An overview of the three stages of alcohol-related liver disease

The liver tends to break down most of the alcohol you drink so that it can be removed from your body. This, however, creates a harmful substance that can damage liver cells and cause serious liver disease. Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) refers to the liver damage caused by excessive consumption of alcohol. There are multiple stages of severity in ARLD, and each of them has a number of associated symptoms. You need to visit the Best liver hospital in India for treatment, if you are diagnosed with any stage of alcohol-related liver disease.

The three stages of alcohol-related liver disease are:

·  Alcoholic fatty liver disease: Drinking a large amount of alcohol for a relatively significant span of time can lead to a build-up of fats in the liver. This condition is known as alcoholic fatty liver disease, and it is the very first stage of ARLD. Rarely any significant symptoms are observed for fatty liver disease, but it indeed is a warning sign that you need to cut down or at least reduce your alcohol intake. This condition is reversible if you go for proper Alcoholic fatty liver disease treatment and make the needed lifestyle changes. Absolutely stopping to drink alcohol for weeks can help the liver to get back to normal.

·  Alcoholic hepatitis: Even though this condition is unrelated to infectious hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis is quite a severe issue that is caused by high alcohol consumption for a prolonged period of time. There is a good chance that it is the very first time a person becomes aware that they damaging their liver through alcohol after getting diagnosed with alcoholic hepatitis. This is a serious and life-threatening condition, and hence you must avail Alcoholic hepatitis treatment as soon as possible after getting diagnosed with this stage of ARLD.

·  Cirrhosis: This is the third and the most severe stage of ARLD, where the liver becomes significantly scarred. Cirrhosis is typically not reversible, but stop to drinking alcohol at once can prevent further damage. A liver transplant might be needed in severe cases of cirrhosis where the liver has stopped functioning, and does not improve even after stopping alcohol consumption. Patients are only considered for a liver transplant if they have developed complications of cirrhosis despite having stopped drinking. Anyone going for a liver transplant must not drink alcohol while awaiting the transplant, as well as for the rest of their life.

More details of ARLD can be found online.