Alcohol and Your Kidney Health: Heres What to Know

Naimi served on an advisory committee that wanted to lower the U.S. recommendation for men to one drink per day. That advice was considered and rejected when the federal recommendations came out in 2020. With the new year comes Dry January and a new surgeon general’s advisory on alcohol and cancer risk. Discover strategies, support, and self-care practices to overcome setbacks. Unlock the power of Sober October for a revitalized mind and body.

List Signs/Symptoms

• Those guidelines advise men to limit themselves to two drinks or fewer per day and women to one drink or fewer per day.
• While many body parts are affected by dehydration, the kidneys are particularly sensitive to it.
• Alcohol consumption causes your kidneys to be less efficient at filtering your blood.
• Your kidneys deserve your care and attention, so let's raise awareness and make informed choices about alcohol consumption.
• An enlarged prostate is a common issue as men age, often causing symptoms like urinary urgency, frequency, dribbling, and nighttime urination.
• So, if you drink alcohol, especially often, the kidneys must work harder to return your blood to its usual state.

Red wine might offer potential health benefits, especially for the heart and kidneys, when you consume it in moderation. Some studies even suggest that red wine may contain health-supporting compounds like resveratrol and antioxidants (24, 25). In addition to the severity of the damage, the kidney’s ability to recover depends on the duration and intensity of alcohol consumption and the individual’s overall health.

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Excessive Drug rehabilitation drinking, more than four drinks a day, can seriously affect your health, especially if you have kidney disease. Alcohol use increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and can complicate the management of existing diabetes. Since diabetes is a leading cause of kidney disease, heavy alcohol use can exacerbate kidney problems in people with diabetes.

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Also, alcohol does not appear to make kidney disease worse or make it more likely that someone with kidney disease will need dialysis. You probably know someone who developed health problems from drinking too much alcohol. Alcohol can impact many different parts of the body, but most commonly it damages the liver and can lead to a condition called cirrhosis. This often comes up when I am evaluating someone for kidney disease.

Impact on Kidney Function

Afterward, treatment may involve a variety of therapies in either inpatient or outpatient settings. Although indirectly, alcohol can cause a urinary tract infection (UTI). The United Kingdom, France, https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Denmark, Holland and Australia recently reviewed new evidence and lowered their alcohol consumption recommendations. Ireland will require cancer warning labels on alcohol starting in 2026.

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To treat liver disease, you may be advised to stop drinking alcohol, lose weight, and follow a nutritional diet. A liver transplant may be necessary in cases of liver failure. The areas around your kidneys may feel sore after you drink alcohol. This is the area at the back of your abdomen, under your ribcage on both sides of your spine. This pain may be felt as a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain or more of a dull ache. It may be mild or severe and can be felt on one or both sides of the body.

• Over time, this can cause damage to your kidneys and result in CKD.
• When dehydrated, the kidneys may struggle to properly filter waste and toxins from the blood, potentially leading to kidney damage or dysfunction.
• Drinking alcohol, especially excessive drinking, can significantly impact your kidneys.

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As a result, kidney function deteriorates over time, increasing the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is often irreversible, and advanced cases may require dialysis to replace kidney function. Research shows that alcohol use doubles the how does alcohol affect your kidneys risk of CKD, and smoking, in addition to drinking, further amplifies this risk. Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to long-term kidney damage and the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The chronic use of alcohol puts significant stress on the kidneys, leading to inflammation, scarring, and impaired kidney function over time. CKD is a progressive condition that can eventually lead to kidney failure if left untreated.