Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Brain, Kidneys and Liver

Because of the diuretic effect alcohol has on the kidneys, dehydration can occur. The kidneys are essential in maintaining the body’s fluid levels and are very sensitive to hydration, detecting dehydration by recognizing when electrolyte levels become more concentrated. Dehydration stimulates the kidneys to conserve and produce less fluid. For people with kidney disease who are having dialysis or on a low-potassium and/or low-phosphate diet, alcohol can be particularly challenging. Kidney dietitian Nick McAleer from Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust offers advice about choosing drinks.

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At these stages, CKD moderately to severely impacts kidney function. Alcohol does not cause direct harm to the kidneys, especially when consumed in a safe manner. However, if you have kidney disease, you need to be mindful of how much you drink and the downstream effects that alcohol can have on your body. To treat liver disease, you may be advised to stop drinking alcohol, lose weight, and follow a nutritional diet.

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Having more than one drink a day could also increase the risk for high blood pressure in those with diabetes. When fluids and sodium levels get low, ADH will tell the body to increase blood flow. It is similar to how alcohol affects sodium and potassium levels. Alcohol and kidneys can be an unhealthy combination over time and in excess. The use of alcohol can lead to both short- and long-term kidney damage. Research shows the combination of alcohol and kidneys could be harmful in excess.

How Alcohol Affects Your Kidneys: Short- & Long-Term Effects

Whereas AKI tends to resolve with time, CKD may worsen over time — although some individuals are able to stay relatively stable with CKD with close monitoring and lifestyle changes, how does alcohol affect the kidneys such as quitting alcohol. If the AKI is mild, a person will most likely not require dialysis. Sometimes, AKI can resolve over time if a person makes sure to stay hydrated.

Jen Hernandez is a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in renal nutrition. She has nearly a decade of experience with kidney disease patients in all stages – from stage 1 through kidney transplant. Jen writes on the blog of Plant-Powered Kidneys to help reach and teach more kidney patients about how they can enjoy more foods in a plant-based diet while protecting kidney health. Healthy men who consumed moderate alcohol had a lower risk of renal dysfunction. This could be due to the antioxidant effects of alcohol being more prevalent among men. The combination of heavy drinking and smoking also puts people at five times greater risk of getting CKD.

Risks of Alcohol Abuse with Kidney Disease

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no so-called “safe” level of alcohol consumption, and the more alcohol a person drinks, the greater their risk of health issues. Alcohol is a toxic substance that can damage the body’s organs and tissues. There are mixed conclusions about whether or not alcohol causes kidney failure specifically. What about the kidney pain some people claim to feel after a night of drinking? According to Dr. Bobart, there’s no research to suggest a link between alcohol and kidney pain. Data from 10,030 participants were extracted from a de-identified dataset for analysis, and 9724 participants who had baseline data on alcohol consumption were included in our cohort.

They’ll also monitor your liver enzymes during your treatment with Symtuza. For some people, Symtuza can cause an allergic reaction, but this side effect was rarely reported in the drug’s studies. If you develop serious side effects while taking Symtuza, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. Keep reading to learn about common, mild, and serious side effects Symtuza can cause.

• When experts talk about one drink, they are talking about one 12-ounce bottle of beer, one glass of wine (5 ounces), or one shot (1.5 ounces) of “hard liquor.”
• On the other hand, chronic kidney disease (CKD) may present more significant challenges, as the damage is often progressive and may require ongoing management, including lifestyle changes and medication.
• You may have kidney pain after drinking alcohol due to dehydration or inflammation of your stomach lining.
• Binge drinking occurs when more than five drinks are consumed in about two hours.
• Excess alcohol can have harmful effects on the kidneys or worsen the side effects of your cancer treatment.
• This self-report is susceptible to under-reporting and underestimates the patients’ alcohol consumption [12,13,117].

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men (29). Long-term alcohol use can have significant and lasting effects on the kidneys. One of the primary long-term effects is the development of alcohol-induced kidney disease (12). This condition is characterized by inflammation and scarring on the kidney (13). The kidneys are vital in maintaining the body’s internal balance and overall health.

• For example, alcohol causes dehydration, which decreases blood flow to the kidneys and makes it more difficult for them to do their job.
• The hormones that control kidney function can also be adversely affected.

The damage can usually be reversed if you stop drinking and allow your kidneys to recover, but it can sometimes cause irreversible damage to the kidneys. The risk of developing CKD from heavy drinking also increases if you smoke. Smoking is also one of the most common risk factors for kidney cancer. One of the reasons for this sex difference might be the different pharmacokinetics of ethyl alcohol between men and women.

Of the 48 gallons of filtrate processed through the nephrons of the kidneys each day, only about 1 to 1.5 quarts exit as urine. During this filtering process, substances are reabsorbed or secreted to varying degrees as the filtrate passes through the distinct segments of the nephron tubule. To reduce harm to a person’s health, it is best to reduce or avoid consuming alcoholic drinks where possible. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about alcohol-induced kidney damage. This article describes how alcohol may harm the kidneys and considers the level of alcohol consumption necessary to cause harm. AKF works on behalf of 1 in 7 Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, to support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease — from prevention through post-transplant living.