Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease > How to Reverse Alcoholic Fatty Liver?

Fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cell failure

If the inflammation goes unchecked for years, the incredible regenerative ability of the liver becomes exhausted, and the liver becomes scarred (fibrosed). At this stage, liver functions remain intact, but the liver becomes unable to repair any more damage. After that, the liver goes into the stage of cirrhosis where it becomes permanently deformed and portal hypertension occurs. Portal hypertension causes symptoms such as bloody vomiting and abdominal distension. At this stage, the patient is usually put on transplantation lists since the liver can no longer be salvaged and the only thing we can do is support the body long enough until transplantation.

Liver cell failure is the end result of this process, and unless liver transplantation is carried out, the patient dies within days. Since the liver is responsible for many functions, many other organ systems can fail at the same time including the kidneys, the lungs, and sometimes, the heart. The blood also becomes unable to coagulate properly causing easy bruising and excessive bleeding. Patients at this stage need to be admitted to an intensive care unit.