Symptoms Of Alcoholic Liver Disease
Published on Mar 27 2010, in the categories: Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alcoholism is a disease that affects a lot of people nowadays. Alcoholics are predisposed to several diseases due to alcohol, like liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. I decided to write an article on liver cirrhosis, because I saw people were interested in symptoms of alcoholic liver disease. The symptoms of alcoholic liver disease can be many and have several answers, but today I will discuss the liver cirrhosis.
Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease that affects the liver. The evolution of the disease is slow and gradual and sometimes, the patients might discover the problem too late. If you are interested in knowing what happens, here is your answer: the healthy cells of the liver are replaced by scar tissue that looks like nodules. The result is that you lose the relationship between the cells and you destroy the most important organ in your body.
The alteration of the structure prevents the liver to perform its routine duties, this body has a very important role both in the digestion of food, both in drug metabolism and production of proteins, including those involved in blood clotting. In Italy it is estimated that approximately one million people are affected. 3-4% of patients each year develop liver cancer. Only 30% of patients survive more than 5 years after diagnosis. The final solution is represented by a liver transplant.
The causes of cirrhosis
The main causes of cirrhosis are hepatitis (B, C and D and autoimmune hepatitis). Another cause of cirrhosis is, of course, the abuse of alcoholic drinks. Think about this before you drink more alcohol.
Also among the reasons there may also be taking some drugs and chemicals. There are other less common causes, including alterations in the metabolism of iron, copper and glycogen, primary biliary cirrhosis, obstruction of the venous outflow of the liver. If a clinical examination gives rise to the suspicion of being in front of cirrhosis, the diagnosis can be confirmed by blood tests. You can also use ultrasound, and sometimes a liver biopsy to take samples of liver tissue for analysis.
The effects of cirrhosis and the appropriate therapy
Cirrhosis can cause ascites (fluid in the abdomen), hypertension of the portal vein leading to hemorrhage for the rupture of esophageal or gastric veins, complete liver failure and liver cancer.
The liver damage is not reversible, but the therapy can relieve and control symptoms. The remedies are the most common diuretics (against water retention), vitamins and minerals, attention to adequate food, laxatives.
Furthermore, in case of bleeding we can speak with great effectiveness, the sick you have a state of hypertension of the portal vein and blood is diverted esophageal veins that dilate are eroded by acid juices of the stomach and eventually cause the hemorrhage, which can however be blocked by injecting sclerosing liquid or elastic ligatures. The hypertension of the portal vein can also be cured with drug therapy (beta-blockers) or surgical (intrahepatic stent).
Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease that affects the liver. The evolution of the disease is slow and gradual and sometimes, the patients might discover the problem too late. If you are interested in knowing what happens, here is your answer: the healthy cells of the liver are replaced by scar tissue that looks like nodules. The result is that you lose the relationship between the cells and you destroy the most important organ in your body.
The alteration of the structure prevents the liver to perform its routine duties, this body has a very important role both in the digestion of food, both in drug metabolism and production of proteins, including those involved in blood clotting. In Italy it is estimated that approximately one million people are affected. 3-4% of patients each year develop liver cancer. Only 30% of patients survive more than 5 years after diagnosis. The final solution is represented by a liver transplant.
The causes of cirrhosis
The main causes of cirrhosis are hepatitis (B, C and D and autoimmune hepatitis). Another cause of cirrhosis is, of course, the abuse of alcoholic drinks. Think about this before you drink more alcohol.
Also among the reasons there may also be taking some drugs and chemicals. There are other less common causes, including alterations in the metabolism of iron, copper and glycogen, primary biliary cirrhosis, obstruction of the venous outflow of the liver. If a clinical examination gives rise to the suspicion of being in front of cirrhosis, the diagnosis can be confirmed by blood tests. You can also use ultrasound, and sometimes a liver biopsy to take samples of liver tissue for analysis.
The effects of cirrhosis and the appropriate therapy
Cirrhosis can cause ascites (fluid in the abdomen), hypertension of the portal vein leading to hemorrhage for the rupture of esophageal or gastric veins, complete liver failure and liver cancer.
The liver damage is not reversible, but the therapy can relieve and control symptoms. The remedies are the most common diuretics (against water retention), vitamins and minerals, attention to adequate food, laxatives.
Furthermore, in case of bleeding we can speak with great effectiveness, the sick you have a state of hypertension of the portal vein and blood is diverted esophageal veins that dilate are eroded by acid juices of the stomach and eventually cause the hemorrhage, which can however be blocked by injecting sclerosing liquid or elastic ligatures. The hypertension of the portal vein can also be cured with drug therapy (beta-blockers) or surgical (intrahepatic stent).
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