Alcohol-Related Liver Disease : Symptoms and Causes

The liver is the biggest gland in the human body, and easily is one of the most important organs. It detoxifies the body, ensures smooth functioning of the body, and is responsible for producing hormones that help in metabolisation of food. However, a liver specialist in Delhi NCR is of the opinion that apart from this, the liver also happens to be the most abused organ in the body. The most common abuse of the liver happens through the consumption of alcohol.

The digestive system only gets about 25% of the alcohol consumed, while the rest of it goes to the liver. However, over consumption of alcohol over a long time can cause swelling, inflammation and scarring of the liver, starting the condition of what is known as the Alcohol-Related Liver Disease.

What is Alcohol-Related Liver Disease?

A condition where the liver is damaged due to excess consumption of alcohol over a long time leading to swelling and inflammation is called alcohol-related liver disease. While there are certain stages that the condition happens in, the last stage of the diseases is the scarring of the liver, also known as cirrhosis. It is noteworthy here that Cirrhosis can not be cured, and often lead to acute liver failure.

For understanding what these stages are and how they affect a human body, here are all the types of alcohol-related liver disease.

Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: 

When the fat begins to get deposited into the liver due to drinking too much, it results in Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. It can be cured by abstinence.

Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis: 

Swelling in the liver caused due to alcohol abuse is the reason behind alcoholic hepatitis. In milder cases, the damage can be reversed by quitting alcohol, while severe cases often lead to liver failure.

Alcoholic Cirrhosis:

It is the last stage of Alcohol-Related Liver Disease and is characterised by scarring of the liver. The damage is irreversible at this point and will lead to liver failure unless it is transplanted in time.

Risk Factors for Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

These are the risk factors that are involved with the disease:

• A family history of Alcohol-Related Liver Disease

• Heavy Drinking

• Binge Drinking

• Poor Nutrition

Early signs of liver damage from alcohol (Symptoms) :

While a number of people suffering from the condition do not show any signs or symptoms until the disease has progressed too much, this is not true for everyone. According to the doctors at one of the best liver hospitals in the country for treatment , there are people who start showing the signs of alcohol-related liver disease really early in their life. It is often the sign given by the body to stop drinking because as the condition progress, it takes away a lot more than one can imagine.

Here are some common symptoms that are used to diagnose alcohol-related liver disease.

• Nausea 

• Loss of Appetite

• Jaundice

• Fatigue

• Uncomfortable abdomen sensations

• Uncontrollable thirst

• Abdominal and leg swelling

• Sudden drop in weight

• Change in skin tone

• Redness in the hands and feet

• Darkened faces

• Fainting

• Agitation and irritation

• Mood swings

• Confusion

• Bleeding gums

• Increase in size of breasts in men

If nothing else, the disease can surely shorten the life span of a person, which is a severe thing to happen at any stage of life thats why it is up to you how long to abstain from alcohol to repair liver . If the condition can be treated by abstinence and changing the lifestyle, essential practices must be adopted. It is never too late to bring about a necessary change in your life, or in the lives of people close to you.