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Written by Brandon Okey. Mina Draskovic, B.Psy., reviewed this content for accuracy.
Your liver can only handle so much alcohol before it starts to scar, and once that scarring becomes severe enough, it develops into cirrhosis, permanent and life-threatening liver damage. According to a 2017 study published in Alcohol Research, about 35% of heavy drinkers develop advanced liver disease.
The good news is that quitting alcohol can stop further liver damage, even if you already have early-stage cirrhosis.
Even when you know your liver depends on it, quitting alcohol isn’t easy for someone caught in the cycle of heavy drinking. At Ardu, our alcohol rehab services help you quit alcohol safely. We combine medical support with compassionate care to protect your liver health and build a path to lasting recovery.
Alcoholic liver disease occurs when prolonged, heavy alcohol consumption damages the liver, disrupting its vital functions. The liver normally has a remarkable regenerative ability, but continuous exposure to alcohol overwhelms this function, causing progressive damage that can become permanent if the person doesn’t quit drinking.
Some people may develop liver disease more quickly than others, but it generally progresses through distinct stages. The four main stages of alcoholic liver disease are:
In cirrhosis, specialized stellate cells produce collagen in response to inflammation, creating tough, irregular nodules throughout the liver. This transforms the normally smooth, soft organ into a tough, hardened structure that struggles to function properly. As the scarring progresses, it disrupts the liver’s intricate network of blood vessels, creating resistance to blood flow and leading to portal hypertension.
When cirrhosis develops, the liver becomes less and less efficient at performing the following functions:
Even within cirrhosis, the damage can occur in different ways, depending on what causes your liver to scar.
Your liver responds to different types of injury in a similar way, by forming scar tissue, but the underlying causes, progression rate, and treatment approaches differ based on the type of cirrhosis you have.
Medical professionals measure cirrhosis severity using scoring systems such as the Child-Pugh and the Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), which assess factors such as blood clotting ability, albumin levels, and bilirubin levels. The progression from healthy liver to cirrhosis is influenced by genetic factors, gender, overall health, and drinking patterns.
If you stop drinking, you’ll prevent new liver damage, but damaged liver tissue can’t return to its healthy state. Osna, et. al. explain that cirrhosis causes permanent scarring that can’t be undone, but quitting alcohol immediately will prevent further damage.
To give your liver its best chance at recovery, you must stop drinking completely. We understand this isn’t easy because alcohol use disorder (AUD) changes your brain chemistry and behavior patterns, making it extremely difficult to stop without proper support.
Ardu is here to help. Our Utah rehabilitation programs boost your liver health and address alcohol addiction to help you build a sustainable path to recovery. We employ evidence-based therapies, medical monitoring, counseling, group support, and comprehensive treatment plans tailored to your needs.
End-stage liver cirrhosis represents the most severe form of alcohol-induced liver injury. The main difference between cirrhosis and end-stage liver cirrhosis lies in how well your liver can compensate for drinking-related damage.
In regular cirrhosis, your liver still functions despite the scarring, which is why this is often called compensated cirrhosis. If the damage continues, it progresses to end-stage or decompensated cirrhosis, where the liver can’t perform its essential tasks.
In the case of end-stage liver cirrhosis, serious complications develop:
End-stage cirrhosis often requires a liver transplant for survival.
Don’t wait until liver damage becomes permanent. Stop alcohol use now and prevent cirrhosis from advancing to end-stage liver disease. Our alcohol detox and comprehensive treatment can help you quit drinking safely and protect your liver.
Your body shows several warning signs when cirrhosis develops from long-term alcohol use. The symptoms often start mild but become more severe as liver damage progresses. They include:
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms, especially if you have a history of binge drinking.
According to a comprehensive 2019 meta-analysis, heavy drinking dramatically increases your risk of developing cirrhosis. The research found that:
A 2018 study confirms that women are more susceptible to alcohol-induced liver disease and develop cirrhosis more rapidly than men, despite typically drinking less. This is because of differences in alcohol metabolism, hormones, and lower levels of protective factors in women than men. Bizzaro, et. al. provide evidence that men’s risk increases at 60–80 grams of alcohol per day, but women face an increased risk of alcoholic-related liver disease including cirrhosis at just 20–40 grams daily.
At Ardu, our specialized women’s alcohol rehab program provides therapy and counseling for women’s unique challenges with alcohol use. Alcohol affects your body differently, but we’ll support your recovery in a safe, understanding environment.
Treatment for alcoholic liver cirrhosis requires comprehensive medical care. The main approaches doctors use to manage this condition include:
The single most important treatment is to stop drinking alcohol completely. Ardu Recovery Center provides the crucial first steps: medically supervised detox to help you quit drinking safely, followed by comprehensive alcohol addiction treatment to help you maintain sobriety.
Medical professionals will help you manage your liver condition, but our experts tackle the root cause by providing the support and tools you need to stop drinking for good.
“I loved every moment I spent at Ardu. I really got the therapy and support I have been needing so badly over the years. They are so kind and loving that I came back to work and I love it even more as an employee. The environment is so peaceful. It’s a beautiful place for healing.”
The longer you continue drinking heavily, the more likely you are to develop life-threatening liver damage. At Ardu, we provide the medical support and comprehensive treatment you need to stop drinking safely and permanently before alcohol causes irreversible harm to your liver.
