Alcohol Related Liver Disease: What It Is and How It’s Treated
What is Alcohol Related Liver Disease?
There are several physical and psychological dangers associated with excessive drinking. One of the most dangerous possibilities is that you may develop a condition known as alcohol related liver disease. While many people know that your liver can be directly impacted as a result of alcohol consumption, some don’t realize that this disease could easily become deadly when your liver ceases to function at full capacity.
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What are the Stages of ARLD?
There are three main stages of alcohol related liver disease. Here is a brief overview:
Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Did you know that you can develop alcoholic fatty liver disease after just a few days of heavily drinking? Typically, there aren’t any physical symptoms associated with alcoholic fatty liver disease with the exception of the build-up of fats in your liver. This stage is completely reversable and usually corrects itself after two weeks of not drinking.
Alcoholic Hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is usually the first physical sign that your liver is starting to fail as a result of your alcoholism. This is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. Once again, the only way that you can reverse alcoholic hepatitis is by not drinking permanently.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is the result of a severely scarred liver. Sometimes, at this stage, a person still may not realize that their liver is, in fact, failing. Unfortunately, when a person has gotten to this stage of ARLD, the condition may not be reversable which means that the only resort is to hope that you’re able to take advantage of a liver transplant. Sadly, if a person is diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and they do not stop drinking, they have less than a 50% chance of surviving the next five years.
What are the Treatment Options for ARLD?
One of the tragic results of alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is the fact that there is no known medical treatment for the condition. There isn’t a medication that a doctor could prescribe that could help to remedy the impact of ARLD. The only thing that you can do is stop drinking and hope that you have done so in time for there not any permanent damage to your liver. There is hope in the fact that your liver can heal over time, so recovery from ARLD is possible in that regard. Meanwhile, understanding what is transfer addiction becomes crucial to avoid substituting alcohol with another addictive substance. Making the decision to no longer drink isn’t always an easy one to make unless you have the support of experienced addiction experts, which is why we strongly recommend that you take advantage of working with our team.
How to Prevent ARLD
Unsurprisingly, the best way to prevent alcohol related liver disease is to not consume alcohol. If you’re struggling with alcoholism, staying away from alcohol will be an essential part of your recovery. However, if you have concerns about your friends or loved ones developing this condition, a standard recommendation is to avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week. It’s important to remember that when you cut out alcohol completely, you may be able to greatly improve the overall health of your liver.
Call Resurgence Behavioral Health for Addiction Treatment
Are you ready to make the commitment to working through an alcohol rehab? Would you like more information about alcohol related liver disease and the impact that it can have on your life? Resurgence Behavioral Health is here to answer your questions. Whether you have suffered from long standing alcoholism or you have noticed that your drinking has become out of control recently, our team can help you to put the pieces of your life back together. Please call us today at (855) 458-0050.
Addiction Treatment that
Just Works
Individualized treatment programs delivered in a comfortable, relaxed setting promote healing in your recovery journey.