Alcohol-related liver disease

 

There are several intensity gradations and a variety of related symptoms.

Typically, ARLD doesn't show any signs until the liver has been seriously injured. The following signs may appear when this occurs:

• Feeling sick
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
• Swelling in the ankles and tummy
• Confusion or drowsiness
• Vomiting blood or passing blood in your stools

 

As a result, tests for other illnesses or at an advanced stage of liver damage are usually used to diagnose ARLD. Inform your doctor if you frequently use alcohol in excess so they can determine whether your liver is affected.

Stages of ARLD

There are 3 main stages of ARLD, although there's often an overlap between each stage. These stages are explained below.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease

Even a short period of heavy alcohol consumption can cause the liver to accumulate fat. The initial stage of ARLD is known as alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Although fatty liver disease rarely manifests any symptoms, it is a critical indicator that your drinking is too high. There is a cure for fatty liver disease. Your liver should function normally over a period of time (months or years) without drinking alcohol.

Alcoholic hepatitis

Alcohol abuse over a longer length of time can result in alcoholic hepatitis, which is unrelated to infectious hepatitis and is a potentially deadly illness.

When this occurs, it can be the first time a person realizes they are causing liver damage with alcohol lesser-known condition called alcoholic hepatitis might develop if you consume a lot of alcohol quickly (binge drinking).If you permanently stop drinking, the mild alcoholic hepatitis-related liver damage is typically repairable.

However, severe alcoholic hepatitis is a serious and even fatal condition. In the UK, the condition claims the lives of many people every year, and for some, it's not until this point that they realize they have liver damage.

Cirrhosis

A stage of ARLD known as cirrhosis occurs when the liver has suffered severe scarring. There might not even be any noticeable symptoms at this point.

Although it's usually irreversible, quitting consuming alcohol right now can avert future harm and greatly lengthen your life.

How ARLD is treated

The ARLD treatment has two objectives. To help you stop drinking is the first goal. This may stop additional liver damage and promote recovery. The second is to enhance the condition of your liver.

If ARLD affects you,

• Programs like Alcoholics Anonymous can assist you in quitting drinking if you are unable to do so on your own.
• Multivitamins: People who drink heavily typically have low levels of the B-complex vitamins. Malnutrition or anaemia might result from this nutrient deficit.
• Liver transplant: If your liver is too scarred from cirrhosis to function normally, a transplant may be required.
• Supplements with vitamin A: A vitamin deficiency is prevalent in ARLD patients.
• It's crucial to remember that mixing alcohol and vitamin A can be fatal. These supplements are only suitable for those who have given up drinking.

Complications

ARLD complications could manifest as:

• An irreversible loss of liver function and liver scarring
• Esophageal varices are bleeding (enlarged veins in the oesophagus that develop in people who have liver disease)
• High blood pressure in the liver's blood arteries (portal hypertension)
• A decline in brain function brought on by an accumulation of poisons in the blood (hepatic encephalopathy)

Symptoms of alcohol-related liver disease

• Feeling sick.
• Weight loss.
• Loss of appetite.
• Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)
• Swelling in the ankles and tummy.
• Confusion or drowsiness.
• Vomiting blood or passing blood in your stools.

 

When to seek medical advice

The symptoms of ARLD frequently don't appear until an advanced stage. Even if you don't exhibit any of the aforementioned signs, liver damage can still occur if you abuse alcohol.

If you have a history of regular alcohol misuse, seek counsel from your doctor. A quick test known as the CAGE test, which consists of 4 questions, is a useful tool for evaluating your drinking history and pattern:

• Have you ever considered reducing how much you drink?
• Have others' criticisms of your drinking irritated you?
• Do you ever feel bad about drinking?
• Have you ever used an alcoholic beverage as a "eye-opener," that is, first thing in the morning to help you recover from a hangover and calm your nerves?

You are advised to visit your GP if you indicate "yes" to one or more of the aforementioned questions since you may have an alcohol problem.

Causes of alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol abuse is the main cause of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Your chance of developing ARLD increases when you drink more than is advised.

There are two ways that alcohol abuse (over drinking) can result in ARLD. Which are:

• Binge drinking can result in fatty liver disease and, less frequently, alcoholic hepatitis.
• Drinking more alcohol than is advised over a long period of time can result in hepatitis and cirrhosis, the more severe forms of ARLD.

According to the available data, those who frequently consume more alcohol than the maximum levels advised are more likely to acquire ARLD:

• Men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week
• Spread your drinking over 3 days or more if you drink as much as 14 units a week