Healing the Liver After Alcohol Dependency

Tagged with: physical health

Prolonged alcohol use wreaks havoc on the liver. In fact, alcoholic hepatitis occurs in approximately 10 to 35 percent of heavy drinkers, while 10 to 20 percent suffer from alcoholic cirrhosis. Fortunately, once alcohol use ends through inpatient rehab or outpatient rehab, much of the damage to the liver can be evaluated and treated by a qualified physician. The damage from alcoholic hepatitis, enlarged liver, or fatty deposits can be repaired, and even the damage from alcoholic cirrhosis—the hardening of the liver—can be treated in effective ways. Once you have completed alcohol detox, ask the recovery staff at an alcohol treatment center to recommend a doctor to you with experience in dealing with healing the liver after alcohol dependency.

How Alcohol Affects the Liver During Alcohol Dependency

The liver metabolizes alcohol after it is consumed, breaking it down and removing it from the body. However, the liver has a limited capacity for removing alcohol. When alcohol is consumed in excess and over prolonged periods, alcohol byproducts and free radicals begin to damage the liver. As a natural defense, the liver swells, in order to cope with fatty deposits that have accumulated within the liver. These deposits render the liver less efficient in breaking down toxins—including alcohol. If alcohol continues to enter the body during the course of an alcohol addiction, the liver cells begin to die off. This causes the liver to harden (become cirrhotic), and threatens the liver’s entire health and function.

Healing the Liver After Alcohol Dependency

Once abstinence is achieved through alcohol detox, the body’s natural repair process can restore liver function and health. Here are some ways to encourage healing of the liver after alcohol dependency. Any holistic or luxury alcohol rehab center will likely have the resources to help you manage each of these areas. If you cannot afford private rehab, make sure to see doctors, consult with nutritionists, and develop an exercise program that will enable you to bring healing to your liver and the rest of your body.

Stop Smoking
Smoking has been shown to increase the hardening of the liver. Additionally, quitting smoking lowers the overall levels of free radicals in the body, thereby removing stress from the immune system.
Lose Weight
Fatty deposits in the liver, which reduce liver function, are associated with obesity. Losing weight will reduce the amount of fatty deposits the liver has to cope with.
Maintaining Carbohydrates Intake
It is important to get enough carbohydrates in your diet when undergoing treatment for alcoholic hepatitis. Excessive fat and protein in your diet encourages production of damaging fatty deposits.
Medication
Doctors can prescribe steroids to help reduce inflammation in order to encourage liver repair.
Supplements
Antioxidants are critical to repairing the damage caused by alcohol. Nutritional supplements should include Vitamin C, beta-carotene, Vitamin E, supplemental milk thistle, as well as the amino acids SAM-E and N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC).