How to Heal the Liver From Alcohol Addiction
Restoring the Liver to Health After Alcohol Abuse
The damage that alcohol can have on a person’s liver is a well-known risk factor when you are consuming alcohol. Even in small quantities, your liver goes into overdrive to process the toxic components of alcohol on top of the daily filtration of other toxins that are put into your body each day. This leads many who are struggling with alcohol addiction to wonder if the damage that has been done to their liver can be repaired.
The good news is that anytime you decide to stop drinking, you are restoring your liver and prolonging its longevity of effective functioning by stopping any further damage done. Liver damage occurs in stages and if you intervene early, there is a possibility for the damage done to be reversed.
How Alcohol Affects the Liver
When you consume alcohol your liver will process it and in turn, will produce a toxic enzyme called acetaldehyde. While acetaldehyde can be effectively processed in small amounts without resulting in significant damage to the liver when you consume large or frequent amounts of alcohol your liver becomes overworked creating an inability to efficiently process these toxins. This often results in permanent scarring within your liver and, in some cases, can affect your stomach lining and your brain.
Alcohol is a known diuretic and when consumed in large amounts creates significant dehydration within the body. In order for your liver to process toxins, it requires a healthy level of hydration to be able to flush the toxins through and out of your body. When you are consuming large quantities of alcohol, it creates difficulty for your liver to filter through the toxins and will then look for hydration elsewhere in your body. This process is often what produces “hangover” symptoms such as a severe headache or dizziness.
Alcohol Related Liver Diseases
When you have consumed a large, excessive amount of alcohol over a prolonged period of time, your liver can become damaged and, over time, leads to alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD). ARLD occurs in stages as your drinking behavior progresses and damage to your liver worsens. This occurs in three stages as follows:
Stage 1
Alcoholic fatty liver disease- This occurs after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol even after a couple of days of drinking. During this time, your liver will begin to have a buildup of fatty deposits attached to it. Often, there are little to no symptoms that arise during this stage making it challenging for the patient to know if they have entered into stage 1 of ARLD.
Stage 2
Alcoholic Hepatitis – This is often when patients will begin to notice signs and symptoms that indicate there is liver damage. Patients will enter into this stage after a prolonged period of time with excessive drinking. It is important to note that alcoholic hepatitis is not contagious or infectious like other forms of hepatitis as it solely affects the person that is consuming alcohol.
Stage 3
CIrrhosis – This final stage of ARLD occurs when a patient’s liver cells are permanently damaged from chronic inflammation caused by drinking. These cells then get replaced with scar tissue leading to poor liver functioning due to the scar tissue having the inability to pass blood flow and fluids through the liver anymore.
Heal and restore your liver after alcohol abuse. https://t.co/uZ8L4F2FVP
— Exclusive Hawaii Rehab (@hawaii_rehab) November 22, 2021
How to Mitigate Damage to the Liver
Patients entering our facility for alcohol addiction often ask how they can begin to mitigate any damage that has been done with their alcoholic liver disease. There are key steps you can take to reduce the damage done and begin to repair your liver and its functioning.
- Ensuring proper, sufficient daily hydration For optimal liver functioning, it is important to drink a sufficient amount of water each day to keep your body, and liver, fully hydrated. A hydrated liver will be able to process toxins through it with ease.
- Incorporate physical activity within your daily routine – Whether you choose going to gym, going for a walk, or participating in a class like yoga you will increase your body’s ability to get blood flowing and release toxins in a healthy manner.
- Eat a well balanced diet – This will help to increase your vitamin and nutrient intake which will increase your body’s functioning
- Ensuring a proper night’s sleep- Giving your body the time to rest and rejuvenate will help it be sustainable and efficient in daily functioning.
Alcohol Detox and Rehab at The Exclusive Hawaii Rehab
At The Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we offer a truly unique approach to alcohol addiction and recovery. When you enter into our alcohol detox program, you will meet with a medical doctor immediately to be assessed for the level of care you will need to safely and effectively detox from alcohol. Along with the support of a medical doctor, you will have the onsite support of our naturopathic doctor who informs our practice and approach to provide a truly holistic healing process. The moment you enter our doors, you will begin your alcohol rehab program, even while you are going through alcohol detox. You will have the collaborative support from our medical, naturopathic, and therapeutic team to provide you with a truly authentic, holistic healing journey that will have you feeling healthy from the inside out.