Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcohol is a potentially toxic substance to the liver (The Wachington Manual of Medical Therapeutics, 2014). Liver diseases brought about by too much alcohol may either be: alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver, or alcohol cirrhosis. A patient suffering from alcohol-induced liver condition may suffer from one, two, or all of these previously-enumerated liver diseases. Alcoholism is a socioeconomic problem and in the United States, about 5% to 35% of chronic alcoholics develop liver damage.

When is alcohol consumption bad for the health?

Alcohol consumption is measured in units. One unit is equivalent to one glass of wine or one can (or bottle) of beer. Experts claim that a glass of wine or a can of beer per day may help in the breaking down and burning of cholesterol in the blood. 30 to 40 units of alcohol per week can induce cirrhosis and liver damage over a period of a decade.

Clinical symptoms

Alcoholic cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, and fatty liver are silent killers. Alcoholics might underestimate their alcohol abuse or misuse that once the surfacing of symptoms happen, the huge body of iceberg submerged under water might have already grown too huge as to occupy an entire ocean floor. Said in another way and like in the song, “It’s too late, baby, it’s too late.” Alcoholic liver disease may be clinically silent or severe enough to lead to rapid development of hepatic failure or death (Alcohol Alcohol, 2008).

Symptoms include: Fever, abdominal pains or tummy aches, yellowish discoloration of the skin and of the white portion of the eyes, increasing abdominal girth, loss of appetite, loss of weight, nausea, vomiting, bleeding from the stomach and intestines, difficulty in concentration/confusion (decision making may be affected), edema of the legs (and may include the abdomen in severe cases).

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is made through laboratory testing. Your doctor will request for blood examinations (serum aminotransferases or transaminases) that are needed to determine your liver’s functioning. He may also request for imaging studies of the liver, that may include ultrasound, CAT Scan, and magnetic resonance imaging. Liver biopsy in some cases may be necessary and indicated.

Treatment

The cornerstone of treatment in alcoholic liver diseases is abstinence from alcohol. The use of corticosteroids is controversial. A medicine with anti-inflammatory effect on the liver, Pentoxifylline, has shown promising effects. Some cases of cirrhosis can be evaluated for liver transplantation. Emphasis is given to good nutrition and nutritional supplement.