What is alcohol-induced hepatitis? – Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver or internal injury to the liver. This injury, which affects the liver cells directly, may result from infection (bacteria or virus) or toxins from various sources, including alcohol.
Alcohol-induced hepatitis is sometimes a temporary response to excess intake of alcohol. Persistent excess intake of alcohol results in persistent (chronic) inflammation, which may result in permanent damage to the liver.
The liver processes every food, drink, drug etc. that enters the intestine through the mouth. It breaks down complex food, drinks, drugs etc. into simpler products useable by the body and removes harmful products / toxins from the body. Alcohol is toxic to the liver cells, just as the metabolic products are also toxic.
These toxins cause the death of some of the liver cells. The remaining surviving cells replicate to replace the dead cells in order to keep up with its functions. This process takes time.
With repeated heavy alcohol use, the ability of the surviving cells to replicate greatly diminishes and the dead cells are replaced by fat cells. This reduces the ability of the liver to remove toxins, which then accumulate in the body. The accumulated toxins stimulate the body’s defense system, resulting in inflammation of the liver cells which ends up causing damage to the surviving cells.
As alcohol intake continues, this inflammation and the attendant damage to liver cells persist, resulting in the loss of more liver cells, further reducing the capacity of liver to function well.
Alcohol-induced hepatitis can occur in anyone drinking alcohol, no matter how little; however, the following category of people are more prone to alcohol-induced hepatitis:
Though heavy long-time drinkers of alcohol are more prone to alcohol-induced hepatitis, there is no formula to calculate the quantity of alcohol below which you cannot develop hepatitis. So, while it is possible to drink heavily before getting alcohol-induced hepatitis, those who drink little may not be spared. The quantity that may induce hepatitis in men is also different from that of women.
Alcohol-induced hepatitis may give no symptom in the early days of its development. However, as it progresses, you may notice:
There is no specific treatment for alcohol-induced hepatitis. The only means of recovery is to stop drinking alcohol. However, at the stage of alcohol intake that caused such effect on the liver, quitting alcohol should be with doctor’s advice because such decision may be associated with serious side effects.
If the damage done to the liver is not too much as at the time of quitting, the damage may be reversible, though it may not get completely back to normal. The portions of the liver that have developed scar tissues due to chronic inflammation cannot be reversed. So, recovery depends on the level of damage done by alcohol before quitting.
Supportive therapy may be necessary in order to correct the effect of alcohol on the body. This includes dietary modification and nutritional supplements to help the body recover quickly. Steroid therapy may also help reduce inflammation and allow liver cells to regenerate.
