A Tall Glass of Beer With Salt
An ice cold, slow death
Even after all these years, I can still hear the cracking of the can. I can see him retrieving an icy glass from the freezer and pouring 12 ounces of Natural Light to the top. It was the same routine every time. He'd pick up a salt shaker off the stove and sprinkle a few hundred granules over the top. That was how he liked it. No, that was how he loved it. He'd drink the first glass and have another. Then another, and another. Surely he was feeling great now, but that was no reason to stop. He'd continue drinking on into the night.
All my Uncle J knew was that beer made him feel good. He liked it, so he drank it. What he failed to consider was what effect all that alcohol was having on his liver. The occasional drinker probably doesn't have to worry much about liver disease due to the human liver's tremendous regeneration capacity. However, chronic drinkers, or those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol on a consistent basis over a long period of time (like my Uncle J), can develop severe scarring of the liver known as cirrhosis, or even full-blown liver disease.
All my Uncle J knew was that beer made him feel good. He liked it, so he drank it. What he failed to consider was what effect all that alcohol was having on his liver. The occasional drinker probably doesn't have to worry much about liver disease due to the human liver's tremendous regeneration capacity. However, chronic drinkers, or those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol on a consistent basis over a long period of time (like my Uncle J), can develop severe scarring of the liver known as cirrhosis, or even full-blown liver disease.
Shown here is the difference in appearance between a healthy liver and an alcoholic's liver.
Some effects of cirrhosis
Cirrhosis impair the liver's ability to do the following:
- control infections
- remove bacteria and toxins from the blood
- process nutrients, hormones, and drugs
- make proteins that regulate blood clotting
- produce bile to help absorb fats—including cholesterol—and fat-soluble vitamins
Symptoms of cirrhosis
Cirrhosis can be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- weakness
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- vomiting
- weight loss
- abdominal pain and bloating when fluid accumulates in the abdomen
- itching
- spiderlike blood vessels on the skin
Rosacea
In addition to experiencing many of the effects and symptoms mentioned above, my Uncle J also developed a condition called rosacea, more commonly referred to as drinkers nose. While rosacea can arise due to several different reasons, alcohol consumption is among the leading causes. The condition is extremely embarrassing and, in my Uncle J's case, has left him almost completely home-bound, unwilling to venture out into public for fear of constant staring and strangers becoming frightened at the mere sight of him.
Treatment
The No. 1 treatment for alcoholic liver disease is to STOP DRINKING. The human liver has an amazing ability to repair and regenerate itself, and often times the liver will improve if consumption ceases. However, in cases where the liver has been damaged beyond repair, or as in my Uncle J's case, he refuses to quit drinking, a liver transplant may be required. Unfortunately, if my Uncle J's liver fails completely, he likely wouldn't receive a new liver in time. For one thing, there is generally a waiting list of about six months before a person can even become eligible to receive a transplant, and for another thing, transplant recipients are required to stop drinking for at least a six-month period, which my Uncle J refuses to do.
Moral of the story
Don't drink excessively. My Uncle J is only in his early 60s and already on the verge of death. Our bodies are precious gifts, and we only get once chance to utilize them to the best of their potential. Choose a healthy life over substance abuse if you want healthy organs and a healthy lifestyle.