What Are The Adverse Effects Of Alcohol Consumption On Kidneys?

Posted on Thu, 18 Dec 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 Answered on

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : ALCOHOL EFFECT ON KIDNEYS?

Answered by Dr. Noble Zachariah (55 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Occasional drink or two is okay but regular drinking harms kidneys

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Welcome to HCM and thanks for the query.
Drinking a little alcohol, one or two drinks occasionally has no serious effects.
But drinking too much can worsen kidney disease.
Alcohol can cause changes in the function of the kidneys and make them less able to purify the blood. Alcohol makes one pass out a lot of water and dehydrates the body. This can affect the normal function of cells and organs, including the kidneys.
Kidneys are also affected indirectly as drinking too much alcohol for a long time causes high blood pressure and damage the liver. These can affect the function of kidneys and damage them.
Take Care
Dr Noble Zachariah

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar