Alcohol-induced liver disease is just what it sounds like – damage to the liver caused by drinking too much alcohol. There are three primary types:

• Fatty liver disease, a buildup of fat inside the liver cells which enlarges  the liver and causes discomfort

• Alcoholic hepatitis, whereby the liver swells, cells are destroyed and the liver is scarred

• Alcoholic cirrhosis, the destruction of normal liver tissue

Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment


Symptoms
Symptoms of alcohol-induced liver disease may include:

• Fever

• Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes

• Increased white blood cell count

• Spider-like veins in the skin

• Enlarged spleen

• Fluid build-up in the abdominal area

• Kidney failure

Diagnosing alcohol-induced liver disease
We will ask about your medical history and symptoms. You will have a physical exam, and you may have a series of laboratory tests, blood tests to determine if your liver is functioning properly and/or a liver biopsy.

Treating alcohol-induced liver disease
The primary treatment is to abstain from alcohol. Often the liver can repair some of the damage, except for the scarring caused by cirrhosis.