While most people know alcohol isn't great for the body, few realise how quickly regular drinking can trigger cell damage, scarring, and serious liver dysfunction. In some cases, that expanding belly can signal fluid buildup caused by advanced liver injury, a condition that demands immediate medical attention.
Dr Kunal Sood, an anaesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine physician, has explained what really happens to your body when you drink alcohol. In an Instagram video posted on November 22, the doctor explains how chronic alcohol consumption affects the liver and highlights the various stages of liver damage.
Effects of chronic alcohol consumption
According to Dr Sood, when you drink alcohol, your liver breaks it down into a toxic compound that can damage liver cells. Regular alcohol consumption can lead to liver scarring and even cause liver cells to die. The doctor explains, "When you drink, your liver metabolises alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic substance that can damage your liver cells. With chronic alcohol consumption, your liver cells will become overwhelmed, leading to scarring and cell death."
First sign of liver damage
Dr Sood emphasises that chronic alcohol consumption can cause serious liver damage, with the earliest signs often appearing as fat buildup in the liver. He states, "The first sign of this damage is fatty liver or fat building up in the liver. If drinking continues, inflammation will occur, leading to alcoholic hepatitis. Over time, scarring develops leading to liver cirrhosis which will severely impact normal liver function."
Advanced liver damage
Dr Sood notes that in the later stages of liver damage, fluid can accumulate in the abdomen, causing a visibly distended or bulging belly - a sign that requires urgent medical attention. He explains, "At this advanced stage, complications like ascites, which is fluid buildup in the abdomen, can occur. Ascites happens because cirrhosis reduces blood flow to the liver, which will increase pressure in nearby blood vessels causing fluid to leak into the abdominal cavity. This will usually require immediate medical attention."