People who regularly abuse alcohol are faced with a problem such as alcoholic liver disease. As a result of its development, cirrhosis, fatty degeneration and hepatitis of the liver may occur. These diseases are very serious and difficult to treat. More often they affect men, but their development is faster in women. Timely assistance in detecting such a problem will help get rid of serious consequences.
Table of contents:
- Symptoms of Alcoholic Liver Disease
- First stage
- Second stage
- Chronic form
- Forms
- Progressive form
- Persistent form
- Causes of the disease
- Stages of Alcoholic Liver Disease
- Liver steatosis
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Diagnostics
- Treatment of alcoholic liver disease in the medical center "Clinic K + 31"
- Complications
- Prevention
- Diet for alcoholic liver disease
Symptoms of Alcoholic Liver Disease
Symptoms differ in the stages in which the disease occurs.
First stage
The first stage of the disease is asymptomatic. But in some patients, one can observe:
- pain in the right hypochondrium;
- decreased appetite;
- nausea
Possible manifestation of jaundice.
Second stage
Acute alcoholic liver disease does not show symptoms. It begins and proceeds quickly, and more often ends in death. At this stage, you can observe the following symptoms:
- dull pain on the right side;
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- loss of appetite;
- weakness.
In addition, regardless of the stage of the disease, very often it is accompanied by hyperthermia.
Chronic form
The chronic form lasts a long time and with complications. Symptoms regularly appear:
- moderate pain in the right hypochondrium;
- belching;
- nausea;
- constipation and diarrhea.
The manifestation of jaundice is very rare. When the disease begins to progress, cirrhosis develops. In this case, you can observe the characteristic symptoms:
- redness of the palms;
- spider veins;
- change in the consistency of nails;
- gynecomastia.
The stronger cirrhosis develops, the more symptoms can be observed. That is why it is important to diagnose the disease in time and begin its treatment.
Forms
Alcoholic liver disease manifests itself in only two forms: progressive and persistent. Each form differs in its features.
Progressive form
It proceeds in three stages:
- easy;
- medium;
- heavy.
In this form, liver damage occurs, which almost always leads to cirrhosis. If you stop drinking alcohol in a timely manner when primary symptoms are detected, then you can completely stabilize the situation. But not without proper treatment and preventive measures. But even with this approach, relapses and the manifestation of residual phenomena are possible. After alcoholic liver disease is detected , symptoms and treatment should be determined by the doctor, and all recovery procedures should be performed.
Persistent form
This form of the disease is considered stable. That is, if you stop drinking alcohol in a timely manner, then you can completely stop the development of inflammatory processes. Otherwise, the disease will develop into a progressive form with all the ensuing consequences. To identify alcoholic hepatitis of this form, it is necessary to undergo a number of laboratory tests, since it proceeds without pronounced symptoms.
Causes
The disease develops due to uncontrolled drinking. As a result, ethyl contained in alcohol enters the body. In fact, it is a poison for the human body. It enters the stomach and liver, where it is broken down and excreted from the body naturally. But if alcohol is consumed regularly, the body does not have time to cope with its processing and elimination. Thus, toxic substances accumulate in the liver, causing various diseases.
The main causes of liver disease:
- long-term alcohol consumption in large doses;
- genetic predisposition;
- liver disease, transferred or acting.
All this leads to the onset of the first stage of alcoholic liver disease. And if you do not start timely treatment, it will go to other stages, which will be difficult to cope with.
Stages of Alcoholic Liver Disease
There are three of them: steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis.
Liver steatosis
This is the first stage - alcoholic fatty liver disease. It develops in almost all people who drink excessively. If you stop drinking, then within a few weeks the state of the organ normalizes without the intervention of doctors. But if you continue to drink alcohol, alcoholic hepatitis will develop first, then organ cirrhosis.
Alcoholic hepatitis
At this stage, subacute inflammation of the liver develops. She is characterized by the appearance of giant mitochondria, Mallory's body, fibrosis develops. The disease that occurs at this stage is accompanied by a violation of the liver, and eventually cirrhosis develops. Very often complications arise, such as bleeding from varicose veins. This is a symptom that the disease is progressing, and you need to immediately take up its treatment by contacting a medical center.
Cirrhosis of the liver
The last stage of the disease, which develops very often in alcohol-dependent people. It is accompanied by massive fibrosis, a violation of the basic functions of the liver. It leads to the development of portal hypertension. The risk of developing other diseases, for example, hepatocellular carcinoma, is significantly increased. As a result, this leads to death.
