Can I drink alcohol? National Kidney Foundation
Kidney disease can be caused by a number of factors, with one of them being chronic alcohol use. While many other factors, such as family history and lifestyle, also affect a person’s chance of developing kidney disease, alcohol can significantly increase a person’s susceptibility to this condition. Additionally, alcohol’s dehydrating effects can impact the kidneys’ ability to maintain normal water levels in the body. This dehydration can also negatively affect other organs and cells within the body. The ability of the kidneys to recover will depend on many factors. How long the person engaged in heavy alcohol use, the presence of other health problems and the types of kidney damage that occurred play an important role in how recovery progresses.
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In fact, more than two drinks a day has been shown to contribute to the development of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of kidney disease. Kidneys act to filter out harmful substances, including alcohol, from your blood. Alcohol consumption causes your kidneys to be less efficient at filtering your blood. In addition, the dehydrating effects of alcohol impact your kidneys’ ability to maintain the optimal amount of water in your body. This can have negative effects on all of the cells and organs in the body.
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Acute kidney failure is characterized by a sudden drop in kidney function, which usually goes away over time, but can sometimes lead to permanent kidney damage. 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 consumption. These disturbances increase the kidneys’ workload in restoring acid-base balance through formation of an acidic or basic (i.e., alkaline) urine.
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- Liver disease can reduce the kidneys’ ability to maintain a healthy level of blood flow, which in turn can impair the kidneys’ ability to filter out blood in a healthy way.
- Chronic alcohol consumption may cause both fluid and solutes to accumulate, thereby increasing the overall volume of body fluids.
- Binge drinking is typically having more than 4 to 5 drinks within 2 hours.
- The kidneys are the organs primarily responsible for regulating the amounts and concentrations of these substances in the extracellular fluid.
Although resilient, the kidneys can deteriorate as a result of malnutrition, alcohol abuse or dependence, or liver and other diseases. Healthy kidneys are vital to the function of all the body’s organs and systems. Besides producing hormones, the kidneys respond to the actions of regulatory hormones produced in the brain, the parathyroid glands in the neck, and the adrenal glands located atop the kidneys. Without adequate blood flow, the kidneys struggle to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood. The NKF explains that chronic drinking can cause liver disease, which impairs the rate of blood flow to the kidneys. The organization adds that regular heavy drinking can lead to CKD and that this type of kidney disease does not resolve with time.
A study published in 2015 tested the risk of developing chronic kidney disease based on their self-reported alcohol intake. According to the National Kidney Foundation, regular heavy drinking can double the risk of getting chronic kidney disease (CKD). The American alcohol and kidneys Cancer Society suggests that no one should drink alcohol due to its harmful effects on the body and its potential to increase your risk of cancer. If you’ve already been diagnosed with cancer, drinking alcohol could also affect your risk of developing a new cancer.
In terms of alcohol’s effects on the kidneys, the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) states that drinking too much alcohol can harm kidney function and worsen existing kidney disease. Drinking alcohol to excess is linked to several health problems, including liver disease and an increased risk of some cancers (not to mention risks from drunk driving or accidental injuries while intoxicated). Having more than three drinks in a day (or more than seven per week) for women, and more than four drinks in a day (or more than 14 per week) for men, is considered “heavy” drinking.