Recovery of the liver after alcohol is an important stage in the rehabilitation process after a long binge. How long the treatment will take depends on the degree of damage to the organ, as well as whether the person can make a choice in favor of giving up alcohol.
How ethanol affects the liver
Ethyl alcohol is a poison for the body even if it was taken in small quantities, and doctors equate cases of drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach with intravenous injection. The liver is involved in the removal of toxins from the body, the cells of which process almost all of the ethyl alcohol. With constant booze, prolonged binges, cells under the influence of toxins begin to undergo pathological changes, are reborn. After a while, cirrhosis develops.
One of the most dangerous substances that is released as a result of the breakdown of ethanol is acetaldehyde. At one of the stages, it is transformed into acetic acid, whose toxicity is equated to hydrocyanic acid. Once in the tissues, it causes oxygen starvation, which negatively affects the body, primarily the brain cells.
Ethanol impairs protein metabolism in the liver and causes fatty degeneration in its tissues. The organ itself increases in size, and other pathological changes also occur in its cells. In some cases, blood vessels may burst. If this happens, even in a hospital setting, doctors are not always able to stop the bleeding, which will cause death.
In addition, the process of regeneration of liver cells worsens, which in itself is a very slow process, the duration of which is several years. At the same time, it is possible only if good conditions are provided, which are absent with the constant use of alcohol. If a person continues to drink, go into binges, wounds form on the site of damaged liver cells, which the body is not able to quickly heal. Then he does differently: he replaces hepatocytes with connective tissue, which is not able to perform the functions assigned to liver cells.
If such pathological changes have affected a significant part of the organ, cirrhosis develops, which is fatal even with appropriate treatment. Therefore, it should not be surprising that many alcoholics die from this ailment.
Features of therapy
In order to prevent pathological changes in the liver, the frequency of alcohol consumption should be reduced, and hard drinking should be eliminated. Better yet, stop drinking. If a person does not stop drinking alcohol, will continue to go into binges, it will be extremely difficult to restore the liver after alcohol, often impossible.
A significant part of the actions aimed at restoring the functions of the liver involves the regeneration of damaged hepatocytes: not every damaged liver cell dies and under favorable conditions is completely restored. How long it takes depends on the health of the person, as well as whether he has made a choice in favor of giving up alcohol.
Part of the measures in the treatment of the liver should stimulate the formation of new hepatocytes instead of dead liver cells. Under favorable conditions, several new ones are formed at the site of one dead hepatocyte. This process is the most prolonged type of regeneration, which takes several years. If a person stops going into binges, quit drinking, begins to follow a diet, drink medicinal herbs, lead a correct lifestyle, the liver will be able to fully restore its functions.
While the nucleation of new cells occurs, treatment involves the stimulation of an increase in the size of already existing hepatocytes. It is a temporary measure that allows time for damaged liver cells to heal. How much depends largely on the health and lifestyle of the person. The body resorts to it in case of significant damage to the liver tissue, which takes a long time to recover.
How long will the treatment period last, during which it will be necessary to use the medicine prescribed to restore the liver, folk remedies, diet, the doctor should say . Since the body takes a lot of time to restore liver tissue, you need to be prepared for the therapy to last for several years. At the same time, do not forget that medicine and alcohol, and even more booze, are incompatible.