ALCOHOLIC LIVER CIRRHOSIS

The liver is a large organ with an important job in your body. It filters the blood of toxins, breaks down proteins, and creates bile to help the body absorb fats. When a person drinks alcohol heavily over a long period (years), the body starts to replace the liver’s healthy tissue with scar tissue. This condition is called alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

As the disease progresses over time, more of the healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissues, this causes the liver to stop functioning properly.

According to research, between 10 and 20 percent of heavy drinkers will develop cirrhosis. Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is the most advanced form of liver disease that is related to drinking alcohol. The disease is part of a progression. It may start with fatty liver disease, then progress to alcoholic hepatitis, and then to alcoholic cirrhosis. However, it’s possible a person can develop alcoholic liver cirrhosis without ever having alcoholic hepatitis

CAUSES:

The main cause is damage from repeated and excessive alcohol abuse. When the liver tissue starts to scar, the liver doesn’t work as well as it did before. As a result, the body can’t produce enough proteins or filter toxins out of the blood as it should.

 Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is directly related to alcohol intake.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines heavy drinking as drinking five or more drinks in one day on at least five of the past 30 days.

Women are more at-risk for alcoholic liver disease. Women don’t have as many enzymes in their stomachs to break down alcohol particles. Because of this, more alcohol is able to reach the liver and make scar tissue.

Alcoholic liver disease can also have some genetic factors. For example, some people are born with a deficiency in enzymes that help to eliminate alcohol. Obesity, a high-fat diet, and having hepatitis C can also increase a person’s likelihood they will have alcoholic liver disease.

SYMPTOMS:

The symptoms of alcoholic liver cirrhosis are similar to other alcohol-related liver disorders. Symptoms include:

·         jaundice

·         portal hypertension, which increases blood pressure in the vein that travels through the liver

·         skin itching (pruritus)

TREATMENT:

Doctors can reverse some forms of liver disease with treatment, but alcoholic liver cirrhosis usually can’t be reversed. However, a doctor can recommend treatments that may slow the disease’s progression and reduce the symptoms.

The first step in treatment is to help the person stop drinking. Those with alcoholic liver cirrhosis are often so dependent on alcohol that they could experience severe health complications if they try to quit without being in the hospital. A doctor can recommend a hospital or treatment facility where a person can start the journey toward sobriety.

Other treatments a doctor may use include:

·         Medications

·         Nutritional Counseling: Alcohol abuse can lead to malnutrition.

·         Extra protein: Patients often require extra protein in certain forms to help reduce the likelihood for developing brain disease.

·         Liver Transplant: A person often must be sober for at least six months before they are considered a candidate for liver transplant.