Alcohol can induce intestinal inflammation through a cascade of mechanisms that subsequently lead to inflammation and organ dysfunction throughout the body, in particular in the liver and brain.
A single heavy episode of drinking can damage the mucous cells in the stomach, and induce inflammation and lesions. High alcohol content beverages (more than 15% alcohol volume) can delay stomach emptying, which can result in bacterial degradation of the food, and cause abdominal discomfort.
Acute gastritis
Irritants like alcohol, drugs, heavily spiced foods, injury and bacteria exposure can all lead to the condition. While symptoms are often intense, they typically subside with treatment in under two weeks.
Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining. Alcohol can cause gastritis by irritating the lining of your stomach. Gastritis can happen while you are drinking, causing pain and sickness. Gastritis can also be a long-lasting condition.
Simply put, alcohol irritates your gut. Regular drinking can cause alcoholic gastritis, which includes symptoms like stomach ache, abdominal pain, hiccups, indigestion, loss of appetite, bloating and nausea. Alcoholic gastritis can be chronic or short-lived.
Foods that are rich in fibre like vegetables, fruits, oats and pulses are beneficial. Adding in fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and pickles will also help to promote a healthy gut microbiome."
It is possible to treat gastritis using medicines that soothe and heal the stomach lining if other means don't work. For people who misuse alcohol on a regular basis and who develop either acute gastritis or chronic gastritis, one way to potentially reverse the damage is to stop drinking.
Acute alcoholic gastritis appears quickly and often disappears in a few days. Chronic gastritis due to alcohol, however, may last for months or even years.
After drinking stops, damaged organs may regain partial function or even heal completely, depending on the extent of organ damage and whether there is relapse (i.e., resumption of drinking).
Recent research shows that a 3 weeks abstinence from alcohol can help facilitate a complete recovery of the gut barrier. But it takes even long for your microbiome to get back to normal. Either way, a good start is to reduce your alcohol intake first to see how that can help improve your gut!
If you're hydrated, you reduce the inflammation in your gut, which, in turn, reduces your risk of gut permeability.
Moreover, alcohol inhibits the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine and increases the transport of toxins across the intestinal walls, effects that may contribute to the development of alcohol-related damage to the liver and other organs.
Alcohol may cause swelling and inflammation in your liver, or something called hepatitis. Over time, this can lead to scarring and cirrhosis of the liver, which is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease. The damage caused by cirrhosis is unfortunately irreversible.
Some evidence suggests alcoholic drinks can make your stomach produce more acid than usual, which can gradually wear away your stomach lining and make it inflamed and painful (gastritis). Over weeks or months, this could mean you develop painful ulcers in your stomach lining.
Common symptoms of esophagitis include painful and difficult swallowing, as well as chest pain when eating. Although some common causes of esophagitis include backed-up stomach acid and infection, its causes and the condition itself can be aggravated by alcohol.
Your doctor will give you a physical exam and ask about your health history and personal habits, including how much and how often you drink. That information may be enough for your doctor to diagnose gastritis. But you may need these tests: A breath test to check for bacteria that cause gastritis.
Alcohol is a known trigger of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a relatively common condition that impacts the colon. The causes of IBS are unclear, but certain foods or drinks can trigger episodes of IBS, including alcohol.
At 3 weeks of not drinking, most drinkers have successfully reduced their risk of heart disease, including stroke, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Their kidney health and even their vision may improve. For dependent drinkers, blood pressure may reduce to normal levels by the 3rd or 4th week.
What do you mean by heavy drinking? For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.
For three months, alcoholics in recovery often report positive changes in their emotional state, career, finances, and personal relationships. These include but are not limited to: Feelings of depression and anxiety may subside. Critical thinking skills improve.
See your health care provider if you have signs and symptoms of gastritis for a week or longer. Seek medical attention immediately if you have severe pain, if you have vomiting where you cannot hold any food down, or if you feel light-headed or dizzy.