It also depends if you are referred for a liver transplant and where you are placed on the organ transplant list. As the condition progresses and more healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, the liver stops functioning properly. Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD) represents the earliest and most common stage of alcohol-related liver damage. It is a direct result of heavy and prolonged alcohol intake.
Complications of this condition
Reach out to your doctor or an addiction specialist today to regain control of your life and health. As with any addiction, it’s key to first acknowledge the issue before committing to a road of recovery. Various signs of alcoholic liver disease treatments are available— from medications to support groups —so you or your loved one can get the help they need. If you or someone you know is struggling with binge drinking, alcohol misuse, or addiction, speak with an addiction specialist today. Among other problems, excessive drinking can affect your liver and even cause serious damage. Whether you’re a regular beer drinker or the type who indulges in spirits on the weekends, it’s important to know how far is too far when it comes to drinking.
Make an appointment with your primary clinician and bring the diary.3. Ask for liver blood tests (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, INR).4. If tests are abnormal, ask whether elastography is appropriate.5.
The most effective treatment for the condition is staying away from alcohol.
Understanding these local factors is the first step toward making positive changes in our drinking habits and overall health. If you’re in immediate danger with red-flag symptoms like jaundice or confusion, seek emergency care now. If you’re not in crisis but uncertain about risk, make an appointment, bring an honest drinking diary, and get the basic blood tests mentioned earlier. The liver can be damaged for months or years without causing symptoms because it has a large functional reserve.
Explore research-backed metabolic support
Chronic liver failure isn’t reversible, though it can still take years to progress. The liver removes toxins from the blood, breaks down proteins, and creates bile. Over time, heavy alcohol use can lead to cirrhosis, a condition in which healthy tissue is replaced with scar tissue.
They are not universally appropriate and are used selectively after calculating prognostic scores and excluding active, uncontrolled infection when possible. Response is reassessed early; a lack of improvement suggests poor prognosis and prompts candid discussions about next steps. Enzymes like AST and ALT help point toward alcohol as the likely cause when AST rises more than ALT and the AST/ALT ratio approaches or exceeds 2.
Alcohol dose and duration matter, but so do genetics, nutritional status, coexisting medical conditions such as obesity or viral hepatitis, and environmental exposures like smoking. Metabolic problems — overweight, insulin resistance, Halfway house and high blood fats — often amplify alcohol’s harm. A careful clinical history helps explain who is at higher risk and why. Alcoholic liver disease advances through multiple stages toward dangerous results until it reaches a fatal point if medical care is not obtained.
- It’s important to identify the trigger whenever possible in case the condition is reversible.
- One standard drink equals 341 ml of beer (5% alcohol), 142 ml of wine (12% alcohol), or 43 ml of spirits (40% alcohol).
- Although 90% of people who drink heavily develop fatty liver disease, only 20% to 40% will go on to develop alcoholic hepatitis.
- This plan will help manage the condition as well as the withdrawal symptoms that may occur with abstinence.
Alcohol-Related Liver Disease is a serious but often preventable and manageable condition. Whether you are experiencing symptoms or drink alcohol regularly, it’s crucial to be proactive about liver health. Early intervention, regular monitoring, and most importantly, stopping alcohol consumption, are key to improving and possibly reversing liver damage. Alcoholic liver disease is a complex and potentially devastating condition that requires immediate attention and comprehensive treatment.
Alcoholic Hepatitis and Liver Damage: What to Know
Studies investigating new treatments that can slow and even reverse the scarring that leads to cirrhosis are currently underway. For those with cirrhosis, the future is brighter than ever before. If you’d like to learn even more about cirrhosis, watch our other related videos or visit mayoclinic.org. The Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP-14) with EGFR Blood Test is a diagnostic tool that measures 14 different substances in the blood to evaluate the body’s chemical balance and metabolism. It is used to assess overall health, particularly focusing on kidney and liver function, as well as nutrient levels.
Fibrosis
As alcoholic hepatitis progresses, liver cells can die, bile can build up, and healthy tissue can be replaced by scar tissue, a condition called fibrosis in the early stages. Scarring may become more severe over time, leading to cirrhosis. Most people are diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis at an advanced stage of liver disease when fibrosis or cirrhosis is already present. Fibrosis may improve with alcohol abstinence, but cirrhosis is usually permanent. The liver tolerates mild alcohol consumption, but as the consumption of alcohol increases, it leads to disorders of the metabolic functioning of the liver.
To note that the above stages are not absolute or necessarily progressive. An overlap of the above stages and features of all three histologic stages can be present in one individual with long-standing alcohol abuse. Discontinuation of alcohol intake may cause regression of all the above stages. As Sacramento’s No. 1 hospital, you’ll benefit from unique advantages in primary care and specialty care. This includes prevention, diagnosis and treatment options from experts in 150 specialties. If you need help, UC Davis Health is home to addiction psychiatrists who deliver outpatient substance use disorder treatment.