Mild Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcoholic liver disease is the number-one cause of liver disease in the Western world. Its primary manifestation is marked by excessive fatty deposits in the liver and caused by long-term alcohol abuse. This stage of the disease is non-life threatening. However, if alcohol consumption continues at the same rate, moderate to severe alcoholic liver disease may develop and necessitate liver transplantation.

Definition

• Mild alcoholic liver disease is also known as "fatty change" or "alcoholic fatty liver". In mild alcoholic liver disease, fat accumulates in the liver cells. Some more severe cases of alcoholic fatty liver are accompanied by acute hepatitis or inflammation of the fatty cells. Patients that develop acute hepatitis as a result of fatty liver are more likely to progress to moderate or severe alcoholic liver disease.

Risk Factors

• Mild alcoholic liver disease is caused by long term alcohol abuse. Those alcohol abusers who develop alcoholic liver disease have, on average, been abusing alcohol for more than eight years. Alcohol abuse that puts you at risk for developing alcoholic liver disease is daily drinking in excess of 80 g of alcohol for men and 40 g of alcohol for women.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of alcoholic liver disease may not be present during the mild stage, but symptoms may temporarily flare up after a drinking binge. These symptoms may include abdominal pain or tenderness, dry mouth or excessive thirst, fatigue, fever, abdominal bloating due to fluid collection, loss of appetite or dark bowel movements.

Treatment

• The treatment for mild alcoholic liver disease is to stop drinking. When alcoholic liver disease is in the mild stage and cirrhosis has not developed, the liver will heal on its own. Alcohol addiction should be treated by a physician and alcohol rehabilitation program to prevent further damage to your liver.

Exams and Tests

• If you think that you may have developed or are at risk of developing mild alcoholic liver disease, you should consult your physician. You may be given a complete blood count, liver biopsy or serum ferritin test to test the health of your liver and whether or not any degree of alcoholic liver disease is present.

Statistics

• While mild alcoholic liver disease is a direct result of alcoholism, only 10 to 30 percent of alcoholics will develop the disease. In fact, mild alcoholic liver disease, like alcoholism is thought to be genetic although the genetic marker has yet to be discovered. Women are more likely to develop mild alcoholic liver disease than men. And furthermore, they are more likely to develop it at an earlier age then men and more likely to develop more severe liver disease and have more complications than men.