How to treat and what to do if your kidneys hurt after drinking alcohol?

The effect of alcohol on the kidneys is extremely negative, since they are responsible for removing alcohol toxins from the body. This organ plays the role of a filter: it separates toxins, waste, and other harmful substances contained in it from the blood. Therefore, if your kidneys hurt after drinking alcohol, how to treat them needs to be figured out immediately. Otherwise, toxins will begin to accumulate in the body, which can cause death. To do this, you must see a doctor, undergo an examination, take tests and adhere to the prescribed treatment regimen. This must be done: if the kidneys fail, the person will die.

Effect of alcohol on the kidneys

Ethanol, entering the body, immediately causes the production of acetaldehyde, a carcinogen that causes vomiting, nausea, migraines and rapid heartbeat. To understand why kidneys hurt from alcohol, let’s briefly consider the mechanism of their interaction.

Alcoholic drinks have an intense diuretic effect, which causes dehydration and metabolic disorders. The person begins to experience a strong feeling of thirst, and pain may appear in the back or lumbar region. It should be noted that the strength of the drink does not matter. As a result of alcohol entering the body, the process of death of the cells of the filtration organs begins.

People rarely think about the effect ethyl alcohol has on organs. Often the only thing that makes you think about this is the pain that arises from existing diseases. But it is no longer just a symptom, but appears only in the most advanced cases, since there are no nerve endings in the kidneys .

You need to pay attention to the appearance of any symptoms after drinking alcohol. A peculiar clinical picture may indicate the presence of serious problems with the organ.

Basic kidney function

The kidneys are a paired organ that performs a filtration function in the human body. The main functions of the body include:

• endocrine;
• hematopoietic;
• urinary;
• metabolic;
• ion-regulating.

The main task of all functions is aimed at cleansing the blood of toxic substances, their natural removal, as well as the production of hormonal substances.

For information! The effect of alcohol on the kidneys causes the renal tubules to malfunction, resulting in damage to other important organs.

For every 3 minutes, the organ passes blood through itself, which undergoes thorough filtration and cleansing of various poisons and toxins.

The connection between beer and organ pain

It is believed that beer is a healthy drink, as it is made from hops and grains, and also contains many vitamins and microelements. However, just like all alcoholic drinks, it contains ethyl alcohol, which is harmful to the body. Since the foamy drink is usually consumed in large quantities, the final dose of alcohol is high .

Beer causes frequent urination, which leads to dehydration. Together with the fluid, substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body are removed from the body. Excessive beer consumption puts a lot of strain on the kidneys, resulting in their normal functioning being disrupted. This is the answer to the question why kidneys hurt after beer and alcohol in general.

Beer is a wolf in sheep's clothing

Thanks to advertising, the foamy drink has firmly entered the daily diet of millions of people. They are sure that drinking it is not only not harmful, but even healthy. Without understanding why they are rapidly gaining weight. “Natural hops and malt”, “low alcohol”, “ancient traditions” - the beer on the shelves has nothing to do with natural. Beer substitute, consumed in huge quantities by the population, is a real poison for the kidneys and not only. A beer alcoholic's kidneys wear out much faster.

Beer replaces testosterone with estrogen in men and stores it in their voluminous bellies to such an extent that they can be treated for obesity. “Seats” the liver, decomposes brain cells, which are then excreted in the urine. And when drinking beer, the load on the kidneys increases by 2-3 times. This is why many lovers of a foamy drink may feel that their back hurts in the lumbar region in the morning.

In addition, during a beer binge, a large volume of salts, vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the body, but are deposited in the kidneys, passes through the kidneys. This leads to disruption of water-salt and acid-base metabolism.

Some people sincerely believe that beer can be used to remove kidney stones. It is forbidden. The disease will only get worse. For any problems with the urinary system, alcohol is harmful, especially beer.

A beer alcoholic's kidneys wear out much faster

Symptoms of kidney pathologies

Pain that appears in the morning after sleep may indicate a chronic disease. Painful symptoms of kidney disease are very varied and can occur at any time. Pain appears even when a person simply moves, changing position.

In addition to pain, a person may experience other signs of a pathological process in the organ:

• frequent pain in the lumbar region;
• swelling of the legs and arms, as well as puffiness of the face, especially in the area under the eyes;
• constant fatigue and weakness;
• elevated temperature;
• the color of the urine changes, becomes cloudy, and impurities of blood and pus may be observed;
• the smell of urine becomes sharp and unpleasant;
• problems with urination;
• frequent headaches;
• skin rashes;
• nausea.

