Many victims of liver disease are not alcoholics, and even moderate social drinkers are at risk from liver damage.
Alcohol is one cause of liver disease, but just one of many, and the risk depends on how much you drink and over how long a period.
Some people are more sensitive to alcohol than others, so there is no such thing as a “safe” amount, although doctors recommend no more than two drinks a day.
Even moderate amounts of alcohol can have toxic effects when taken with over-the-counter drugs which contain acetaminophen.
Alcoholic hepatitis is frequently discovered in alcoholics, but can also occur in non-alcoholics. The way a liver can react to alcohol varies from person to person.
Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that lasts one to two weeks. Symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and tenderness, fever, jaundice, and occasionally, mental confusion. It is believed to lead to alcoholic cirrhosis, a permanent damage to liver cells, over a period of years.
Women appear to be more likely to suffer liver damage through drinking alcohol. Even when a man and a woman have the same weight and drink the same amount, the woman generally has a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood as she has more body fat and less water than the man. Her body handles the alcohol differently.
