Is there a cure for alcoholic cirrhosis?

Welcome to the world of liver diseases. It’s not exactly the most glamorous way to start an article, but it’ll have to do because we’re going to dive deep into Alcoholic Cirrhosis and whether or not there is actually a cure for this condition. Spoiler alert: there isn’t! But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s take a closer look at what exactly Alcohol Cirrhosis is.

What is Alcoholic Cirrhosis?

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) refers to damage caused by drinking alcohol in excess over time. Alcoholic cirrhosis is one type of ARLD that occurs when healthy liver tissue becomes scarred due to long-term alcohol abuse.

The progression from fatty liver (simple steatosis) -> non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH; aggressive form)-> Fibrosis->cirrhosis.Once reached stage 3-4 means >40% fibrosis leads chronic irreversible scarring.you will need professional medical intervention

Symptoms

Liver disease symptoms are often absent until later stages as our meals are high calorific/ high sugar/high fat today so mild indigestion could go unnoticed /not alarming early . However common symptoms may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Loss of appetite
  • Jaundice (aka your skin turns yellow)
  • Abdominal swelling/pain/bloating/tenderness causing you irritable bowel syndrome++

We did warn you earlier! There aren’t any cures for alcoholic cirrhoses, which means the complications that come with it can be severe! Let’s break down some serious side effects associated with alcoholic cirrhoses

Liver Failure:

When large parts of your liver stop working completely can implicate fatality especially when acute liver failure could manifest within days/ weeks-worsening confusion/personality changes/seizure/coma is observed

Portal Hypertension:

As cirrhosis progresses, blood flow through the liver declines, causing increased pressure in the veins that supply the liver. This can lead to complications – Ascites/fluid buildup/swelling of legs

Hepatic encephalopathy:

Brain fog: Cirrhotic patients have problems with their memory and concentration.

  • Several over-the-counter lotions helped cool her down
    Markedly impaired short-term memory and slowed cognition are common as toxins build-up due to his/her impaired ability for detoxification by Liver

Is There a Cure?

Well, you technically cannot cure alcoholic cirrhoses or any type of ARLD, but treatments can be administered to slow its progression down or stop it from getting any worse than it already has. For instance:

There are Four key targets in managing ARLD
1 .Abstinence : Avoid anything containing alcohol

2.Nutrition: High protein calorie diet + Vits helps prevent further damage and reverse mild fibrosis stages…as protein supports regeneration …e.g lean meats,supplements ,greens,honey,milk .

3.Pharmacology interventions may include steroids/Pentoxifylline etc which act by another mechanism of slowing inflammation.i.e they do not affect underlying cause i.e Alcohol usage.Stop predisposing drugs e.g paracetamol (This is great news because who wants non-stop agony? Plus there’s nothing wrong with focusing on food!)

4.Maintainence: LT monitoring requires discipline.Perhaps logging daily meals/glass counter.should include counselling/clincial visits/social support groups too.

What If Not Treated?

If we assume someone doesn’t receive treatment if diabetic cirrhosis gets progressed enough he/she would eventually require requiring a new liver via transplantation.Which again has a caveat that it’s not always successful as and even if it is, you might still die from other complications associated with the procedurei.e immunosuppressive medication ,infenctions risking new liver etc.

Prevention

Prevention is better than cure! There are several low-risk lifestyle changes which we can adopt to aid our liver. The earlier stages of fatty liver disease could be stopped in their tracks by not boozing

  • Abstinence :Avoid Alcoholic drinks/ Drugs: Alternate habits e.g making lemonades or going for walks instead.

3.Moderation :for those who want to continue drinking (not recommended) then restriction of intake level shouldnt exceed safe levels i.e 1 daily standard drink for women and men aged >65 years;and no more than 2/day for otherwise healthy middle-aged or younger males.

Ending thoughts!

Oftentimes, when it comes to health issues like alcoholic cirrhosis, people don’t take them seriously until they have been diagnosed with the condition themselves. However, adopting a healthier lifestyle may prevent occurrence altogether – we know that taking care of your body isn’t always easy but trust us on this one keeping up good habits now will allow you time later so …Cheers –Non-Alcoholically of course..to good health!

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