ALCOHOLIC LIVER DAMAGE

Alcoholic Liver Damage – General Information

Alcoholic Liver Damage also known as Alcoholic Liver Disease is the main cause of liver problems all over the world, and it develops from the intake of high quantities of alcohol. These alcoholic liver diseases can be cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, or Laennec’s Cirrhosis. Alcoholic Liver Damage refers to a chronic or acute inflammation of the liver, caused by the alcohol abuse. The Alcoholic Liver Damage usually appears after sever years of hard drinking. The bigger the duration of consuming alcohol is the bigger is the possibility of developing liver diseases.
Here are some causes of the occurrence this disease:

• Malnutrition – this results from the empty calories from the alcohol, malabsorption (which is an inadequate absorption of the nutrients from the gastro-intestinal tract), and from the loss of appetite.
• The toxicity of ethanol to the liver
• Genetic factors
• Patient susceptibility to alcohol induced liver disease

The changes occur with the liver’s inflammation, leading to hepatitis and then progresses to fatty liver and finally to cirrhosis. There may also appear serious complications such as alcoholic encephalopathy, which is the damage in the brain tissue, and hypertension, meaning high blood pressure in the liver.
The fatty liver also known as steatosis is the most common consequence of alcohol abuse. The fatty liver means that macrovesicular fat accumulate under the form of triglycerides. These triglycerides displace the nucleus of the hepatocyte cells. Microvesicular fat leads to mitochondrial damage, meaning that the liver enlarges- hepatomegaly-.

Alcoholic Liver Damage – Symptoms

It is well known the fact that any medical disorder (including Alcoholic Liver Damage) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been listed (mentioned) here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from Alcoholic Liver Damage or from any other medical disorder. Here is a list of the Alcoholic Liver Damage most common symptoms:

• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice
• Abdominal pain and even tenderness
• Fever
• Ascites – this is an accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
• Weight gain because of the fluid accumulation
• Mental confusion
• Excessive thirst
• Dry mouth
• Excessive thirst
• Fatigue
• Vomiting blood
• Bloody or dark black bowel movements – melena
• Abnormal dark or even light skin
• Redness of the feet and also of the hands
• Paleness
• Tachycardia
• Slow, lethargic and sluggish movements
• In males the breast may develop more than normal
• Inability of concentration
• Agitation
• Changes in the mood
• Inability in paying attention
• Muscle and joint aches
• Mild fever
• Diarrhea
• Sleeping problems
• Coma
• Impaired judgement
• Confusion due to the encephalopathy
• Hallucinations
• Impaired short-term or long-term memory
• Altered consciousness

Alcoholic Liver Damage - Treatment

Like in any other medical disorder the principal goal of the Alcoholic Liver Damage treatment is to ameliorate the symptoms, by discontinuing the consumption of alcohol and providing a high carbohydrates and calories diet. Patients may be prescribed a treatment with vitamin B1 and folic acid which can improve the symptoms. In order for the patients to quit drinking, they may be subscribes in an alcohol rehabilitation program, but if cirrhosis appears, then a liver transplant can be necessary.
In order for the doctor to establish the diagnostic of Alcoholic Liver Damage, there are some tests that the patient must do, such as:

• An ultrasound of the abdomen - in order to examine the internal organs.
• Blood tests
• Computed axial tomography scan of the abdomen
• Liver function test, like ALP (Alkaline phosphatase)
• A liver biopsy can also be performed
• A complete blood count, also known as CBC, that may reveal anemia and other abnormalities
• Reticulocyte count – is a test which counts the percentage of reticulocytes in the blood. The reticulocytes are immature red blood cells.
• Ferritin – is a test which measures the serum ferritin levels
• Alpha protein – is a test which measures the levels of  fetal alpha globulin

In the cases when a patient who has Alcoholic Liver Damage, develops hepatitis the treatment depends on the type of the hepatitis that he develops. For hepatitis A there is no treatment, except the reduction of the alcohol intake. The doctor may also prescribe some medicines in these cases. In the cases of hepatitis B, the doctor will recommend much rest to the patients and also a diet rich in proteins and carbohydrates which will help to the reparation of the affected liver cells. If the hepatitis B aggravates then the doctor will prescribe interferon (which is an antiviral agent) and steroids. In the cases of hepatitis C, the most common treatment is that with interferon Alfa – 2b, also known as Intron A. In the next stage of Alcoholic Liver Damage, meaning the fatty liver, the treatment differs depending on the underlying cause of the disease. When the fatty liver does not have complications, the treatment is weight loss, exercises, and a diet with no fats. The doctor will also recommend the patient to renounce to alcohol and to limit the sugar intake in the case of the persons who also suffer from diabetes. The usrodeoxycholic acid may also improve the symptoms, but it depends on the every patient’s organism. In final stage of Alcoholic Liver Damage is cirrhosis. The goal of the treatment of cirrhosis is to stop, delay or prevent the liver damage. If the underlying cause of the cirrhosis is known then the therapy will treat the cause, but no matter the cause of the cirrhosis the patients will be recommended to stop taking any medicines that can cause liver damage and to stop consuming alcohol. The consumption of alcohol in a patient with cirrhosis accelerates the development of the disease. If complications appear, then liver transplant is recommended.