Alcohol-related liver disease Symptoms

People who have progressed to alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis most likely will not be able to reverse the disease. This article explores the early signs and symptoms of alcoholic liver disease, its stages, causes, risk factors, treatments, and prevention. The single best treatment for alcohol-related liver disease is abstinence from alcohol. When indicated, specific treatments are available that can help people remain abstinent, reduce liver inflammation, and, in the case of liver transplantation, replace the damaged liver.

As the condition progresses and more healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, the liver stops functioning properly. It’s important to note that taking vitamin A and alcohol together can be deadly. Only people who have stopped drinking can take these supplements. Supplements will not cure liver disease, but they can prevent complications like malnutrition.

When to seek medical advice

Some people with NAFLD can get nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, also called NASH. NASH is a serious form of fatty liver disease that causes the liver to swell and become damaged due to the fat deposits in the liver. NASH may get worse and may lead to serious liver scarring, called cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. This damage is like the damage caused by heavy alcohol use. This is why diagnosis and subsequent treatment can sometimes be challenging, but it’s crucial to receive a proper and timely diagnosis to obtain the correct treatment.

• In the early stages of the disease, your body can compensate for your liver’s limited function.
• Cirrhosis is a stage of ARLD where the liver has become significantly scarred.
• You and a doctor can take steps ahead of time to help resolve these issues, which can increase your chance of getting the transplant.

You and a doctor can take steps ahead of time to help resolve these issues, which can increase your chance of getting the transplant. Symptoms of alcohol-related cirrhosis typically develop around the mean age of 52, with alcohol-related fatty liver disease and alcohol-related hepatitis often showing up about 4 to 8 years before this. It may start with fatty liver disease, progressing to alcohol-related hepatitis, and then to alcohol-related cirrhosis. But you could develop alcohol-related cirrhosis without ever having alcohol-related hepatitis. The liver removes toxins from the blood, breaks down proteins, and creates bile. Over time, heavy alcohol use can lead to cirrhosis, a condition in which healthy tissue is replaced with scar tissue.

How can doctors tell if I have alcohol-related liver disease?

You may need to stay in hospital during this time, or you may be able to go home at the end of each day. If you have severe alcohol-related hepatitis, you may need to be treated in hospital. Specialists may use anti-inflammatory medication in some patients to reduce liver damage, such as steroids (corticosteroids).

Alcoholic hepatitis occurs when the liver becomes damaged and inflamed. Symptoms include fever, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), malnourishment, swelling, and accumulation of fluid around the liver. NAFLD is becoming more common around the world, especially in Middle Eastern and Western nations as the number of people alcoholic liver disease with obesity rises. It is the most common form of chronic liver disease, affecting about 25% of the world’s population. In the United States, about 100 million people have NAFLD. Take our free, 5-minute alcohol abuse self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with alcohol abuse.

How is alcohol-related liver disease treated?

This initially takes the form of increased fat in your liver, but over time it can lead to inflammation and the accumulation of scar tissue. Alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of liver damage. When liver damage has happened due to alcohol, it’s called alcohol-related liver disease. Corticosteroids are used to treat severe alcoholic hepatitis by decreasing inflammation in the liver. Other medications, such as Pentoxil (pentoxifylline), may also be used. Abstaining from drinking alcohol is the first step in treating ALD.

• Talk to your doctor if you think you have a problem with drinking or are at risk for developing liver disease.
• In these cases, treatment focuses on preventing further damage and treating other factors that can make the disease worse, such as infection and malnourishment.
• Specific treatment with corticosteroids or pentoxifylline medication may be used to reduce inflammation of the liver in some people with this condition.
• Fatty liver disease can often be reversed by stopping drinking alcohol.
• Not smoking and controlling body weight are significant lifestyle changes people can make to further reduce the risk.
• People with severe alcohol dependency may stay at an inpatient rehabilitation facility for closer monitoring.

Severe liver scarring, or cirrhosis, is the main complication of NAFLD and NASH. Cirrhosis happens because of liver injury, such as the damage caused by inflammation in NASH. As the liver tries to stop inflammation, it creates areas of scarring, also called fibrosis. With ongoing inflammation, fibrosis spreads and takes up more liver tissue. Anyone with liver disease can have a transplant assessment if they meet certain conditions. This will be carried out at a liver transplant unit, and the process usually takes about a week.

Permanent Damage From Alcoholic Liver Disease

There is no definitive test for alcohol-related liver disease. A complete blood count to check for a low platelet count and anemia is also done. Women are more vulnerable to liver damage by alcohol, even after adjustments are made for smaller body size. Women are at risk of liver damage if they drink about half as much alcohol as men. That is, drinking more than ¾ to 1½ ounces of alcohol a day puts women at risk. Risk may be increased in women because their digestive system may be less able to process alcohol, thus increasing the amount of alcohol reaching the liver.

The altered intracellular redox potential leads to the accumulation of intracellular lipids. Fatty liver is generally considered a reversible condition. More information and support for people with alcoholic liver disease and their families can be found by joining support groups for alcoholism or liver disease.

Personal and psychosocial factors are also important because excessive drinking is related to depression and other psychological diseases. The provider can counsel you about how much alcohol is safe for you. Research is ongoing on medications that might be able to reverse cirrhosis. Still, it’s likely going to take time and many clinical trials before any drug is found to be successful and can enter the market. You’re likely to have ARLD if your AST level is two times higher than your ALT level. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, this finding is present in over 80 percent of ARLD patients.