Drinking alcohol can affect your whole body, including your kidneys. Having one or two drinks occasionally is usually okay. But drinking too much can harm your health and make kidney disease worse.

If you have concerns about the long-term effects of alcohol abuse on your kidneys, read on to learn more about the dangers and how to get effective treatment.

How Does Alcohol Affect The Kidneys?

Your kidneys filter harmful substances from your blood, including alcohol. Drinking alcohol can change how your kidneys work, making them less able to perform their job of removing toxins and other substances. Your kidneys also keep the right amount of water in your body, but alcohol can make you dehydrated, affecting how your kidneys and other organs function.

Too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure, which is a common cause of kidney disease. Drinking more than two drinks a day can increase your chances of having high blood pressure, and alcohol can interfere with blood pressure medications.

Chronic drinking can cause liver disease, making the kidneys work harder. Liver disease can disrupt the blood flow to your kidneys, which affects their ability to filter blood. Many people with both liver and kidney problems are dependent on alcohol.

How Does Alcohol Abuse Lead to Kidney Disease?

Alcohol abuse and kidney disease can be interrelated. Here’s how it happens.

Reduced filtering ability

Over time, drinking too much alcohol can harm the tiny filtering units in your kidneys called nephrons. Damaged nephrons mean your kidneys can’t filter your blood as well, leading to waste buildup in your body.

Dehydration

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you urinate more. This can lead to dehydration, putting extra strain on your kidneys. When your body lacks enough water, your kidneys have to work harder to maintain the right balance of fluids.

High blood pressure

Heavy drinking can cause high blood pressure, a leading cause of kidney disease. High blood pressure damages the blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing their ability to function properly. If you drink more than two alcoholic drinks a day, your risk of developing high blood pressure increases significantly.

Liver disease

Chronic alcohol use can lead to liver disease, which complicates kidney function. The liver and kidneys work together to remove toxins from your blood. When your liver is damaged, it can’t do its job properly, leaving more work for your kidneys and increasing their risk of damage.

Electrolyte imbalance

Alcohol can interfere with the balance of electrolytes in your body, like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. These electrolytes are essential for normal kidney function, and an imbalance can harm your kidneys.

Early Onset Symptoms of Kidney Disease

Detecting kidney disease early can make a big difference in managing the condition. Here are some early signs to watch for:

Fatigue and weakness

You might feel unusually tired or weak, even after getting enough rest. This happens because your kidneys are not filtering waste properly, leading to a buildup of toxins in your blood.

Frequent urination

Needing to urinate more often, especially at night, can be a sign of kidney problems. This is because your kidneys are struggling to filter your blood correctly.

Swelling in legs and feet

Your kidneys help balance the amount of fluid in your body. When they aren’t working well, fluid can build up, causing swelling in your legs, ankles, and feet.

Dry and itchy skin

Kidneys remove waste and extra fluid from your blood. When they can’t do this effectively, it can cause mineral and bone issues, leading to dry and itchy skin.

Muscle cramps

An imbalance of electrolytes, such as calcium and phosphorus, can lead to muscle cramps. This imbalance is often due to poor kidney function.

Nausea and vomiting

Waste buildup in your body can make you feel sick to your stomach, causing nausea and vomiting.

Changes in urine

Your urine might look foamy, bloody, or darker than usual. It could also have a strong smell, which indicates that your kidneys are not filtering waste properly.

Shortness of breath

When fluid builds up in your body, it can get into your lungs, making it hard to breathe. This is another sign that your kidneys are not working well.

If you notice any of these symptoms, consult a doctor. Early detection and treatment can help manage kidney disease and keep your kidneys as healthy as possible.

What Are the Risks of Kidney Disease?

There are many risks triggered by kidney disease, from heart disease to gout and skin conditions.

Heart disease

Heart disease happens when your heart or blood vessels don’t work well. Kidney disease can lead to heart disease, and heart disease can also cause kidney disease. When your kidneys are not working properly, your heart has to work harder to pump blood to them. This extra work can cause heart disease. Heart disease is the main cause of death for people on dialysis.

Anemia

Anemia means you don’t have enough red blood cells. It’s common in those with CKD (chronic kidney disease), especially in stages 3 to 5. Anemia often worsens as kidney disease worsens. If your kidneys stop working well, you’re at increased risk of anemia. If you feel you have CKD, consult your doctor and ask to be tested. Treating anemia can improve functioning.

Gout

Gout is a type of arthritis that makes your joints swell and hurt, often in your toes. It’s caused by an excess of uric acid in your blood, which happens when your kidneys can’t filter it out properly. Gout is a common problem for people with kidney disease, but it can also trigger kidney disease.

High potassium

Those with kidney disease may have high potassium levels because the kidneys can’t remove extra potassium. Rather than leaving your body through urine, extra potassium stays in the blood. Over time, this can build up and cause problems.

High phosphorus

Phosphorus is a mineral the body requires to stay healthy. It’s found in some foods and drinks. Your body uses phosphorus, along with calcium, and vitamin D, to maintain bone strength. That said, too much phosphorus in the blood can be harmful. Your kidneys help balance phosphorus and other minerals in the blood.

Itchy skin

Pruritus (itchy skin) can be very uncomfortable and cause problems with sleep. It’s common in people with ESKD (end-stage kidney disease) or those on dialysis. Talk to your doctor about treatment options. New treatments are available that might help.

Get Compassionate, Science-Backed Alcohol Addiction Treatment at California Detox

Although alcohol addiction is disruptive, it’s also highly treatable – we can help you take action against problems with alcohol and kidney disease at California Detox in Laguna Beach, CA.

Begin recovery with our medical detox program. 24/7 supervision and medications will streamline the alcohol withdrawal process and minimize complications. After a week, you can move into an ongoing inpatient program at our luxury rehab by the beach.

Every alcohol addiction is different, so all California Detox treatment programs offer personalized therapies, such as:

• Medication-assisted treatment
• Counseling
• Talk therapy
• Group therapy
• Family therapy
• Holistic treatments
• Aftercare

Begin treatment for mental health today by calling our friendly team at 949.694.8305.