. This condition is preventable and, with prompt treatment, curable. The best course of action is for the patient to give up alcohol.
Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alcoholic hepatitis, which causes the liver to swell and become inflamed as well as the death of liver cells, affects about one-third of heavy drinkers. Patients may have jaundice, fever, nausea, and vomiting, as well as mild to severe forms of this hepatitis. If the patient does not stop drinking, the mild variant can persist for years and cause more liver damage.
The unexpected onset of severe alcoholic hepatitis, which typically follows binge drinking, can be fatal. Drinking less is the only method to maybe avoid this hepatitis from getting worse and lengthen life expectancy.
Liver Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a dangerous condition that often appears after 10 or more years of heavy drinking and affects 10%–20% of heavy drinkers. It is irreversible because scar tissue accumulates and largely replaces the liver cells. Even though people with early cirrhosis may not have any symptoms, this condition usually progresses and causes serious liver damage before it is recognized.
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