For many decades, the liver problems have been connected to the excessive drinking of alcohol. Among the serious ailments that have been connected to the drinking habits include the hepatitis. But the connection between excessive drinking and the alcoholic hepatitis is very intricate. The fact of the matter is that most people who drink excessively have a lower percentage of contracting alcoholic hepatitis. This only means that those who drink rarely also have a chance of contracting the alcoholic hepatitis.
Ones a person has contracted the alcoholic hepatitis, this can be cured through avoiding drinking. But this is not always the case as some of the alcoholic hepatitis is known to continue eating up the liver. When this is so, the alcoholic hepatitis can easily lead to liver cirrhosis which would later result to the failure of the liver if one does not stop drinking immediately. If an alcoholic addict does not stop his drinking, this could be deadly.
From the recent research, results have come out to educate individuals on how and why alcoholic hepatitis takes place. Despite carrying out all these researches, no treatment for the alcoholic hepatitis has been found yet. The only requirement for those suffering from alcoholic hepatitis is abstaining from alcohol and other products that can damage the liver.
When the liver has been completely damaged that has led to its failure, the only option that will be left will be a liver transplant. But this has not been an easy task. For one, it is very difficult to find a donor. The other problem that is very sensitive is that, when you find a donor, your blood must always much with his/hers.
Signs and symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis
• Loss of appetite
• Queasiness and vomiting (sometimes vomiting blood)
• Abdominal pains and tenderness
• The yellowing of the skin and whitening of the eyes
• Constant fevers
• Swelling of the stomach (due to build up of fluids)
• Mental confusion
• Fatigue
This does not mean that they are the only symptoms but they will, depend on the extent of the malady. The condition will continue worsening if the person does not abstain from alcohol.
Causes of alcoholic hepatitis
The liver is one of the vital organs in the body. It is known to perform most of the working as compared to other vital organs. Among the functions that are performed by the liver include
• Dispensation of nutrients
• Production of bile
• Production of blood clotting reagents
• Elimination of harmful from the blood system.
During the break down of the alcohol, chemical substances are produced. These chemicals trigger inflammation which destroys the liver. At times these deposits that form on the liver thus they tend to substitute the healthy liver tissues which in turn alter the functioning of the liver.
This is what is referred to as the liver cirrhosis and it is the last stage of alcoholic liver disease that is very fatal.