Alcoholic Liver Disease - Causes, Symptoms, Stages, Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention

Introduction:

Alcoholic liver disease is something that an alcoholic person needs to be cautious about. The human body constitutes a broad group of organs performing coordinated activities tirelessly. One of them with a comparatively widespread function is the liver. Alcohol in excess slows it down to a level where it can no longer function and affects all its bodily functions.

What Are the Functions of the Liver?

The liver is a highly functioning organ with various functions numbering a few hundred across the whole body. The functioning of liver is responsible for performing many bodily functions few of which are:

• The liver plays an active role in filtering the blood, removing the bacteria present in the blood, and breaking down the harmful substances consumed, such as alcohol and drugs.

• The liver secretes a bile fluid that plays a significant role in digesting the food and excreting it with ease.

• The liver regulates the sugar levels in the blood by removing the excess glucose from the blood and regulating cholesterol levels.

• The liver regulates the function of a protein called albumin that prevents the blood from leaking into the surrounding tissues.

• The liver maintains the levels of the amino acids more healthily to help in protein synthesis.

What Causes Alcoholic Liver Disease?

• As the name suggests, the only cause of alcoholic liver disease that is preventable yet neglected is alcohol overindulgence.

• Habits such as smoking and following a wrong lifestyle pattern can aggravate the complications caused due to the disease.

• The recommended dose of alcohol in men is two drinks or less, whereas, in women, it is one drink or less in a day.

What Are the Stages of Alcoholic Liver Disease?

• Steatosis, commonly called the fatty liver, is the initial stage of liver disease and an alarm to high alcohol intake. This condition is common among alcoholics wherein there is fat deposition around the liver. Consuming large amounts of alcohol, even for a short period, can result in fatty liver. Quitting alcohol can reverse this condition back to normal as the liver can regenerate (grow back after suffering damage) with the defect being mild.

• Alcoholic hepatitis occurs when alcohol abuse continues even after the incidence of fatty liver; it leads to the inflammation of the liver with swelling. There is the death of the liver cells, and permanent scarring is created. Severe stages of alcoholic hepatitis can be life-threatening.

• Fibrosis is caused by the buildup of specific proteins in the liver and can be seen in most liver diseases.

• The most crucial stage of liver disease is cirrhosis, in which the normal liver tissues are destroyed and replaced by scar tissues. This condition is irreversible, and even after quitting, this morbidity rate is high.

• In some people, awareness of suffering a liver disease strikes only with the onset of severe symptoms or even later. Alcoholic liver disease can be reversed to normal at milder stages by quitting alcohol.

Who Is Susceptible to This Disease?

• Though any heavy drinker carries the same risk, not everyone will suffer the same disease intensity.

• The risk factor is influenced mainly by how long the patient has been a heavy drinker and the amount of alcohol consumed on average.

• It mainly affects people in their 40’s or 50’s.

• Men are more prone to this disease; however, females are prone to illness at a relatively faster pace, even with lower levels of alcohol consumption.

• This disease has also been inherited in a few people.

What Symptoms Does Alcoholic Liver Disease Show?

The initial symptoms of liver diseases are hardly noticeable or could be ignored, as these symptoms could occur in any other less severe condition.

• Substantial weight loss with a drain in the energy levels.

• Stomach pain with nausea and vomiting.

• Loss of appetite with excess thirst.

• Low-grade fever.

• When the disease worsens, the symptoms get serious as well, which include;

• Edema (swelling) of the legs.

• Yellowish discoloration of the whitish part of the eyes and the skin due to jaundice.

• Redness of the hands and palms.

• Gynecomastia (excess breast growth in males) with shrinkage of the testicles.

• Dark or bloody stools.

• Bruises occur quickly, and even a mild scratch on the skin provokes bleeding.

• Swollen abdomen due to fluid accumulation with veins appearing enlarged.

• Spider-like blood vessels on the skin.

• Enlargement of the liver and spleen.

How Is Alcoholic Liver Disease Diagnosed?

• Blood tests such as liver function tests are done, which could even be normal in the initial stages. Blood also shows a decrease in albumin levels.

• Ultrasound of the abdomen.

• CT (computed tomography) scan of the stomach.

• A liver biopsy is required in severe cases where a small part of the liver is removed, and laboratory tests are performed.

What Are the Complications That Can Occur Due to Alcoholic Liver Disease?

• Internal bleeding.

• Fluid accumulation in the abdomen followed by infection.

• Increased blood pressure in the portal vein (primary vein present in the liver).

• Kidney failure.

• Liver cancer.

• Drowsiness, confusion, and coma can occur in the later stages of the disease.

• Enlarged veins in the internal organs such as the liver, esophagus, stomach, etc.

How Is Alcoholic Liver Disease Prevented From Progression?

Lifestyle modifications can prevent this disease from progressing to life-threatening levels.

A few lifestyle modifications include;

• Avoiding alcohol consumption

• Consuming a healthy diet preferably with low salt content.

• Managing the body weight which is a complication of the disease.

• Quit smoking and drugs.

• Managing the underlying conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, etc.

• Including supplements and multivitamins in the routine.

• Psychological modifications in individuals with alcohol dependency or addiction;

• Behavioral therapies or alcohol cessation counseling are suggested.

• Benzodiazepines are said to show easy withdrawal of alcohol dependency.

How Is Alcoholic Liver Disease Treated?

• The treatment for the initial stages usually involves the lifestyle modifications mentioned, which generally show results in a few weeks. Medical intervention is advised when other organ complications occur, or the disease has proceeded to later stages.

• The complications associated with liver disease need specific treatments, such as fluid accumulations in the stomach should be removed, the placement of stents to repair the blood flow to the liver, etc.

• Antibiotics are prescribed in case of infections.

• More severe cases of liver cirrhosis demand a liver transplant.

Conclusion:

The liver stands out from other organs due to its remarkable capacity for regeneration and its ability to return to normal functioning. When it comes to alcoholic liver disease, instead of disregarding the liver's unique resilience, it is advisable to harness it by either abstaining from alcohol or moderating alcohol consumption to recommended levels.