Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms – The Kidney Care Society COVID-19 Checklist

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Alcohol Misuse and Kidney Injury: Epidemiological Evidence and Potential Mechanisms

Women, older people, and those with smaller bodies should be especially careful. If you are currently living with health issues related to alcohol consumption or would like to stop drinking alcohol to help minimize or prevent any health issues, Dove Recovery is here for you. As expected, reducing or eliminating alcohol intake can significantly benefit your kidney function.

alcohol and kidneys

Kidney Pain After Drinking: 7 Possible Causes

  • Regular monitoring of kidney function through blood tests (e.g., creatinine and eGFR levels) helps track progress and adjust interventions.
  • The kidneys’ role in overall health cannot be overstated, and safeguarding them from alcohol-related damage is a vital step toward long-term well-being.
  • These systemic disturbances can place additional stress on the kidneys.

Health authorities define a standard drink as containing about 14 grams of pure alcohol. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more drinks per week for men. Despite the multiple possible causes of acidosis, disturbances in acid-base balance are more frequently manifested as low acidity (i.e., alkalosis). Alkalosis was present in 71 percent of patients with established liver disease in 11 studies, and respiratory alkalosis was the most common disturbance in 7 of the studies (Oster and Perez 1996).

  • More clinical and experimental studies are needed to confirm the effect of alcohol consumption on CKD.
  • By understanding the risks, adopting practical habits, and prioritizing early detection, individuals can safeguard their kidney health.
  • The kidneys may be resilient, but they are not invincible—especially when faced with the relentless assault of chronic alcohol consumption.
  • Although light-to-moderate alcohol consumption may not pose a risk to patients with CKD, the patients’ condition needs to be considered.

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You may wish to swap out hard liquor for beer or wine, since these have a lower alcohol content. Keep track of your drinks using an app or a diary so you can monitor your progress. Hydronephrosis is the result of one or two swollen kidneys due to an accumulation of urine. A blockage or obstruction prevents urine from properly draining from the kidney to the bladder. You may experience flank pain and pain amphetamine addiction treatment or difficulty during urination.

alcohol and kidneys

Metabolic process of ethyl alcohol and the role of the kidney

  • For people who already have hypertension, alcohol accelerates kidney decline.
  • If you have specific concerns about alcohol and your kidney health, it’s best to get personal medical care.
  • For instance, too much sodium can cause high blood pressure while too little magnesium harms the nervous system, and there are many more issues; too many to list them all.
  • Alcohol consumption can have significant impacts on kidney function, as the kidneys play a crucial role in filtering waste and excess fluids from the blood.
  • What about the kidney pain some people claim to feel after a night of drinking?

For people with diabetes and CKD, alcohol may be safe to drink if you have your blood sugar level under control. Remember that alcohol on an empty stomach can cause blood sugar levels to drop. Additional ingredients in mixed drinks may also add carbohydrate that must be considered.

Liver-Kidney Connection: How alcohol-damaged liver affects kidney health and filtration

alcohol and kidneys

In fact, most liver damage is directly mirrored by the kidneys, and vice versa. Alcohol is a powerful diuretic, promoting increased urine production and fluid loss shortly after consumption. This occurs alcohol and kidneys because alcohol suppresses the release of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) from the pituitary gland. Normally, ADH signals the kidneys to reabsorb water, helping to conserve fluid. Although hepatorenal syndrome often ensues after an event that reduces blood volume (e.g., gastrointestinal bleeding), it also can occur without any apparent precipitating factor.

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