Weekend-only drinking can still damage the liver, Dr Swasthik KS said, warning that two days of heavy alcohol use may amount to a recurring “weekly injury” even when people feel normal afterward.
Three or more standard drinks for women and four or more for men in one sitting count as binge drinking, he said, and that short burst can overwhelm the liver and generate acetaldehyde that damages liver cells.
Hours after a heavy session, measurable inflammation can begin, while early fatty liver, inflammation and fibrosis may progress silently because the liver has no pain receptors.
Advanced liver disease often appears only when fatigue, jaundice or abdominal swelling emerge, he said, by which point damage may already be irreversible.
Early-stage harm can still improve if drinking stops, the surgeon said, challenging the belief that five alcohol-free weekdays offset heavy weekend consumption.