What is alcoholic liver disease? What are the symptoms and treatment?
What is alcoholic liver disease?
A person experiences alcoholic diseases due to the excessive intake of alcohol. It damages the liver and leads to a buildup of fats, scarring, and inflammation. It is observed that the liver is a complex organ. This involves storing energy, making proteins & hormones, regulating cholesterol, filtering out blood toxins, and blood sugar. So if you are experiencing the liver diseases, then you should consult the best liver hospital in Ludhiana.
What are the early signs of alcoholic liver diseases?
- Diarrhea
- Decreased appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Pain in the abdomen
What are the symptoms?
There are different symptoms of alcoholic liver disease that are mentioned below:
- Jaundice
- Edema
- Fever
- Ascites
- Shivering
- Itchy skin
- Decreases the weight
- Weakness
- Blood in vomit
- Bleeding comes while brushing and much more.
What is the treatment?
Avoid intake of alcohol
The foremost step a person should do is avoid alcohol.
- Cognitive Behavioral therapy
Some patients need to stay in rehabilitation for close monitoring. And some patients need CBT and medicines that will help them to get rid of the problem.
Sedentary lifestyle
A person should make changes in their lifestyle. He should stop smoking because it will worsen the current situation of the patient. Many support groups will help you in leaving smoking as well as drinking. You can also take multivitamins that will give you proteins, vitamins that your body is unable to get from a regular diet.
Medications
If the condition of the patient is severe, then the doctors will give medicines like pentoxifylline or corticosteroids that are beneficial for the patient. The doctor will admit the patient and do further treatment.
Liver transplant
In some cases, patients experience liver failure. If any patient is experiencing such types of situations, then a liver transplant is the only option left with the doctor. But before undergoing the transplantation doctor will check whether you are a good candidate or not. Below are the factors to ensure that you are suitable for the liver transplant or not.
- The patient should stop the intake of alcohol six months before undergoing the transplant.
- The organ systems of the patient should be healthy enough and much more.
The donor should also be available, then only liver transplant can take place.
What are the stages?
Four stages of alcoholic liver diseases are mentioned below:
- Alcoholic fatty liver disease
If you drink alcohol in huge amounts then your liver will collect fatty acid. You will be shocked to know that this condition can occur within a week if you are a heavy drinker. There are no symptoms at this stage.
Alcoholic hepatitis
If the person will not stop the intake of alcohol, then liver inflammation can occur. This is the situation that usually occurs after many years of binge drinking. The person will experience swelling as well as inflammation in the liver.
Fibrosis
Fibrosis is a condition in which proteins occur due to the continual intake of alcohol. This is known as chronic liver disease. Mild and moderate types of fibrosis can be reversible but severe fibrosis causes liver cancer.
Cirrhosis
This situation occurs when the liver of the patient is inflamed for a long time. It leads to loss of function as well as scarring. This is a life-threatening situation. So instead of continuing with the intake of alcohol, a person should stop.