Can alcoholic liver cirrhosis be cured?

Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 28, 2024
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Cirrhosis caused by alcohol can be treated clinically. The first and foremost treatment for alcoholic cirrhosis is abstinence from alcohol. If one cannot abstain, no treatment will achieve the desired effect or be of much use. Once cirrhosis has developed, the condition cannot be reversed; it can only be managed with medications to slow the progression of the cirrhosis and reduce the occurrence of complications. If financial circumstances allow, a liver transplant can be considered for treatment. Naturally, alcoholic cirrhosis can also be treated with a liver transplant. Thus, alcoholic cirrhosis is a treatable condition.

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Written by Li Qiang
Intensive Care Unit
1min 9sec home-news-image

Is late-stage liver cirrhosis with liver failure easy to control?

In the late stages of cirrhosis, when the condition has progressed to liver failure, it becomes very difficult to manage. At this stage, due to liver failure, the first issue to arise is abnormal coagulation function, such as easy bleeding in patients. This will lead to severe hypoalbuminemia, causing swelling throughout the body. Additionally, bilirubin levels are very high, leading to various metabolic diseases, such as metabolic encephalopathy, which affects other organs as well. In the late stages of cirrhosis, there is also a large amount of ascites. At this time, portal hypertension is common, leading to complications such as gastric and esophageal varices rupture, bleeding, and hepatic encephalopathy, making the condition very difficult to control. If the cirrhosis is a benign lesion, at this time, adjusting liver function through methods such as artificial livers or plasma exchange can improve the condition to a manageable extent. It is critical to act quickly to perform a liver transplant, as there are no other effective treatments besides transplant, and the condition is very difficult to control.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
52sec home-news-image

Does early-stage cirrhosis hurt when pressed?

The anatomical location of the liver is covered by the ribs, so generally, the liver cannot be felt below the lower edge of the ribs, and since it is covered by the ribs, the liver cannot be pressed, hence there is no such thing as pain upon pressing. When we generally check for liver pain, we use percussion pain. By percussing the area of the liver, which is under the rib area, pain can be elicited in the liver, this is called percussion pain. The liver generally does not have tenderness because it simply cannot be pressed. Early stages of liver cirrhosis usually exhibit little to no pain sensation. However, some symptoms might appear during the decompensated phase, such as fatigue, weight loss, dull complexion, reduced urine output, edema, and spider angiomata, among other symptoms.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
44sec home-news-image

Is the pain obvious in the early stages of cirrhosis?

In the early stages of cirrhosis, the pain is not very obvious. Patients in the early stages of cirrhosis may experience vague discomfort in the upper right abdomen, while others may never experience pain at all. Those in the early stages may also have symptoms such as belching, fatigue, acid reflux, jaundice, and dark urine. Further comprehensive auxiliary examinations are needed, such as liver function tests and abdominal imaging studies. At the same time, it is important to identify the cause of early-stage cirrhosis in patients as soon as possible and adopt appropriate treatment measures based on different causes. For instance, if it is caused by alcohol, then treatment should involve abstaining from alcohol.

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Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
39sec home-news-image

Can alcoholic liver cirrhosis be cured?

Cirrhosis caused by alcohol can be treated clinically. The first and foremost treatment for alcoholic cirrhosis is abstinence from alcohol. If one cannot abstain, no treatment will achieve the desired effect or be of much use. Once cirrhosis has developed, the condition cannot be reversed; it can only be managed with medications to slow the progression of the cirrhosis and reduce the occurrence of complications. If financial circumstances allow, a liver transplant can be considered for treatment. Naturally, alcoholic cirrhosis can also be treated with a liver transplant. Thus, alcoholic cirrhosis is a treatable condition.

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Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
55sec home-news-image

What are the gastrointestinal symptoms of cirrhosis?

In the early stages of cirrhosis, many patients do not exhibit any symptoms, but some may experience fatigue, nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, and indigestion. Some patients might also suffer from portal hypertensive gastropathy due to cirrhosis, leading to symptoms such as pain and bloating in the upper abdomen, acid reflux, and belching. If the disease progresses to the decompensated stage of cirrhosis, portal hypertension can cause varices in the esophagus and stomach, which may lead to severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding if hard food is consumed. Symptoms can include vomiting dark red blood or fresh blood, dizziness, fatigue, and cold sweats. In such cases, it is advised to seek immediate medical attention for emergency treatment.