The pain can be dull or sharp . Acute pain occurs as severe colic, most often it occurs as a result of the formation of kidney stones. With such severe discomfort, it is difficult to find a comfortable position to relieve the condition. Dull pain may indicate that there is an infectious disease. Pain can also occur as a result of injury or damage to this organ.

Changes in the kidneys during the development of the disease

In order to quickly cleanse the body of the breakdown products of ethanol and alcohol toxins, the kidneys begin to work actively, and as a result, the water-salt balance throughout the body is disrupted. Alcohol, affecting internal organs, causes the following pathological changes:

1. Changes in the process of formation of primary urine . After alcohol is broken down by the liver, the breakdown products of ethanol enter the kidneys, or rather the glomerular tubules, where urine is formed. Toxins that stay in the body for a long time change the composition of the blood, its density and consistency, and also affect the processes of its filtration and disposal of poisons.
2. The process of proteinuria occurs , the leaching of proteins from the body along with the excreted urine. With kidney dystrophy, which develops with alcoholism, the natural process of blood purification changes, which provokes the removal of protein from it.
3. Kidney tissue becomes thinner and loses its functionality, which leads to kidney failure.

This shows that alcohol causes irreparable harm to the kidneys and, as a result, to the entire body, disrupting the processes of removing toxins from it. As a result, serious damage to internal organs may occur, leading to death.

Kidney disease from alcohol

Discomfort and soreness in the kidney area after drinking any alcoholic beverages may signal the onset of a serious illness.

Diseases caused by drinking alcohol are:

• urolithiasis disease;
• acute and chronic renal failure;
• pyelonephritis;
• glomerulonephritis;
• hemorrhagic cystitis;
• renal dystrophy and necrosis;
• nephrosclerosis;
• nephritis;
• malignant kidney tumors.

With frequent consumption of any type of alcohol, the possibility of developing urolithiasis increases. Alcohol promotes both the formation of stones and the beginning of their movement through the channels. The pathology is extremely painful, insidious and deadly for humans.

How can kidney pathology be recognized?

After alcohol, a high amount of various toxins and poisons accumulate in the kidneys, which provokes swelling, pain in the lumbar region, high blood pressure and headaches. If irreversible processes have not yet affected the kidney tissue, most manifestations of negative symptoms disappear on their own after stopping further consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Symptoms that indicate a serious degree of kidney damage are as follows:

• a decrease in the daily volume of fluid leaving the body through the urinary tract;
• protein and sediment present in the urine;
• change in kidney size, which indicates pathological tissue development.

Pain syndrome localized in the sides indicates the need for immediate contact with a qualified medical specialist

The negative effect of ethyl alcohol on the kidneys can manifest itself in inflammatory processes localized in the pelvis-calyceal region and renal tissues.

Help with intoxication and pain

If signs of alcohol intoxication and pain in the kidney area appear, it is necessary to take medications that will help relieve symptoms and reduce discomfort. First of all, you need to remove harmful substances from the body ; for this you need to use absorbents.

To alleviate the condition, the following groups of drugs are indicated:

• absorbent drugs that are necessary to remove toxins from the body;
• anti-vomiting and anti-nausea medications;
• hepatoprotectors that protect the liver;
• rehydration agents to stabilize electrolyte balance disturbed by alcohol;
• painkillers.

In pharmacies, such drugs are presented in a wide range. The instructions for use detail the methods of use and dosage.

First aid

If, when the first symptoms appear, it is not possible to seek medical help, you need to know what rules to follow when carrying out first aid after an overdose of alcoholic beverages.

To provide first aid after intoxication, the following drugs are used:

1. Products that adsorb and remove harmful substances from the body (Polysorb, regular activated carbon);
2. Saline solutions to restore the acid-base balance (Sorbilact, Regidron);
3. Symptomatic drugs (Zorex, Biotredin);
4. Drugs that help reduce nausea and inhibit the gag reflex (Anastezin).

Recommendations for stabilizing the condition

If a person suspects that he has kidney problems, it is imperative to go to the hospital for quality medical care. It is necessary to do a series of tests, as well as an ultrasound examination of the organs, after which the correct diagnosis will be established and the necessary treatment will be prescribed. Only on the basis of a comprehensive examination will it become clear how to restore the kidneys after alcohol.

Before starting or during treatment, the following recommendations should be followed:

1. complete abstinence from drinking any alcohol is necessary;
2. Do not drink coffee or strong tea;
3. give up fatty and fried foods, meat and dairy products, salt, spices;
4. drink at least two liters of clean water;
5. keep quiet, limit movements and physical activity, lie down more.

