An Insight into the three Stages of Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD)

Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD) is a silent and increasingly prevalent health concern. The liver is responsible for protein creation, metabolizing drugs, as well as detoxing chemicals like alcohol. In case the liver gets damaged, it would not be able to carry out these functions in an effective manner, leading to major health issues.

Liver damage can impact the entire body. In many cases, by the time doctors detect the damage, it is irreversible. Hence, it is vital to have a good understanding of Alcoholic Liver Disease, its stages and symptoms, to timely seek treatment. The stages of such liver damage are:

• Fatty Liver Disease/Steatosis: Drinking a large volume of alcohol may cause fatty acids to collect in the liver. The first stage of ALD is characterized by excessive fat inside liver cells and tends to impact the efficiency of the liver negatively. Alcoholic fatty liver disease treatment largely involves stopping alcohol consumption and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This damage can be reversibly if one fully stops consuming alcohol.
• Alcoholic Hepatitis: The second stage of ALD is alcoholic hepatitis. This condition can lead to degeneration of liver cells, inflammation of the liver, as well as development of excessive amounts of scar tissue in the liver. People diagnosed with this condition must immediately stop drinking. Its symptoms can include stomach pain, fatigue, nausea or vomiting and fever.
• Liver Cirrhosis: Cirrhosis is the last stage of ALD. This condition implies to the build-up of permanent scar tissue in the liver that may interrupt the regular functioning of the organ, and may even lead to liver failure. Seeking out timely Cirrhosis CLD Treatment is imperative, as this stage can be very severe and even fatal. Symptoms of liver cirrhosis include redness in palms, itchy skin, weight loss, bleeding or bruising easily, fluid accumulation in the stomach and more. Liver transplant might be needed by patients with life-threatening alcohol related cirrhosis. As it is an extremely severe surgery, one should prioritize visiting the Best liver transplant hospital in Delhi for it.

The severity of ALD can vary, depending on the degree of liver damage. Changing one’s lifestyle in order to exclude alcohol can help reverse the symptoms of this condition and the damage caused by liver inflammation in its early stages, when it has not developed into cirrhosis. As the liver has the ability to regenerate, people stopping alcohol consumption entirely might see a decrease in inflammation and a return to normal liver function.