There are three stages of alcohol related\u00a0liver disease including the following:
Fatty liver (Stage I)<\/strong>\u00a0which occurs after\u00a0acute alcohol ingestion, is generally\u00a0reversible with abstinence and is not\u00a0believed to predispose to any chronic\u00a0form of\u202fliver disease\u202fif abstinence or\u00a0moderation is maintained.\u00a0
Alcoholic hepatitis (Stage II)\u00a0<\/strong>is an acute\u00a0form of alcohol-induced liver injury that\u00a0occurs with the consumption of a large\u00a0quantity of alcohol over a prolonged\u00a0period.
Alcoholic cirrhosis (Stage III)\u00a0<\/strong>is the\u00a0destruction of normal liver tissue,\u00a0leaving non-functioning scar tissue.\u202f<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/alcohol-bottles-2.jpg\")
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Causes of ARDL <\/strong> Symptoms of ARDL <\/strong> Symptoms of ARLD\u200b <\/strong> Diagnosis of ARDL <\/strong> Diagnosis of ARDL <\/strong> Treatment of ARDL<\/strong> Treatment of ARDL <\/strong> Who is at risk for ARDL <\/strong> Complications associated with ARLD<\/strong> Prevention of ARDL <\/strong> <\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Diet & Management of ARLD <\/strong> Disclaimer:<\/strong> The advice provided is intended for informational purpose only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.\u00a0\u00a0Consult with your doctor if you\u2019re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.\u200b<\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Alcoholic liver disease is caused as a result of excessive alcohol intake for a long duration. The quantity of alcohol to cause liver disease\u00a0may vary for individuals and same is the\u00a0duration of intake.\u00a0 The symptoms usually only show when the\u00a0organ has been severely damaged. It\u2019s important to recognize these signs as\u00a0repeated damage can lead to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is caused by drinking\u00a0too much alcohol. The more you drink above the\u00a0recommended limits, the higher your risk of developing\u00a0ARLD.
There are 2 ways\u202falcohol misuse\u202f(drinking too much)\u202fcan\u00a0cause ARLD.
Drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of\u00a0time<\/strong>\u202f(binge drinking)\u202fcan cause fatty liver disease and,\u00a0less commonly, alcoholic hepatitis
Drinking more than the recommended limits of alcohol\u00a0over many years<\/strong>\u202fcan cause\u202fhepatitis\u202fand\u202fcirrhosis, the more serious types of ARLD.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Early symptoms include
*Abdominal pain
*Loss of appetite
*Fatigue
*Feeling sick
*Diarrhoea
*Feeling generally unwell<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/jaundice.jpg\")
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As\u202fthe liver becomes more severely damaged, more obvious and serious symptoms\u00a0can develop, such as:
*Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes\u202f(jaundice)
*Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet caused by\u202fa build-up of fluid\u202f(oedema)
*Swelling in your abdomen caused by\u202fa build-up of fluid known as ascites
*A high temperature (fever)\u202fand shivering attacks
*Very itchy skin
*Hair loss
*Unusually curved fingertips and nails\u202f(clubbed fingers)
*Blotchy red\u202fpalms
*Significant weight loss
*Weakness and muscle wasting
*Increased sensitivity to alcohol and drugs because the liver cannot process them<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If a doctor suspects ARLD, they'll usually arrange a blood test to check how well your liver is working. They may also ask about your alcohol consumption.\u00a0
Your doctor will do a physical exam to look for:
*An enlarged liver or spleen
*Swollen abdomen, as a result of too much fluid
*Reddened palms
*Red spider-like blood vessels on the skin
*Widened veins in the abdomen wall
*Yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/pexels-blood-samples.jpg\")
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Some of the blood tests you may have to include:
*Complete blood count (CBC)
*Liver function tests
*Coagulation studies
*Liver biopsy
Tests to rule out other diseases include:
*Abdominal CT scan
*Blood tests for other causes of liver disease
*Ultrasound of the abdomen
*Ultrasound elastography<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Liver Transplant<\/u><\/strong>
In the most serious cases of ARLD, the liver\u00a0loses its ability to function, leading\u00a0to\u202fliver failure.
