Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alternate Names : Alcoholic Fatty Liver, Alcoholic Hepatitis, Alcoholic Cirrhosis
What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?
Alcoholic fatty liver often causes no symptoms. The disease may not be found until the person sees a healthcare provider for another medical condition. Symptoms can include an enlarged liver and sometimes tenderness when the liver is touched.
Symptoms from alcoholic hepatitis can range from mild to critical and may include:
fever
loss of appetite
abdominal distress
nausea and vomiting
weight loss
diarrhea
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
There can be liver failure and death in severe cases.
Alcoholic cirrhosis usually takes at least 10 years or more of excessive drinking to develop. The symptoms develop slowly. The liver shrinks and is scarred, firm, and nodular. Scarring around the veins in the liver causes blood to find other routes of flow. This leads to big, swollen veins in the throat, rectum, abdomen, and chest. Common symptoms of alcoholic cirrhosis include:
weakness and fatigue
loss of appetite
weight loss
loss of muscle mass and muscle cramps
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
swelling of the legs
ascites, or swelling of the abdomen from fluid accumulation
nausea and vomiting
loss of body hair, lowered sex drive, and shrinkage of the testes in men
increased facial hair, a deep voice, and menstrual problems in women
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