Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcoholic liver disease occurs due to an acute or chronic inflammation of the liver due to alcohol abuse. This disease usually occurs after a prolonged use of alcohol. In the United States 10% of men and 3% of women suffer from problems related to alcoholic consumption.

The occurrence of the disease depends on the amount of alcohol consumed and the duration it is consumed in. The greater the duration and greater the amount leads to a greater chance for liver disease to occur.

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Other factors include the toxicity of ethanol to the liver, susceptibility to the disease, and genetic factors. Studies have shown that women may be more susceptible than men. The disease starts as inflammation (hepatitis) and progresses to fatty liver and cirrhosis. Alcoholism generally leads to three pathologically different liver diseases. They are the fatty liver ( Steatosis), hepatitis and cirrhosis.

The disease will not show any symptoms until it advances. Complications that arise are alcoholic encephalopathy and portal hypertension.

The symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice, abdominal pain, fever, ascites,weight gain, mental confusion, excessive thirst, dry mouth and fatigue.

Other symptoms are vomiting blood, bloody bowel movements, paleness, fainting, lethargic movement, fluctuating mood, impaired judgement and confusion.

Liver function tests and liver biopsy are the common tests done to detect the disease. Treatment includes the discontinuation of alcoholic use, providing high calorie, high carbohydrate diet to break down the protein present in the patient's body. Counseling and rehabilitaion may prove necessary for the patients.

Liver transplants become necessary if the situation advances to cirrhosis. Once the patient becomes medically stable, there is a need to abstain from drinking. Although stopping drinking may result in the reversal of fatty liver and hepatitis, liver cirrhosis may continue, but progressive liver deterioration can be checked.

Alcoholic Liver Disease

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Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Treatment

Alcoholic fatty liver disease not unlike other forms of fatty liver is reversible. When the cause of fatty liver is alcohol, it is more likely to develop into cirrhosis and cancer, so it is very important to reverse it and prevent it from haunting you again.

Alcohol damages your liver cells by overloading them with work. When that happens fat accumulates inside them because they can't handle taking care of both fat and alcohol (fatty liver, or steatosis stage). As more fat accumulates, less damage the liver can endure and cells start to die and be replaced by fibrotic tissue (cirrhosis stage). Fibrotic tissue does not function and leads to chronic liver failure. Damage to the liver also increases the probability of developing cancer.

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But even when you already have alcoholic fatty liver disease, treatment is possible. The first step is, of course, reducing alcohol intake or, better yet, remove it completely. Alcohol not only damages your liver directly, but it is causes malabsorption of nutrients essential for liver recovery.

The next step is adjusting your diet. Make sure you eat a balanced diet and, if at all possible, become vegetarian. Meat, fish, eggs, and milk put extra load on the liver, which you want to avoid. On the other hand, fruit, vegetables, grains, and beans are rich in nutrients and poor in calories, providing the nutrients necessary for liver regeneration while keeping calories low to signal the liver to burn the fat inside it.

Finally, one last step is taking supplements. A few herbs have been proven to cause liver regeneration and fight liver cancer, and they have healed people with steatosis, cirrhosis and even liver cancer. The most important of these are milk thistle, and artichoke, but the list is very long. You can either try to take one supplement of each or, better yet, use one of the many combinations available.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease treatment is one of the best steps you can take towards health. It is beneficial for everyone who takes, or took, alcohol, because even moderate amount have been shown to cause some degree of liver damage.

Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Treatment

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