Our detox services include:
Our rehabilitation program helps you maintain long-term sobriety through:
We’re here to support you every step of the way with compassionate, personalized care that helps you heal and thrive. Contact Ardu online, or call us today to learn how our comprehensive treatment plan empowers you to reclaim your life from alcohol.
Brandon Okey is the co-founder of Ardu Recovery Center and is dedicated to empowering people on their journey to sobriety.
With compensated cirrhosis, where your liver still functions despite damage, you can live many years. Once it progresses to decompensated cirrhosis with complications such as hepatic encephalopathy, survival rates decline sharply.
Without liver transplantation, only about half of people with decompensated cirrhosis survive beyond two years. Extending survival requires immediate alcohol cessation, nutritional therapy, and regular liver function tests.
Alcohol-related cirrhosis creates permanent scarring that cannot be reversed. If you stop drinking completely in the early stages, your liver can still compensate for the damaged areas, and some liver function may improve. Without alcohol cessation, the disease progresses through your digestive tract and eventually causes liver failure.
While you cannot undo existing damage from alcoholic cirrhosis, stopping alcohol use completely under medical supervision can prevent further complications and may improve your prognosis.
Stage 1 of alcohol-related cirrhosis is called compensated cirrhosis. It’s the earliest stage where liver scarring begins but your liver still functions. Stellate cells become activated and start creating scar tissue, but liver function tests might show only minor abnormalities. You may have few symptoms, which makes early detection important. This is the optimal time to stop drinking. When you stop drinking completely, you can prevent progression to more severe stages of liver disease and maintain better liver function.
The severity of alcohol-related cirrhosis varies significantly. In early compensated cirrhosis, your liver still functions despite scarring. As it progresses to decompensated cirrhosis, serious complications develop including fluid accumulation, bacterial peritonitis, and alcohol-related hepatic encephalopathy. Without liver transplantation, advanced decompensated cirrhosis becomes life-threatening.
While chronic liver disease can be managed in early stages, continued alcohol consumption significantly worsens your prognosis. Regular liver tests and blood pressure monitoring help doctors track disease progression and adjust medical treatment accordingly.
While alcohol-related cirrhosis scarring is permanent, your liver has remarkable healing abilities if you quit drinking completely. Early-stage alcohol-related liver disease often shows significant improvement with alcohol cessation because healthy liver tissue can compensate for damaged areas. Even after cirrhosis develops, your liver function can stabilize or improve if you stop drinking, though the scarring itself won’t reverse. Medical tests will show improvement within weeks or months of quitting alcohol, but this healing process can only happen with complete sobriety. Your liver has a better chance of maintaining function the sooner you stop drinking.
Exercise alone cannot prevent or reverse alcohol-related liver disease. While physical activity supports overall health and may help manage symptoms such as fluid accumulation in the digestive tract, it cannot stop liver damage from alcohol. Regular blood tests and liver function tests will show continued deterioration if drinking continues.
The only way to prevent further liver damage is complete alcohol cessation. If you have alcoholic cirrhosis, any exercise program should be started carefully under medical supervision because of the risks of complications.
Long-term survival with alcohol-related cirrhosis is possible but depends strongly on the stage of your liver disease. With compensated cirrhosis and complete alcohol cessation, you can live decades. Once chronic liver disease advances to decompensated cirrhosis, survival drops sharply. Only liver transplantation may extend life significantly.
Risk factors that affect survival include excessive alcohol consumption, alcoholic hepatitis, and liver cancer. Regular liver function tests and nutritional therapy can manage the condition, but the key to long-term survival is stopping alcohol use completely before severe complications develop.
While early symptoms may be easy to overlook, they often become more apparent as the damage progresses. The most common signs include:
Blood tests often reveal liver damage before symptoms appear. If you drink heavily and notice any of these signs, seek medical attention promptly. Early diagnosis and avoiding alcohol can significantly improve outcomes.
Liver failure, particularly in advanced stages such as decompensated cirrhosis, can cause significant discomfort. Pain often arises from complications such as fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites) or bacterial infections such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Early-stage liver disease may not be painful, but as the condition progresses, discomfort becomes more pronounced.
Advanced liver disease often requires pain management as part of treatment to address the severe discomfort it causes. Regular liver function tests and medical monitoring are essential for managing symptoms and complications effectively. In end-stage liver disease, without a liver transplant, the pain and discomfort can be profound.
Osna, N. A., & Kharbanda, K. K. (2017). Alcoholic Liver Disease: Pathogenesis and Current Management. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 38(2), 147. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5513682/
Roerecke, M., Vafaei, A., Hasan, O. S., Chrystoja, B. R., Cruz, M., Lee, R., Neuman, M. G., & Rehm, J. (2019). Alcohol consumption and risk of liver cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 114(10), 1574. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000000340
Ohashi, K., Pimienta, M., & Seki, E. (2018). Alcoholic liver disease: A current molecular and clinical perspective. Liver Research, 2(4), 161-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livres.2018.11.002
Bizzaro, D., Becchetti, C., Trapani, S., Lavezzo, B., Zanetto, A., Merli, M., Lapenna, L., Invernizzi, F., Taliani, G., & Burra, P. (2023). Influence of sex in alcohol‐related liver disease: Pre‐clinical and clinical settings. United European Gastroenterology Journal, 11(2), 218. https://doi.org/10.1002/ueg2.12370
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