Diagnostics
After identifying the symptoms of alcoholic liver disease, you should contact the medical center and undergo a complete diagnosis. It begins with a medical history to determine the frequency and amount of alcohol consumed. The doctor asks suggestive questions that must be answered as truthfully as possible. From this stage it depends what further steps will be taken by the doctor to diagnose and fix the problem.
Then blood tests are prescribed. In laboratory tests, you can identify the condition of the liver, and what measures can be taken to normalize it. After this, an ultrasound examination of not only the liver, but also the abdominal cavity is mandatory. A number of other additional studies are being conducted:
- MRI
- dopplerography;
- CT scan;
- radionuclein research.
It is possible to conduct instrumental studies, which include a biopsy, study the size and shape of the liver, and most importantly - identify the changes that occur in it. It is a biopsy that gives the final answer about the state of the liver, after which the doctor develops a treatment strategy.
Treatment of alcoholic liver disease
If alcoholic liver disease is detected, treatment at an early stage can prevent its development and even restore the organ to be fully functional. With the transition of the disease to other stages, treatment consists in stopping the symptoms and preventing the progression of the disease. Be sure to take preventive measures to prevent complications.
The most important factor in the treatment, accelerating the entire process and guaranteeing a complete recovery - a complete refusal of alcohol. In addition, this will significantly improve the general condition of a person and relieve him of early stage alcoholic liver disease.
The main method of treating the liver is honey. center is a special diet and the use of multivitamin complexes. In the case of severe anorexia, nutrition is carried out by a specialized probe. Detoxification is important. For this, drug therapy is carried out using solutions of pyridoxine and glucose. Used drugs that can regenerate liver cells to restore its functionality.
Treatment includes corticosteroids. They are especially relevant for acute or severe alcoholic liver disease and when the patient’s life is in danger. Ursodeoxycholic acid is prescribed as a hepatoprotector, which helps regulate lipid metabolism. But in addition to such treatment, it is necessary to normalize the psychological state of the patient. Heptral is used for this purpose.
The last stage of treatment is recovery procedures:
- reflexology;
- physiotherapy
- electrophoresis;
- massage therapy;
- Exercise therapy.
In an extreme case, surgical correction is used, but more often do without it. If the disease is started, then liver transplantation will be required. Before the start of such an operation, drinking alcohol is prohibited for 6 months (before it begins). The final results are recorded in the medical history, where cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol etiology are also recorded.
Do not self-medicate. At the first signs of an alcoholic liver disease, you must contact a medical center for qualified assistance. This will help to achieve a full recovery.
Complications
Alcoholic liver disease leads to complications such as:
- hepatic encephalopathy;
- bleeding in the digestive tract;
- renal failure.
Liver cancer is possible. Complications always lead to grave consequences, and without their timely elimination a lethal outcome is possible. To avoid them, you must follow the simple rules of prevention.
Prevention of alcoholic liver disease
The recommendations of the attending physician must be strictly observed. The main rule of prevention is to avoid drinking alcohol. Even if the liver is already damaged, refusal of alcohol normalizes its condition. Do not forget that most patients die from alcoholic liver disease within 5 years. Therefore, preventive measures are extremely important.
Prevention is not only the rejection of alcohol. To prevent the transition of the disease to another stage, its timely treatment at the medical center is required. And for this it is recommended to regularly undergo diagnostics. Well and most importantly - proper nutrition, which should be developed by an experienced nutritionist.
Diet for alcoholic liver disease
The main thing with a diet is to balance the metabolism and protect the liver from harmful factors leading to its destruction. Food should include proteins, carbohydrates. Do not abuse fried, spicy and fatty foods. It is not recommended to overeat. The most useful dishes are steamed or cooked. Baked and stewed food will not hurt. Do not use salt.
The following vegetables and fruits have an effective effect on the liver:
- cabbage;
- beet;
- pears
- carrot;
- apples.
You can eat meat, but low-fat: beef and veal are perfect. Fish should be non-greasy, boiled. Milk - low fat, cottage cheese and sour cream - will not hurt (in small quantities).
From the diet should be excluded:
- Rye bread;
- bouillon;
- canned food;
- garlic;
- mushrooms;
- legumes;
- pickled vegetables;
- fat;
- sausages;
- margarine;
- coffee and cocoa;
- chocolate.
The diet needs to be selected individually, with a nutritionist. Therefore, you must contact a medical center for detailed recommendations on proper nutrition.
