Ten to 20 percent of Americans who drink heavily develop alcoholic cirrhosis, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. This disease can be debilitating and eventually deadly if not treated early. Many alcoholics at risk for cirrhosis also have other contributing conditions, such as hepatitis B or C, which can exacerbate injury to the liver. Cirrhosis destroys the functionality of the liver and leads to death. This disease is often discovered too late because of its tendency to display no symptoms.
Your Liver
The liver is the largest organ inside your body. Shaped like a wedge, with the upper part wider than the lower part, the liver is located on the right side of the abdomen and below the diaphragm. The liver carries on some 500 different functions, most of which involve detoxification, the synthesis of nutrients, and the processing of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. You cannot live without your liver and, though it can repair itself to some extent, once cirrhosis has progressed too far, the damage is irreparable.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis occurs when the liver is injured and begins to form scar tissue. Once the scar tissue becomes extensive, the liver ceases to function properly. Sometimes the liver injury results from viruses like Hepatitis B or C, too much iron or copper in the blood, or diseases like cystic fibrosis. Although the exact cause is not well understood, heavy, prolonged drinking is linked to the development of cirrhosis. The more frequent the alcohol use, the higher the risk of cirrhosis.
Symptoms
Many liver diseases, like hepatitis and cirrhosis, have few symptoms if any. This often makes it difficult to diagnose cirrhosis before it has progressed too far to treat. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you do experience symptoms, you might notice swollen legs, abdominal retention of fluid, chronic tiredness, easy bleeding or bruising, nausea or lack of appetite, and unexpected weight loss. If you are an alcoholic, regular blood tests to detect liver problems are usually recommended by medical experts.
Risk Factors
The largest risk factor for alcoholic cirrhosis is drinking alcohol. When alcohol is ingested, the ethanol it contains turns to toxic chemicals in the liver, which leads to injury and scarring. Continual injury and scarring, after 15 to 20 years of excessive drinking (more than two drinks a day for men, more than one drink a day for women and people over 65), causes the liver to malfunction. Not eating a nutritious diet and consuming too much salt can add to the problems caused by alcohol consumption. A family history of alcoholism and liver disease is also a risk factor.
Treatment
The primary treatment for alcoholic cirrhosis is diet and lifestyle changes. Though cirrhosis cannot be cured, it can be slowed by quitting drinking, eating a healthy nutritious diet, and avoiding liver-damaging drugs and herbal supplements. Some herbal supplements that are potentially injurious to the liver are kava, chaparral, kombucha mushroom, mistletoe, pennyroyal, and some traditional Chinese herbs, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Milk thistle has a long history of use for healing the liver, but so far no empirical studies have supported this claim. Although a liver transplant is sometimes available to cirrhosis patients, practicing alcoholics are generally denied this option.
