What makes a beer belly how it is, round and hard? What makes it different from a normal stomach or a soft(fat) stomach?
In: Biology
Many “beer bellies” are actually, in medical terms, ascites: fluid in between the visceral and parietal peritoneum, or the two layers of connective tissue that line your organs and your skin, respectively. These are men and women who look 9 months pregnant. The fluid builds up due to liver failure, and builds up so quickly that the skin doesn’t slowly grow like it does with fat, but rather stretches to capacity and becomes firm. Doctors often do a procedure called a thoracentesis to drain the fluid, as ascites is painful and can cause organ issues from conpression. I’ve seen someone in severe liver failure remove 5 liters in one go (with more to go, but the doctor stopped after 5 to prevent hypovolemic shock), and another who would routinely lose 2-3 liters every 3-4 days wgile waiting for liver transplants.
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