According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 86.8 percent of people ages 18 or older have consumed alcohol at some point in their lifetime. Almost 25 percent of people older than 18 engaged in binge drinking during the last year alone. That’s a lot of people getting drunk. Whether you are in Sacramento or the boondocks of the Midwest, the need for alcohol rehab centers is as prominent as ever. So what does that mean for American livers?
Initial Health Impacts
According to LiverFoundation.org, the liver processes what someone eats and drinks into energy and nutrients their body can use. It also removes harmful substances from the blood, such as alcohol. The liver is damaged every time someone drinks more alcohol than their liver can process. It is important to get to any of Sacramento’s alcohol rehab centers before further damage is done.
If someone doesn’t seek help for an alcohol problem, there are a number of liver diseases that can arise. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the earliest stage of liver disease, which many heavy drinkers can have without exhibiting symptoms.
The next stage is alcoholic hepatitis, which happens when the cells in the liver become enflamed. Alcoholic hepatitis can cause nausea, fever and vomiting. In extreme cases, it can cause liver failure and death.
The Greatest Threat
The final, and most dangerous disease that can arise from heavy drinking is called alcoholic cirrhosis. The National Library of Medicine explains that this disease comes after years of heavy drinking, and can affect people who only drink heavily on weekends. Symptoms include abdominal pain and swelling, vomiting and fatigue, yellowing of skin and eyes, and fainting and numbness of the hands and feet.
While the liver is able to heal itself over time, people who develop cirrhosis may need a liver transplant, or at least deal with cirrhosis complications for the rest of their life. If you or a person you know is affected by alcoholism, seek help at any of the Sacramento-area alcohol rehab centers before cirrhosis occurs, because the disease irreversible.
Ian Carry is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Recovery Center. Follow on Twitter
Initial Health Impacts
According to LiverFoundation.org, the liver processes what someone eats and drinks into energy and nutrients their body can use. It also removes harmful substances from the blood, such as alcohol. The liver is damaged every time someone drinks more alcohol than their liver can process. It is important to get to any of Sacramento’s alcohol rehab centers before further damage is done.
If someone doesn’t seek help for an alcohol problem, there are a number of liver diseases that can arise. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the earliest stage of liver disease, which many heavy drinkers can have without exhibiting symptoms.
The next stage is alcoholic hepatitis, which happens when the cells in the liver become enflamed. Alcoholic hepatitis can cause nausea, fever and vomiting. In extreme cases, it can cause liver failure and death.
The Greatest Threat
The final, and most dangerous disease that can arise from heavy drinking is called alcoholic cirrhosis. The National Library of Medicine explains that this disease comes after years of heavy drinking, and can affect people who only drink heavily on weekends. Symptoms include abdominal pain and swelling, vomiting and fatigue, yellowing of skin and eyes, and fainting and numbness of the hands and feet.
While the liver is able to heal itself over time, people who develop cirrhosis may need a liver transplant, or at least deal with cirrhosis complications for the rest of their life. If you or a person you know is affected by alcoholism, seek help at any of the Sacramento-area alcohol rehab centers before cirrhosis occurs, because the disease irreversible.
Ian Carry is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Recovery Center. Follow on Twitter