A\u202fliver transplant\u202fis currently the only way\u00a0to cure irreversible liver failure.
A liver transplant may be considered if:
*You develop progressive liver failure, despite not drinking alcohol
*You're otherwise well enough to survive such an operation
*You commit to not drinking alcohol for the rest of your life<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/noto-alcohol.jpg\")
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*Successful treatment for\u202falcohol-related liver disease\u202f(ARLD) often depends on whether someone is willing to stop drinking alcohol and make changes to their lifestyle.
*If you have a more serious form of ARLD\u202f(alcoholic\u202fhepatitis\u202for\u202fcirrhosis)\u202flifelong abstinence is recommended.\u202f
*This is because stopping drinking is the only way to prevent your liver damage getting worse and potentially stop you dying of liver disease.
*Nevertheless, if you have alcohol-related cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis and do not stop drinking, no medical or surgical treatment can prevent liver failure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/arld-risk-factors.jpg\")
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Alcoholic liver disease is more likely to develop if people;\u200b
Drink large amounts of alcohol<\/strong>- Generally, the more\u00a0and the longer people drink, the greater their risk of\u00a0alcoholic liver\u00a0disease.
Have been drinking a long time <\/strong>(usually, for more than\u00a08 years)
Are women-<\/strong> Risk may be increased in women because\u00a0their digestive system may be less able to process\u00a0alcohol, thus increasing the amount of alcohol reaching\u00a0the\u00a0liver.
Have a genetic makeup<\/strong> that makes them susceptible to\u00a0alcoholic liver\u00a0disease
Are obese-<\/strong> Obesity makes people more vulnerable to\u00a0liver damage by alcohol.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Stressed](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/arld-complications.jpg\")
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Several serious complications can develop if you have\u00a0alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD).
*Bleeding disorders (coagulopathy)
*Build-up of fluid in the abdomen (ascites) and infection of the fluid (bacterial peritonitis)
*Enlarged veins in the oesophagus, stomach, or intestines that bleed easily (oesophageal varices)
*Increased pressure in the blood vessels of the liver (portal hypertension)
*Kidney failure (hepatorenal syndrome)
*Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
*Mental confusion, change in the level of consciousness, or coma (hepatic encephalopathy)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You might reduce your risk of alcohol related liver\u00a0disease if you:
Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.<\/strong>\u202fFor healthy adults,\u00a0moderate drinking means up to one drink a day for\u00a0women of all ages and up to two drinks a day for men.\u00a0The only certain way to prevent alcoholic hepatitis is to\u00a0avoid all alcohol.
Protect yourself from hepatitis C.<\/strong>\u202fHepatitis C is an\u00a0infectious liver disease caused by a virus. Untreated, it\u00a0can lead to cirrhosis. If you have hepatitis C and drink\u00a0alcohol, you're far more likely to develop cirrhosis than\u00a0if you didn't drink.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Weekly](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/medication_closeup.jpg\")
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The first step in treating and managing any level of alcoholic liver disease focuses\u00a0on removing alcohol from the diet.
Dietary changes for liver disease may involve:
Cutting down the amount of animal protein you eat. This will help limit the\u00a0build-up of toxic waste products.
Increasing your intake of\u202fcarbohydrates\u202fto be in proportion with the amount of\u00a0protein you eat.
Eat fruits and vegetables and lean protein such as legumes, poultry, and fish.\u00a0Avoid uncooked shellfish.
Taking vitamins and medicines prescribed by your health care provider for\u202flow\u00a0blood count,\u202fnerve problems, or nutritional problems from liver disease.
Limiting your salt intake. Salt in the diet may worsen\u202ffluid build-up\u202fand\u202fswelling\u202fin the liver.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n