When treating kidney diseases, it is important to drink the right amount of water . At an early stage of the disease, it helps prevent the development of the disease and can restore impaired kidney function. Water also helps cleanse the body by washing away sand and helps reduce the amount of toxic substances, which allows you to cure the disease much faster.

Speaking about how to cleanse your kidneys after drinking alcohol, remember that at home measures are limited only to diet, drinking clean water and completely abstaining from alcohol. Any attempts at self-medication using traditional medicine can be dangerous to health. It is better to seek help from a doctor who will indicate steps to treat and restore the kidneys.

When drinking excessive amounts of any alcoholic beverages, you must remember that after such excesses the kidneys are difficult to recover. Constant abuse of alcoholic beverages leads to serious pathological conditions. It is important to remember that for any symptoms of the disease, self-medication can be life-threatening.

Urolithiasis as a cause of pain

A common cause of kidney pain after heavy drinking is urolithiasis. She may not show herself for a long time. But a large amount of beer or other alcohol passing through the kidneys sets the stones in motion. The nature of the pain depends on the location of the stone and its size. Small ones cause symptoms such as renal colic. Then the person is tormented by intense pain, which periodically goes away.

One of the reasons for the development of urolithiasis is alcoholism. Moreover, it does not matter at all what is regularly consumed: low-alcohol or strong drinks. If you suspect that you have kidney stones, drinking alcohol is not just harmful, but life-threatening.

Symptoms may include:

• periodic pain of varying intensity;
• pink or reddish urine;
• fine sand in urine;
• pain when urinating.

If any of the above manifests itself, and not only after a binge, then it’s not enough to stop drinking. It is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible and begin treating your kidneys. Trying to dissolve stones using folk methods at home is fraught with calling the emergency room. Some herbs can actually effectively fight urolithiasis. But if we are talking about stones larger than 3-4 mm, then there is a high risk that when they exit, they will block the ureter. In this case, the outflow of urine is disrupted, which leads to an enlargement of the renal pelvis and tissue death (hydronephrosis).

What types of alcohol are more dangerous?

Chronic alcoholism develops with constant drinking. Rating of the most harmful drinks (in descending order of danger):

1. Homemade moonshine, counterfeit alcohol. They contain a lot of fusel oils, even a small amount of which often leads to death.
2. Champagne. Danger due to high gas content. As a result, ethanol penetrates the blood faster.
3. Absinthe. In addition to many harmful substances, it also contains plant toxins and dyes. The liver is under double attack.
4. Beer. It contains carbon dioxide. As a result, ethanol rapidly spreads through the blood. Plus, the content of hop malt in beer triggers fermentation. As a result, even more toxins appear.
5. Whiskey, cognac and rum. They contain a lot of harmful additives that “kill” the liver. It is especially dangerous to mix drinks with other drinks or soda.
6. Gin. With it, a lot of ethanol enters the blood at once. Therefore, it should be consumed without drinking.
7. Dry red wine (more details -). It is considered “pure” alcohol, almost without impurities. If the wine also contains fructose, the alcohol will be eliminated from the body faster. But packaged options are harmful. If you buy wine, then only in bottles.
8. Vodka. The most preferable option, since it contains the least harmful components and does not contain dyes. With the help of modern techniques, fusel oils, which are even more dangerous than ethanol, are removed from the drink.

Alcoholic liver diseases

The table below shows the most common liver diseases that occur due to alcohol consumption.

Leading a healthy lifestyle provides a great guarantee of maintaining the health of not only the liver, but also the entire body.

Alcohol is harmful to the liver in any dosage. Due to the organ’s ability to regenerate, a person does not notice the harmful effects. Scientists have found out which people's livers recover worse. So, at risk:

• young people from 14 to 22 years old;
• girls and women from 16 to 30 years old;
• patients taking painkillers, sugar-lowering drugs and other strong medications;
• people who are overweight;
• people with diseases of the digestive system;
• melancholic people (people with a character unstable to stressful situations);
• people who have difficult memories from childhood.

Consequences

The consequences of long-term alcohol consumption can be unpredictable. They are classified into external and internal. All of them are presented in the table.

Scientists have not identified the exact cause of the harmful effects of alcohol on the organs of the digestive system. There are two theories:

1. Penetration of toxins from the intestines. Alcohol provokes the penetration of toxins from intestinal cells into liver cells. This causes inflammation and scars.
2. Destruction of liver cells. Scientists call this process oxidative stress.

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