Liver disease that’s been caused by excess alcohol intake has several stages of severity.
There are three main stages – alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.
Alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by drinking a large amount of alcohol, even for a few days, and the build-up of fats in the liver.
Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by alcohol misuse over a longer period of time, and cirrhosis is where the liver has become significantly scarred. If the person doesn’t stop drinking at this stage, they have a less than 50 per cent chance of living for at least five more years.
If you are healthy, eat a balanced diet and take regular exercise, sensible drinking should not cause liver problems.
But what is classed as sensible drinking?
The Department of Health advises that both men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units in a week.
It is also advisable to take 48 consecutive hours off drinking a week to allow your liver to recover.
Typical units are outlined by the NHS. A 750ml bottle of red, white or rose wine (13.5 per cent) contains 10 units.
A single small shot of spirits (25ml, 5.5 per cent) is one unit.
A small glass of red/white/rose wine (125ml, 12 per cent) is 1.5 units.
A bottle of lager/beer/cider (330ml, 5 per cent) is 1.7 units.
A pint of lower-strength lager/beer/cider (3.6 per cent) is 2 units.
A standard glass of red/white/rose wine (175ml, 12 per cent) is 2.1 units.
If the liver becomes severely damaged symptoms of alcohol-related liver disease may begin to show. According to the NHS, there are seven signs to watch for.
These include: feeling sick, weight loss, loss of appetite, yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice), swelling in the ankles and tummy, confusion or drowsiness, and vomiting blood or passing blood in your stools.
The health body adds: “Alcohol-related liver disease is frequently diagnosed during tests for other conditions, or at a stage of advanced liver damage.
“If you regularly drink alcohol to excess, tell your GP so they can check if your liver is damaged.”
Cirrhosis can lead to liver failure, which will eventually stop the liver working and can have fatal consequences.
The condition usually takes years to reach this stage, and while treatment can help slow its progression, there is currently no cure available.
Another type of liver disease is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease which is, as the name suggests, a build-up of fat in the liver.
