Fatigue and alcoholic liver damage

Fatigue and alcoholic liver damage

The scientist found many signs of alcoholic liver damage, especially in the end-stage of the disease. However, most people do not recognize the early signs. They are vague, confusing, and overlap with many other conditions. This sign probably wouldn't alert anyone because, honestly, who isn't tired right now? However, fatigue from liver damage is slightly different from chronic fatigue.

How do I know that? I am a former nurse recovering from alcoholism and lost my father to alcoholic liver disease six years ago. Since I was so close to my father, I had the sad experience of witnessing his symptoms from start to finish. I vividly remember fatigue as the first noticeable symptom of something wrong, appearing about 15 years before his death.

Looking back, I am amazed that the liver damage he sustained started so long ago but became starkly evident towards the end of his life. However, this is relatively common in liver diseases because it is an organ of the heart that can withstand much damage before it finally succumbs.

It is complicated to piece together all the confusing symptoms that slowly appear over the years with liver disease, especially alcohol-related liver disease. Often, it is only when we look at the patterns that we can see how everything is done. This was certainly the case for my father. And when I look at my drinking path, I can see that I've been following a similar pattern. The liver is so involved in metabolic, immune, hemodynamic, and gastrointestinal processes damage symptoms can seem varied and inconsequential. Liver symptoms are different from cardiovascular symptoms. 

In a sense, liver disease fatigue is a sign that the organ is just fighting to stay afloat and perform all its functions while also trying to keep up with repairing itself. 

However, as the years go by, if there is no reduction in drinking, the alcohol will eventually damage all the liver cells until it falls apart like a house of cards. This is the best description to describe what I witnessed in my father's death from alcoholic liver disease.

If you're a heavy drinker and experience overwhelming fatigue that seems unusual or unnatural, it might be time to visit your doctor and tell him how much you're drinking. Suppose you want to live a whole life. In that case, it's also time to consider reducing your alcohol intake or quitting entirely seriously. Of course, you should want to quit smoking, which can be a severe challenge to heavy drinkers.

In any case, I managed to become sober; It was challenging, but I did it, and I know it is possible. For anyone experiencing fatigue and other vague health signs, the first step is to speak honestly with your doctor. The next step is to reduce or stop using alcohol.