If you stop drinking alcohol for some time (months or years), your liver should return to normal. ARLD does not often cause symptoms until it’s reached an advanced stage. If you misuse alcohol, you may have liver damage, even though you have none of the symptoms above. In many cases, people with alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) do not have any noticeable symptoms until their liver is badly damaged. The deposition of collagen typically occurs around the terminal hepatic vein (perivenular fibrosis) and along the sinusoids, leading to a peculiar “chicken wire” pattern of fibrosis in alcoholic cirrhosis.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease

This is called alcoholic fatty liver disease, and is the first stage of ARLD. Outside medical treatment, patient education is the key to treatment for patients with alcoholic liver disease. Alcohol-related hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) is the initial and most common consequence of excessive alcohol consumption. Macrovesicular fat accumulates as large droplets of triglyceride and displaces the hepatocyte nucleus, most markedly in perivenular hepatocytes. Alcoholic liver disease most often occurs after years of heavy drinking. Histologic findings in alcoholic fatty liver disease include fat accumulation in hepatocytes.

Liver biopsy

Too many toxins can overwhelm your liver’s resources and ability to function. Absolute abstinence from alcohol is crucial for preventing disease progression and complications. Sobriety is difficult to achieve without a rehabilitative program alcoholic liver disease run by specialized staff. Psychological care is needed to act on the causes of alcohol addiction, and this may require the help of the patient’s family. To note that the above stages are not absolute or necessarily progressive.

How is alcohol-related liver disease treated?

Fatty liver disease can often be reversed by stopping drinking alcohol. After two to three weeks of abstaining from alcohol, fatty deposits disappear and liver biopsies appear normal. Severe alcoholic hepatitis can come on suddenly, such as after binge drinking, and can be life threatening. Alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of liver damage. When liver damage has happened due to alcohol, it’s called alcohol-related liver disease.

• Outside medical treatment, patient education is the key to treatment for patients with alcoholic liver disease.
• If you have alcohol-related fatty liver, the damage may be reversed if you stop for a period of time (months or years).
• Many people with ALD are malnourished (lacking proper nutrition) due to a variety of factors, such as lack of eating, vomiting, and malabsorption (difficulty absorbing nutrients from food).

Other risk factors

In people assigned male at birth, alcohol consumption can decrease testosterone production and sperm quality. In people assigned female at birth, alcohol use can interfere with regular ovulation and menstrual cycles and make it difficult to get pregnant. Excess alcohol use can also impair nutrient absorption in the small intestine and increase the risk of malnutrition. However, gastroenterologists should maintain realistic expectations for their patients with ALD who seek these treatments, said addiction medicine specialist Nelson. A 2023 review article estimated that 40%-60% of patients with AUD have concurrent mental illness.

• Always consult a medical provider for diagnosis and treatment.
• Generally, symptoms of alcoholic liver disease include abdominal pain and tenderness, dry mouth and increased thirst, fatigue, jaundice (which is yellowing of the skin), loss of appetite, and nausea.
• You and your medical team will need to assess if you are an appropriate candidate through a transplant evaluation.
• But sometimes it begins with an episode of acute hepatitis.
• As more scar tissue forms in the liver, it becomes harder for it to function.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Alcohol on the Body?

A liver transplant is a challenging procedure, and the rules about who can receive an organ are complex. But alcohol-related cirrhosis is directly linked to alcohol misuse, which can become alcohol use disorder. Most people with this condition have had at least seven drinks a day for 20 years or more. This can mean 7 glasses of wine, 7 beers, or 7 shots of spirits.

The diagnosis and types of UI were assessment using a self-report questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between NALFD and UI. Stratified analyses based on age, obesity, race, educational level, married status, PIR, and smoking status were conducted. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and urinary incontinence (UI) are both highly prevalent and age-related diseases.

In cases of early cirrhosis, it is possible to minimize damage to the liver by tackling the underlying causes. For instance, treating alcohol addiction, losing weight, and using medications to treat viral hepatitis and other conditions can limit damage to the liver. Once the liver stops functioning, an organ transplant may be an option. During a transplant, surgeons remove the damaged liver and replace it with a healthy working liver.

The overall clinical diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease, using a combination of physical findings, laboratory values, and clinical acumen, is relatively accurate (Table 3). However, liver biopsy can be justified in selected cases, especially when the diagnosis is in question. A clinical suspicion of alcoholic hepatitis may be inaccurate in up to 30% of patients. Still, around 10 to 20% of people who develop alcohol-related fatty liver disease go on to develop cirrhosis. People with alcohol-related cirrhosis tend to have a less favorable prognosis, in part because the liver scarring cannot be reversed and additional complications may develop. For these patients, a liver transplant is often the best option.