You can’t pass the disease on to others in the same way that you might pass on a virus. However, chronic heavy drinking can be “viral” in the social sense. When friends or family binge drink together, they reinforce in each other the behavior that can lead to alcohol-induced hepatitis. The first step in treating any level of alcoholic liver disease focuses on removing alcohol from the diet. Having hepatitis C increases the risk, and a person who consumes alcohol regularly and has had any type of hepatitis faces a higher chance of developing liver disease.
However, liver disease does not develop in every person who drinks heavily for a long time. The liver is a vital organ that has the ability to heal itself, even after years of heavy drinking. In the event that 50-60% of the liver cells die, then it should be able to regenerate within 30 days. However, it’s important to recognize that good liver health is an ongoing Sober Home effort that requires adherence to a healthy lifestyle. This scar tissue makes it difficult for the liver to perform its functions properly. Sadly, symptoms of many liver disorders do not manifest until serious – sometimes irreversible – damage has occurred. A population-based study found that 69 percent of adults with cirrhosis were unaware of having liver disease.
Females who consume high amounts of alcohol and also carry excess body weight have a greater chance of developing chronic liver disease. However, having obesity is also a risk factor for males. Drinking a large volume of alcohol can cause fatty acids to collect in the liver. Sometimes, heavy drinking over a short period, even less than a week, can cause this.
Typically, only people who can show at least 6 months of abstinence from alcohol before the procedure will be suitable candidates for a transplant. Quitting alcohol and treating this condition early on is the best way for a person to increase their chances of reversing or slowing the disease. Cognitive behavioral therapy and medications called benzodiazepines can ease withdrawal symptoms in a person with alcohol dependency. People with severe alcohol dependency may stay at an inpatient rehabilitation facility for closer monitoring. It can be easy for someone to dismiss the early symptoms as the effects of a stomach bug or general malaise.
- Alcohol hepatitis and alcohol cirrhosis previously were called alcohol steatohepatitis , a term that still arises among some circles.
- A bruise is a discoloration of the skin that is a result of leakage of blood from capillaries into the skin.
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- On average, 1 in 3 people with the most advanced stage of liver disease and cirrhosis are still alive after 2 years.