In the United States, liver disease It is the leading cause of death due to excessive alcohol consumption. He Center for Disease Control and Prevention released worrying numbers in one of its latest reports.
In that country, deaths from liver disease due to alcohol consumption in recent years it has increased by 39%.. It is treatable in its early stages, but many people don’t realize they have it until it’s too late.
Another revealing fact from the report is this Deaths of women and young adults from this cause are increasing fastest before.
What is alcohol-related liver disease?
As reported by the New York Times, the first phase is fatty liver disease or steatosis. It occurs when fat builds up in the liver, the organ responsible for metabolizing alcohol. The second phase is related to inflammation of the liver.
This problem can lead to the third stage: cirrhosis. This disease has no symptoms until the case is severe.
Cirrhosis is “severe scarring of the liver”.According to the Mayo Clinic, cirrhosis is “severe liver scarring. Whenever there is an injury to the liver, such as an infection, it tries to recover on its own.”
During this process, scar tissue forms, which, as the disease worsens, makes it difficult for the liver to do its job. Here because Advanced cirrhosis is fatal.
“Liver damage caused by cirrhosis cannot be reversed. However, with early diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and treatment of the underlying cause, further damage can be limited. In exceptional cases, the trend can be reversed”, concludes the specialized site.
Excessive consumption, a problem that gets worse
On the other hand, some people develop hepatitis due to excessive alcohol consumption. It happens more in patients with cirrhosis, but those who drink a lot can also suffer from it.
When the article talks about “excessive alcohol consumption” it is talking about more than seven drinks a week for women and fourteen for men. This disease increases especially when you drink more than three or four glasses a day.
In his opinion Dr. Rohit Loombafrom UC San Diego Health, fat can begin to accumulate rapidly, in some cases, after just six months of excessive alcohol consumption
Liver disease can be fatal if not treated in time. Illustrative photo Shutterstock.“Most people who may be on the path to developing cirrhosis don’t even know it,” Dr. Loomba said.
When people who suffer from it realize it in time, they do so because they undergo a blood test as part of a routine metabolic test or if they go to the doctor because they are worried about their alcohol consumption.
If a person’s liver enzyme levels are abnormal, an ultrasound or MRI can determine what stage of liver disease the person is in.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.