As noted above, there is much to learn about alcoholic kidney disease and the complex interplay among multiple organs affected by alcohol consumption. Although research suggests several potential mechanisms by which alcohol may directly or indirectly affect the kidneys, they have not yet been validated experimentally. Future research will hopefully explore these hypotheses to provide a better understanding of alcoholic kidney injury. This article highlights the effects of other organs on kidney and renal function; however, it should be noted that alcoholic kidney injury itself may have negative metabolic consequences.
- Excretion refers to the process of the body eliminating toxins or waste products.
- If you experience kidney pain after drinking alcohol, it’s essential that you pay attention to your body and what it’s telling you.
- Their results show not only how alcohol disrupts homeostasis but also how the body reacts to restore it.
- Consuming alcohol can significantly affect your health, as well as your overall well-being and safety.
- Additionally, we will discuss the long-term effects of alcohol on the kidneys and how excessive alcohol consumption can lead to chronic kidney disease, ultimately causing kidney failure.
Chronic or acute heart failure can lead to chronic or acute dysfunction in the kidneys, known as cardiorenal syndrome (Cleland et al. 2012). The overactivation of RAAS further aggravates oxidative stress in chronic alcoholism (Ungvari et al. 2004). As a consequence, oxidative stress not only propagates kidney failure, but it also contributes to the progression of chronic heart failure (Pacher https://ecosoberhouse.com/ et al. 2005) and leads to a vicious cycle in alcohol-induced cardiovascular complications. Clinical studies of hypertensive patients have demonstrated that reducing alcohol intake lowers blood pressure and resuming consumption raises it. Although the mechanisms responsible for these effects have not been established, an experimental study by Chan and Sutter (1983) offers some insight.
Alcohol Consumption and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Some observers have noted that patients with cirrhosis frequently develop hepatorenal syndrome following hospital admission, possibly indicating that a hospital-related event can trigger the syndrome. Regardless of the precipitating factor, patients who develop kidney failure in the course of alcoholic cirrhosis have a grave prognosis. A compromised diluting ability has important implications for the management of patients with advanced liver disease. Restricting the fluid intake of hyponatremic patients eventually should restore a normal fluid balance; unfortunately, this restriction may be difficult to implement. Patients frequently fail to comply with their physician’s orders to limit their fluid intake.
At first, you might not have any symptoms of kidney damage from regular alcohol consumption. As the kidneys become overworked from heavy alcohol consumption, they will be less able to filter blood and maintain the correct water balance in the body. Binge drinking, defined as having four or more drinks at a time, may result in a serious condition known as acute kidney injury. This occurs when the toxins from alcohol build up in your blood quickly and your kidneys are not able to maintain the right fluid balance. Drinking too much alcohol can have severe consequences on your health, including alcohol-related kidney damage. This section will highlight the symptoms of alcohol-related kidney damage and provide guidelines on how to detect them.
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While these discussions usually revolve around the liver, which is important, it's also vital to know how the kidneys are impacted by alcohol use. In fact, most liver damage is directly mirrored by the kidneys, and vice versa. Ecstasy (MDMA) is a synthetic drug that is classified as a dissociative hallucinogenic drug. It produces hallucinations and feelings of leaving one’s body or being out of touch with reality.
One example of an alcohol-related acid-base disturbance already has been mentioned in relation to low levels of phosphate (i.e., respiratory alkalosis resulting from hyperventilation during alcohol withdrawal). Other acid-base disturbances are possible as a result of excessive alcohol and kidneys alcohol consumption. These disturbances increase the kidneys’ workload in restoring acid-base balance through formation of an acidic or basic (i.e., alkaline) urine. For instance, the opposite of respiratory alkalosis can occur when a person becomes extremely intoxicated.
Potential complications from chronic kidney disease include:
Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, it may slow the rate of breathing as well as reduce the brain’s respiratory center’s sensitivity to carbon dioxide levels. As a result, excess carbon dioxide accumulates, and the body’s acid level subsequently increases. Respiratory acidosis is rare but carries an ominous prognosis when it occurs. Low blood levels of phosphate commonly occur acutely in hospitalized alcoholic patients, appearing in more than one-half of severe alcoholism cases. Another study with dogs (Beard et al. 1965) disclosed that the effects of chronic alcohol consumption endured even longer. The investigators noted increased plasma and extracellular fluid volume 1 week after chronic alcohol ingestion, and these volume expansions persisted for the remaining 7 weeks of the study.
- That said, epidemiological data have yet to confirm a relationship between alcohol consumption and chronic kidney disease.
- However, alcohol’s ability to increase urine volume (i.e., its diuretic effect) alters the body’s fluid level (i.e., hydration state) and produces disturbances in electrolyte concentrations.
- Each 4.5-inch-long kidney contains about 250 of the largest collecting ducts, each duct transmitting urine from approximately 4,000 nephrons.
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