The liver breaks down most of the alcohol we consume (the rest is excreted from our bodies through breathing, urine, and sweat). The liver contains enzymes that break down alcohol into water and carbon dioxide which are harmless to our bodies.
But the liver can break down about a unit of alcohol every hour and a half in an average adult. The rest circulates in the blood, brain, and other organs. The alcohol will continue to circulate until it's all broken down by the liver.
If the body is unable to deal with the alcohol in its system, the person will faint or in exceptional cases fall into a coma (which may be fatal).
Reckless, systematic, and long-term alcohol consumption neutralizes liver cells leading to serious liver diseases, such as:
Hepatic steatosis – accumulation of fat. This can happen either after extreme alcohol consumption or as a result of regular consumption above the recommended limits. It is reversed very quickly with the elimination of alcohol and does not cause permanent damage. But if the regular consumption of alcohol continues in large quantities, then 15–20% of people will develop more serious liver diseases that will take the form of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.
Alcoholic hepatitis – liver inflammation that varies between mild and acute. People with mild to moderate alcoholic hepatitis may not know that they suffer from liver injury, while people with acute alcoholic hepatitis may develop a ruptured liver. Alcoholic hepatitis can be reversed in several people if they immediately stop drinking alcohol.
Alcoholic cirrhosis – is the result of a process when normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue that will gradually lead to the liver's inability to function properly. People with cirrhosis caused by excessive alcohol consumption may not have symptoms or signs or may have various complications such as jaundice, fluid retention, or severe esophageal bleeding. Although alcoholic cirrhosis is not reversible, stopping alcohol consumption can play an important role in the patient's survival.