With Love, Thelms

Hi babes and welcome back to the Nurse Thelms Says Series. If you’re new here, this series was started to provide direct education on various subjects that are directly related to our health. Each month, I will be covering a different topic and as registered nurse, I have insight and knowledge on matters of health (+ the nitty gritty associated with it).

As for today’s subject — I wanted to inform my age bracket (and even those that are older) on the real dangers of excessive drinking + what it represents itself as in real time. There’s a lot to be said about the correlation between twenty somethings, our alcohol intake, and the development of liver diseases/cancer.

There are those that may understand that too much alcohol can “mess your liver up” but do you understand how? Do you know the physical ramifications of “too much alcohol” or taking care of your liver in ways you shouldn’t?

Well not to worry. I’m here to uncover it all, so let’s get right to it.

The liver is such a dynamic organ that doesn’t always get the kudos it deserves. It is responsible for a lot more than just handling the amount of alcohol you intake. It is also responsible for:

filtering the blood coming from the digestive tract

detoxifying chemicals

metabolizing drugs (breaking them down)

formulating proteins (K, A, D, E) responsible for many functions, most importantly the clotting of blood.

regulating the sugar that’s released / stored in the body.

produces bile to help breakdown and absorb fats.

& the most beautiful thing about the liver? It’s a regenerative organ, meaning: it’s able to heal itself in most cases to a certain extent.

Although the focus of today’s blog post is centered around alcohol consumption.

If/when someone develops disease of the liver it affects the ability of the liver to function at its highest capacity. Basically the liver can’t do all it’s cracked up to do. As the liver continues to worsen, if not managed or treated appropriately, scarring of the organ can occur — reaching a point of no return.

One of the biggest culprits behind damage to the liver is usually alcohol, but there are other things that can cause liver damage as well.

Those include, but aren’t limited to:

infection, street drugs, obesity, inflammation, genetic deficits/autoimmune disorders.

Now to FAQs about liver damage related to excessive alcohol consumption:

How much alcohol is too much?

Women drinking 7 or more drinks in a week is considered heavy drinking, while

Men drinking 15 or more drinks in a week is considered heavy drinking.

Should I take Tylenol and Advil for a hangover?

NO! This is a question I get often and one that I want to make very clear. After heavy drinking, it is not advisable to take any medication (especially those metabolized in the liver like Tylenol). Your liver is already trying to metabolize and essentially rid itself of all the alcohol you consumed. Therefore, adding another toxin to the equation like Tylenol is making your liver work ten times harder to rid itself of both alcohol and Tylenol — which in some cases can be dangerous. So just do yourself a favor by hydrating and just plain ole’ thugging it out.

How I will I know if I have liver disease, signs and symptoms?

Liver disease can be insidious at times in the way it presents itself. There are those that have no symptoms, until much later while others develop symptoms a lot sooner. When facing liver disease, one can expect to experience:

Swelling in the lower extremities that does not resolve itself.

Yellowing of the skin, otherwise known as jaundice

GI bleed/vomiting

Abdominal pain and swelling.

Bruising / blood splotches

Enlarged breast tissue in men, otherwise known as gynecomastia

What are the chances of people needing a liver transplant getting one?

The odds are actually stacked pretty well. It is very likely that you will get a liver at some point. I’ve had patients listed one day and transplanted the next. While there were some that may have had to wait a bit longer to get a new liver, but they did end up getting one.

Can twenty somethings develop liver disease/cancer from excessive alcohol consumption?

ABSOLUTELY. Young adults are not exempt from the dangers of the liver being damaged. To be honest, healthcare providers like myself have actually begun to see a slight increase in younger adults battling disease of the liver more often than not.

Here’s the thing guys. It’s all fun and games in the midst of a good time, until you require blood transfusions often because your body lacks the ability to clot properly, you’re skin is as yellow as can be, and your tummy is so distended you look like you’re pregnant with triplets (hell quadruplets).

So take care of yourself. Don’t wait till you’re in your 30s settled down with kids. Be mindful of how much alcohol you consume and how often.

After all, you will be the one having to face the consequences sooner in most cases than later.

Till next month,

Thelms