Early Signs of Liver Damage From Alcohol: How to Tell, What to Know

The results of the presented cross-sectional study indicate a positive association between NAFLD and UI in the U.S. female adults. Considering that NAFLD is a treatable and modifiable disease, active treatment of NAFLD may contribute to the treatment and management of UI. The baseline characteristics of subjects excluded and included are summarized in Table 1.

Signs of liver failure

Many of these also occur during the later stages of liver disease. Chronic liver disease often won’t cause symptoms in the early stages. But sometimes it begins with an episode of acute hepatitis. For example, if you get a viral hepatitis infection, there’s an acute phase before the chronic phase sets in. You might have a fever, stomachache or nausea for a brief period while your immune system works to defeat the infection. A liver transplant may be required in severe cases where the liver has stopped functioning and does not improve when you stop drinking alcohol.

Transplantation

• Years of alcohol abuse can cause the liver to become inflamed and swollen.
• If you have concerns about liver disease and possible liver failure, consider the following frequently asked questions.
• It’s a lot easier to overdrink than many people realise, putting vast numbers of us in danger of alcohol-related illnesses.
• Over time, this can lead to scarring and cirrhosis of the liver, which is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease.
• Some people need to stay in hospital or a specialist rehabilitation clinic during the initial withdrawal phases so their progress can be closely monitored.

Alcohol may cause swelling and inflammation in your liver, or something called hepatitis. Over time, this can lead to scarring and cirrhosis of the liver, which is the final phase of alcoholic liver disease. The damage caused by cirrhosis is unfortunately irreversible. To determine if you have alcoholic liver disease your doctor will probably test your blood, take a biopsy of the liver, and do a liver function test.

Long-Term Health Risks

If damage persists, alcoholic cirrhosis can develop, which can’t be reversed. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 90 percent of people who drink heavily have some form of this condition. We conducted this study used data from U.S. female adults in the National alcoholic liver disease Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-March 2020 (pre-pandemic) cycles. The diagnosis of NAFLD is based on Vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE) and absence of know liver diseases and significant alcohol consumption.

• Your provider will test you for both and treat you if needed.
• If the alcoholic liver disease is not treated, it can progress to later stages which include alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis, a scarring of the liver.
• Severe alcoholic hepatitis, however, is a serious and life-threatening illness.
• Drinking over 4 units of alcohol per day will lead to some build-up of fat in the liver.

• Learn more about resources, support, and treatment for alcohol use disorder.
• These include avoiding alcohol and maintaining a healthy weight.
• The elastography exam was performed by NHANES health technicians (HTs), who were trained and certified by NHANES staff, Westat and the equipment manufacturer (Echosens™ North America).
• Liver biopsy can confirm liver disease, provide evidence that alcohol is the likely cause, and determine the type of liver damage present.

The number of people with the condition has been increasing over the last few decades as a result of increasing levels of alcohol misuse. [Level 5] Addressing the underlying misuse of alcohol is the primary objective. The education component also concerns the need to convince the patient to follow a screening program (to detect hepatocellular carcinoma) in case of severe liver damage.

This is called acute alcohol-related hepatitis and can result in liver failure and death. Established alcoholic cirrhosis can manifest with decompensation without a preceding history of fatty liver or alcoholic hepatitis. Alternatively, alcoholic cirrhosis may be diagnosed concurrently with acute alcoholic hepatitis.

With abstinence, hepatic steatosis may completely resolve within 6 weeks. Brief intervention, pharmacotherapy, and referral to treatment should be offered to patients engaged in hazardous drinking (ie, heavy or binge drinking) (3, 4). The AASLD recommends using the Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test (AUDIT) if excessive alcohol use is suspected (3).