Liver Pain after Drinking

Most of the cases of severe pain in the liver are traced to long-term abuse of alcohol. This pain is induced as a result of the damage caused to the liver owing to prolonged alcohol abuse beyond the capacity of liver to process it. Before we move on to liver pain after drinking alcohol, we need to understand the basic functioning of liver to process alcohol in the body.

Liver and Alcohol
A vital organ of our body, the liver is designed to perform various tasks, ranging from glycogen storing to processing of fats and proteins. This organ also facilitates the removal of harmful toxins from our body. When alcohol is consumed, it is absorbed by the bloodstreams in the stomach and intestines, and transported to the liver where it is processed along with the blood before being circulated to the various parts of the body. The cells in the liver contain enzymes which facilitate alcohol processing or metabolizing. These enzymes break alcohol into various chemicals, which are eventually broken down to water and carbon dioxide and flushed out of the body in form of urine (urinary tract) and carbon dioxide (lungs).

How Does Alcohol Affects the Liver?
The problem arises when the person drinks too much alcohol, i.e. more than what can be processed by the liver. This puts excessive load on the liver, making it work harder to metabolize alcohol that is being consumed, and eventually ends up damaging it. As a result of this damage caused to the liver, the process of metabolism is hampered, which eventually results in adverse effects on the body. Liver pain due to drinking, which has become a common problems associated with alcohol addiction, is one such adverse effect of alcohol on the body.

Liver Pain after Drinking Alcohol
Alcoholism over a prolonged period can lead to several liver problems. The prominent among these are

• Fatty liver
• Alcoholic hepatitis
• Alcoholic cirrhosis

Fatty liver is a condition characterized by buildup of fat within the liver cells. Although this condition in itself is not harmful, it can worsen and result in complications such as alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis, if not subjected to treatment in time. Hepatitis is generally characterized by mild to severe inflammation of the liver. In alcoholic cirrhosis, the normal tissues of the liver are gradually replaced by scarred tissues, i.e. fibrosis. The common element in these three conditions is pain, which can range from mild to severe in terms of intensity. The tremendous pain that is experienced by people after drinking is a symptom of these liver problems. The person may either experience mild to moderate pain continuously, or sharp bouts of pain after regular intervals. In several cases, liver pain due to alcohol consumption is misdiagnosed for stomach pain. Such misdiagnosis can delay the treatment procedure, and further aggravate the actual problem.

Liver, being one of the most important organs of human body, has to be treated with utmost care. Any liver problem triggered by excessive drinking is bound to worsen with time, eventually leading to problems such as kidney failure or even death. Pain in the liver after drinking is basically a sign of some serious underlying condition, and it is very important to determine this condition and treat it at the earliest, to make sure that you live a prolonged life.