Alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which arises from over consumption of alcohol, is the main cause of liver disease in the western world. Viral hepatitis seems to be the major cause of liver disease in Asian countries among several others.

Despite this, a considerable number of heavy/regular drinkers never develop liver damage, this is not fully understood why or how alcohol exactly damages the liver.

Acetaldehyde is a toxic chemical produced by alcohol, and known to damage the livers of some heavy drinkers more severely than others. It takes a long time for any liver damage to become symptomatic – due to the fact that the liver can regenerate and repair itself.

Even if three quarters of your liver is damaged, it is still able to continue to function virtually normally. Eventually though, long-term heavy drinking will take its toll, resulting in scarring: cirrhosis of the liver. Women metabolize alcohol slower than men thus making them much more susceptible.

Regular drinkers who have had any type of hepatitis have a greater risk of developing Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) as many alcoholics have a poor diet and are vitamin and mineral deficient.

After the brain, the liver is the most complex organ in the human body, with over 500 functions. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is usually asymptomatic and reversible if the individual abstains from alcohol for 2-4 weeks. Alcohol hepatitis is usually caused by many years of heavy drinking.

Symptoms include abdominal tenderness, jaundice and spider veins on skin, fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite. Reversible, but the patient may have to abstain for many months or even years. Cirrhosis of the liver indicates long-term inflammation that causes scarring and loss of liver function.

This is a life threatening condition. Cirrhosis is irreversible and the best you can do is to stop drinking. A long period of abstention will improve liver function but if damage is severe, the patient may need a liver transplant.