Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: Types & Treatments

A significant population of drinkers develop serious alcohol-related liver disease. But why so? This is because the liver breaks down most alcohol that you consume so that it can remove the same from your body. During this alcohol metabolism, several toxic substances are developed within the liver that are more harmful than alcohol. These substances can damage liver cells and lead to severe liver disease.

In this piece, you will find everything you need to know about alcohol-related liver disease.

Alcoholic liver diseases are common and can be categorised into three types. Those three categories of liver diseases include –

1. Fatty Liver

There are various effects of alcohol on the liver among which fatty liver is a less severe one. Almost every heavy drinker shows some kind of fat deposition in the liver. However, this might also happen in non-alcoholics after a drinking session. This disease leads to the enlargement of the liver and can be irreversible in nature.

Fatty liver often shows no significant symptoms, but an individual might experience weight loss, weakness and tiredness.

2. Alcoholic Hepatitis

Alcoholic Hepatitis causes significant inflammation and necrosis, i.e., destruction of liver tissue. In other cases, scar tissues might begin to replace healthy liver tissue, known as fibrosis. This death of healthy liver cells often leads to permanent scarring of the liver.

Symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis may include jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms include weakness, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting. In a few cases, this condition might be fatal. According to statistics m, 50% of heavy drinkers suffer from Alcoholic Hepatitis.

3. Alcoholic Cirrhosis

One of the most significant liver diseases due to alcohol is Alcoholic Cirrhosis. This illness is also the most advanced form of alcoholic disease and is diagnosed in approximately 15% - 30% of heavy drinkers. A cirrhotic liver is affected by extensive fibrosis that results in stiffening of the blood vessels and distorts the internal structure of the liver. This replacement of scar tissues with working ones often leads to malfunction of the brain and kidneys that can be fatal due to severe complications.

Symptoms of alcoholic cirrhosis include alcoholic hepatitis and portal hypertension, kidney failure, enlarged spleen, intestinal bleeding, liver cancer, confusion, and ascites.

The symptoms of alcoholic liver disease are often related, and traditionally these three diseases are sequential in nature. Initially, stages of these diseases start with fatty liver and transit to cirrhosis from alcoholic hepatitis. However, in many cases, heavy drinkers have significant chances of developing cirrhosis without its prior level, and alcoholic hepatitis can cause sudden death without leading to cirrhosis.

Although several factors are responsible for liver damage due to alcohol, people who consume liquor and beer more regularly have a higher potential to show symptoms of alcohol-related liver disease compared to other alcoholic beverages such as wine. Also, according to the American Liver Foundation, women are more likely to suffer liver damage from alcohol compared to men.

Besides this, the American College of Gastroenterology states that men who consume more than three drinks per day and women who drink two drinks per day have higher chances of showing symptoms of alcoholic-liver disease.

Successful treatment for ARLD is related to health style and medications. However, it is always recommended to consult a medical professional for treatments as they can diagnose you better.

1. Halting Alcohol Consumption

The primary step of treatment is to remove alcohol from the diet. This practice is known as abstinence, and it is crucial depending on the stage of ARLD. For instance, abstaining from alcohol for at least 2 weeks can reverse the damage caused by fatty liver disease. But, in case you have more severe stages of alcohol-related liver disease, lifelong abstinence is recommended. However, withdrawal from alcohol is never easy and can be life-threatening. In addition, almost 70% of people with ARLD have a problem with alcohol dependency, and individuals should seek help from medical professionals for withdrawal.

2. Dealing With Withdrawal Symptoms

To ease the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol dependency, individuals might need medications called benzodiazepines or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). In addition, individuals might need rehabilitation with close monitoring as a treatment for alcoholic liver disease in more severe cases.

3. Preventing Relapses

Thirdly, preventing yourself from starting to drink can also be challenging. This stage might need further medical attention, the primary being psychological help. This includes the involvement of a therapist that looks after your behaviour and overall well being. Additionally, if psychological treatment is not enough, you can also make medications to abstain from alcohol, such as Disulfiram, Acamprosate and Naltrexone.

4. Balancing Diet and Nutrition

One of the effects of ARLD is malnutrition. Therefore, it is essential to have a balanced diet to get all the necessary nutrients to cope with this problem. Also, individuals can opt for a lower salt diet, but it will be best to consult an expert to chalk out a diet plan.

5. Liver Transplant

One of the treatments for people in the final stages of alcoholic liver disease is a liver transplant. This transplantation is done when the liver loses its ability to perform its natural functions, leading to failure. Currently, this is the only way to cure irreversible liver failure.

If you are in an advanced stage of alcohol-related liver disease, you might need to look at your diet. Although keeping a check on alcohol consumption is paramount, you should also quit smoking. Furthermore, individuals must avoid consuming raw or undercooked fish, shellfish and meat. This is because bacteria from these can intensify infections in the liver. Besides these, individuals must maintain a healthy weight with adequate exercise. They must also consider getting enough sunlight and drinking coffee to reduce the impact of ARLD.

Hence, it is evident that heavy and continuous consumption of alcohol is the primary driving factor behind alcohol-related liver disease. However, drinking habits, hereditary, diet, gender, and additional forms of liver disease can influence the risk of ARLD. Also, most of the liver damage is linked with alcohol metabolism and the by-product of metabolism that is performed by the liver. Apart from the direct impact of toxicity of the by-products, inflammation can also act as an allied reason for this disease. In the case of treatment, although early stages can benefit from abstinence, later stages might need serious medical attention.