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This Week - Z : Zieve's syndrome and ARLD

Symptoms of alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) does not always cause symptoms in the early stages.

Early symptoms of ARLD may include:

• feeling very tired (fatigue)
• feeling less hungry than usual
• losing weight without trying
• feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
• pain or discomfort in the upper right side of your tummy (abdomen)

As liver damage gets worse, symptoms may include:

• yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice) - yellowing of the skin may be harder to see on black or brown skin
• a high temperature
• swelling of the tummy caused by a build-up of fluid
• swollen legs
• your hands shaking
• blood in your vomit or poo (poo may look black, vomit may look like coffee grounds)
• problems with confusion, concentration and memory

When and where to get medical help

Get medical help if you think you might have alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD). Do not wait for symptoms to get worse.

See a GP or an alcohol addiction support service if:

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Tests for alcohol-related liver disease

To diagnose alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD), a doctor will ask about your drinking and how it's affecting your life.

They may also do some tests to see if your drinking is affecting your liver.

Tests may include:

• blood tests to check your liver health
• scans such as an ultrasound or CT scan
• a liver biopsy (a small sample taken from your liver for testing)

Stages of alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) develops over months or years of drinking too much alcohol. There are 3 stages of ARLD, depending on how serious the liver damage is.

If you stop drinking, your liver can often recover.

The later stages of ARLD are harder to treat and more likely to have serious complications.

Treatment for alcohol-related liver disease

The aim of treatment for alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is usually to help you stop drinking alcohol completely. This is important whatever stage of ARLD you have.

If you need help to stop drinking, your GP or a specialist alcohol addiction service can help you reduce your drinking safely and offer support.

Support may include:

• talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• medicines to help you stop drinking alcohol safely or to reduce alcohol cravings
• support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous

If your liver is badly damaged, you may need treatment in hospital. You may be considered for a liver transplant.

Important

If you regularly drink too much alcohol it can be very dangerous to stop drinking suddenly. Get medical help before you try to stop drinking.

Find out more

• Alcohol-use disorder and how it's treated
• Alcoholics Anonymous

Causes of alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is caused by regularly drinking too much alcohol.

You're more like to develop ARLD if you drink too much and you:

• already have a liver condition, such as hepatitis C
• have diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes
• are overweight or obese
• have a family history of alcohol-related diseases and addiction

ARLD develops more quickly and at lower drinking levels in women than in men. Anyone can get ARLD.

Find out more

• Risks of drinking too much

How to prevent alcohol-related liver disease

Drinking less alcohol, or not drinking at all, reduces your risk of alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) and helps prevent serious liver damage.

If you do drink alcohol, it's recommended to drink no more than 14 units a week, spread across 3 days or more. Half a pint of beer or a single shot of spirits each have about 1 unit of alcohol.

Find out more

• Alcohol units
• Tips on cutting down
• NHS Better Health Drink Less - free tips, tools and support to help you drink less alcohol

Complications of alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) can be life-threatening.

It can cause serious complications, including:

• liver failure
• fluid build-up in your tummy (abdomen)
• internal bleeding
• problems with confusion, concentration and memory
• liver cancer
• kidney damage

You may need treatment to support you living with these conditions.

Help and support for alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) can be a difficult condition to live with, both physically and emotionally.

Stopping drinking can be difficult. You can get support from your GP or alcohol addiction support services.

There are also charities and peer-support groups where you can get support from other people going through the same thing.

Support for stopping drinking

Organisations offering support for people trying to stop drinking, including helplines and support groups, include:

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Alcohol Change
• SMART Recovery

Support for liver problems

You can get information and support for anyone affected by liver disease from Liver UK.

• Website: liveruk.org/
• Helpline: 0800 652 7330
• Liver UK: local support groups
• Liver UK: online community

Support for friends, family and carers

Organisations offering information and support for friends, family and carers, including helplines and support groups, include:

• Al-Anon UK: family groups
• SMART Recovery: family and friends programme
• Alcohol Change UK: help for family and friends

If you want to find out more about this week's subject you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.