Overconsumption of alcohol, over a period of time can result in alcoholic liver disease. It not only leads to liver damage but also the buildup of fats, inflammation, and scarring. The healthy liver tissues of a person are replaced with scarred liver tissues under the condition. Considered to be one of the major reasons for acute liver damage, alcohol abuse can also cause liver failure compelling a person to undergo liver transplant surgery. Liver damage due to alcohol usually occurs in three stages: Fatty liver, liver hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis.
Early Signs
The early signs are not very noticeable and affect a range of systems in the body. A person might feel unwell and might have:
Nausea and vomiting
Pain in the abdomen
Reduced appetite
Diarrhea
It is common to interpret early symptoms as effects of general malaise and stomach bug. Leaving the symptoms untreated can make the disease progress faster.
Alcoholic Liver Disease Symptoms
As the Alcoholic liver diseases progress further, the symptoms get more recognizable. The distinguishing symptoms of later-stage liver disease include:
Swelling of the lower limbs(edema)
Ascites or buildup of fluid in the abdomen
Jaundice
Fever and shivering
Loss of weight
Extremely itchy skin
General weakness and wasting muscles
Fingernails that curve excessively
Blood in stools and vomit
Bleeding and bruising easily
Sensitive reaction to drugs and alcohol
In the presence of all these symptoms, visiting a doctor from the best liver care hospital becomes important.
Treatment Options for Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD) Abstinence
The most important therapeutic intervention for people with alcoholic liver disease is complete abstinence from taking alcohol. It not only reduces the risk of further damage but also gives the liver a chance to recover. Completely refraining from drinking also helps improve the outcome and histological features of hepatic injury. This helps improve the survival rate at all stages of ALD.
Nutritional Therapy
Another consequence of ALD is malnutrition. This is more prominent in patients in the second stage of alcoholic hepatitis. Protein-calorie malnutrition is more common in patients with ALD. No matter the stage, a hepatologist must be consulted and nutritional therapy must be started at the earliest. It helps alleviate the symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis and improve the condition.
Medication (Pharmacological Therapy)
Symptoms and stages of the disease are carefully screened by the hepatologist. Depending on the stage, various drugs, and medications are prescribed which a patient must take religiously to improve the symptoms.
Liver Transplant
When the condition gets severe, liver transplant surgery is the only treatment option left. The step is taken when the liver has completely stopped functioning and no improvement is witnessed even after the patient has stopped drinking. Complicated cirrhosis and body not responding to other types of treatments including medications are some other reasons that the patient might require to undergo liver transplant. A person must also lose weight and quit smoking since both are known to make alcoholic liver disease worse.
As the biggest gland in the human body, the liver performs many vital functions to keep one well and alive. It is the main detoxifying organ that help...
Bariatric surgery is the collective term for gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries. It involves making changes to your digestive system to ai...
One of the increasingly popular ways of tackling obesity is bariatric surgery. It is one of the most popular bariatric surgeries in which the size of ...
Long before the world had to deal with COVID, another pandemic lingered in the shadows. This pandemic affected the weight, lifestyle, and health of ma...
The liver is the most important organ that plays an important role in performing different functions in the body. The liver helps in producing necessa...
The liver is the largest solid organ of the human body. It performs a myriad of important and life-sustaining functions. Metabolic, immunologic, synth...
The liver is a major organ that performs a wide range of functions in the body. The liver not only helps to detoxify the blood but also helps in the p...
Blood in Stool - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
What happens when you find blood in the stool? Blood in the stool occurs when one bleeds in the gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal tract inc...
The appendix is a small, finger-like organ. It looks like a tube-shaped pouch located near the lower right of the abdomen. The appendix is connected t...