I am a 26-year-old female and drink excess alcohol. What are the chances that this will affect my liver?

One of the most common causes of liver damage is alcohol. Even though millions of people consume alcohol on a regular basis, only a few heavy drinkers develop liver damage. The liver damage induced by alcohol is not sudden but occurs slowly over a period of 10-15 years. It is impossible to predict who will develop liver damage and who will not. It is known that alcohol generates toxic chemicals that can damage liver cells. However, why this happens in only a few individuals’ remains a mystery. In addition, when alcohol damage occurs, the liver function is not immediately compromised. The liver has a tremendous capacity to regenerate and even when 80% of the liver is damaged, it continues to function as normal. Thus, when you present with symptoms it usually means that your liver has suffered a lot of damage and most likely it irreversible. Liver scarring or end stage liver disease is also known as cirrhosis. The only way to avoid liver damage from alcohol is to stop drinking.