Alcoholic Liver Disease

Identifying Alcohol Liver Damage Symptoms
Treatment For Alcohol Liver Damage

If you, or someone you care about abuses alcohol then it is only natural to worry about the effects all that alcohol is having on your, or their, liver.

The liver is the largest organ in the body (unless you call the skin an organ).

It also carries out many functions, without which the human body could not survive.

When we talk about alcohol and liver damage, we mean alcohol is hampering or preventing it from carrying out the important functions listed below.

The Functions of the Liver

Some of the liver's functions include:

• processing digested food from the intestine
• controlling levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in the blood
• combating infections in the body
• clearing the blood of particles and infections including bacteria
• neutralizing and destroying drugs and toxins
manufacturing bile
• storing iron, vitamins and other essential chemicals
• breaking down food and turning it into energy
• manufacturing and breaking down
• making enzymes and proteins which are responsible for most chemical reactions in the body, for example those involved in blood clotting and repair of damaged tissues are crucial to the well-being and health of a human body.

Symptoms of Alcoholic Liver Disease
Liver Damage from Alcohol is Progressive

More often than not, the first stage of alcoholic liver disease involves fatty liver. Also known as alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Often symptom-less, alcoholic fatty liver disease largely refers to the enlargement of the liver, and is generally painless.

This is also the most reversible stage of alcoholic liver disease. In other words, if you reach this stage and then stop drinking, it is more than likely that your liver will recover.

Progression from the alcoholic fatty liver disease can lead to the very painful, cirrhosis of the liver.

This is a more advanced form of liver disease that results in the liver becoming scarred, hardened and shrinking due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Another form of progression from fatty liver is alcoholic hepatitis, which is an inflammation of and, ultimately, death of liver organ tissue.

Alcoholic liver cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis are not mutually exclusive, and both conditions may occur at the same time in the same person.

Alcohol and Liver Disease
Reduced Liver Functions

As stated above, alcoholic fatty liver disease is generally symptom-less and less serious than more advance alcohol liver damage.

However, There may be little to no symptoms of advanced liver disease in some unfortunate cases, which may severely delay diagnosis of the conditions until it is too late.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and/or alcoholic hepatitis will render the liver unable to...

• effectively carry out its task to help the body stop bleeding
• cleanse the blood of toxins
• store energy
• fight infections
• produce healthy blood
• digest food
• remove waste

Alcohol and Liver Disease
Advanced Alcohol Liver Damage Symptoms

Symptoms may include:

• jaundice (the yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• poor appetite
• fatigue
• weight loss and general weakness, which may be followed by acute pain in the right upper region of the abdomen.
• bleeding problems
• easy bruising
• accumulation of extra fluid in the legs, known as edema.
• Blood pressure may rise in the abdomen, resulting in high blood pressure in the veins leading to the liver, often causing enlargement of the spleen and veins. These veins could burst, leading to internal hemorrhage - a life-threatening condition.
• The inability of the sufferer of an advanced liver disease to filter toxins from the blood can cause toxins to travel to the brain leading to hepatic encephalopathy. Symptoms of which include confusion, drastic personality changes in sufferers and poor cognitive functioning.
• Frequent infections
• Complete liver and kidney failure, which may be fatal.
• Additionally, individuals with advanced alcoholic diseases are at an extremely high risk of developing liver cancer.

It doesn't make for pretty reading, and treatment for advanced alcoholic liver disease is somewhat limited. However, in all cases of alcohol induced liver damage, it is essential that the sufferer quits drinking IMMEDIATELY.

For more on this topic and alcoholic liver disease treatment, read alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis.

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