Alcoholic liver disease: Symptoms, treatment, and causes

Wounds from alcohol-treated mice exhibited a significant reduction in the myeloperoxidase activity of neutrophils compared to saline controls, indicating a defect in neutrophil function. Subsequent studies revealed that early defects in the inflammatory phase following acute alcohol exposure may have contributed to a delay in wound closure (Radek et al., 2005). Wounds from alcohol-treated mice were approximately 50% less re-epithelialized after two days following wounding compared to saline-treated mice. However, wounds from both groups were completely re-epithelialized after 5 days, indicating a transient effect of alcohol on keratinocyte migration. Taken together, these data reveal important temporal associations between early alcohol-induced oxidant stress and the induction of catabolic factors and resultant muscle atrophy.

Complications of Cirrhosis

In contrast, chronic alcoholic myopathy has been estimated to occur in up to 70% of alcoholics and is reportedly more common than other alcohol-induced diseases, such as liver cirrhosis and cardiomyopathy. The fundamental cause(s) of the disease is unknown; however, the diverse toxicology of chronic alcohol consumption would suggest that the etiology and pathology are likely multi-factorial. In addition to interfering with the proper absorption of iron into the hemoglobin molecules of red blood cells (RBC’s), alcohol use can lead to either iron deficiency or excessively high levels of iron in the body.

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Symptoms of iron deficiency typically include tiredness, fatigue, shortness of breath, paleness, and heart palpitations. A person should seek emergency help if a large bruise develops after a trauma, especially if they also have lightheadedness or dizziness. Purpura is more common in people with light skin, but anyone can develop it. Senile purpura is common among older adults, affecting 12% of people over 50 years old and up to 30% of those ages 75 and over. It causes dark purple bruise-like lesions on the skin and is most likely to develop on the arms and hands. Vasculitis refers to a group of conditions that cause inflamed blood vessels.

How Cirrhosis Develops

Only a minority of people with fatty liver from alcohol will go on to develop cirrhosis of the liver, which means that those who experience bruised liver from drinking are suffering from the most severe form of liver damage. Liver damage from cirrhosis is not reversible, and it is linked to high mortality rates. After all, heavy alcohol consumption increases what causes bruising in alcoholics the risk of serious injuries from falls, burns, and motor vehicle crashes. Other signs of an alcohol use disorder include spending a significant amount of time drinking, or consuming larger quantities of alcohol than intended. A person may also develop a tolerance for alcohol, meaning that they need larger and larger amounts to obtain the desired effects.

Stages of Alcoholism

The response to a short term alcohol state suggests that a seminal process is altered, leading to branching downstream effects. Identifying and targeting the primary disruption would be ideal, but if missed, the potential to intervene to restore downstream functions may also be considered. The examples presented here attest to the multifactorial and multisystemic mechanisms by which, even after a single acute or binge exposure, alcohol leads to tissue damage. In gastric mucosa and in bone, alcohol exposure alters basic signaling processes. In the repair of skin damage following injury or surgery, alcohol disrupts signaling in a broader context, in multiple tissue types. The derangement of the inflammatory response by alcohol leads to altered cytokine and chemokine production by multiple cell types and this, in turn, influences the responses of other cell types.

• Numerous clinical observations support the notion that alcohol adversely affects the production and function of virtually all types of blood cells.
• Cirrhosis of the liver causes extensive scarring and inflammation that can lead to moderate to very serious complications.
• Too much alcohol can be toxic to liver cells, causing dehydration and permanent scarring—which ultimately affects the blood flow.

Stopping alcohol abruptly after long-term heavy drinking can also lead to alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which commonly manifests as symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Drinking too much alcohol may lead to a tingling sensation or numbness in your legs, feet, or hands, known as alcoholic neuropathy. This is one of the most common side effects of long-term alcohol consumption. These policies may also address the “feminization” of alcohol marketing, which intentionally entices women to drink and purchase alcohol by normalizing or glamorizing heavy alcohol use and ignoring the health risks and harm caused.

What to know about alcoholic liver disease?

For instance, exposure of gastric epithelial cells to cytoprotective alcohol results in an increase in survivin protein levels by virtue of being stabilized against normal degradation via phosphorylation of amino acid residue, threonine-34. They and numerous other groups have since verified this phenomenon and attributed it to an increase in the production of prostaglandins. These include nitric oxide, vagal innervation, sensory nerves, blood flow, calcium (Ca2+) influx, heat shock proteins and a physical barrier resulting from mucosal surface exfoliation (Jones et al., 2008). When a severe bacterial infection occurs, the body’s response usually includes an increase in the number of WBC’s—especially neutrophils—in the blood, a condition called leukocytosis. In contrast, alcoholics suffering from bacterial infections often exhibit a reduced number of neutrophils in the blood (i.e., neutropenia). The neutropenia was transient, however, and in several patients a rebound leukocytosis occurred between 5 and 10 days after hospital admission.

What am I lacking if I bruise easily?

While the causal relationship between frequent and heavy alcohol consumption in older adults and cognitive decline is not certain, research has shown a correlation between the two, especially in men. Senile purpura does not have links with any serious health condition, but it may increase the risk of skin tears. People taking medication who notice an increase in bleeding or bruising should consider asking a doctor whether their medication can cause bleeding.

Nerve damage typically affects the axons, which are the projections that send electrical signals from one nerve to another. It also impacts the myelin, which is the fatty coating that protects the nerves. Minor accidents — running into furniture, falling, dropping something on your leg, hand or foot — are the most common cause of bruising. Once stabilized, the goal is to transition from detox, to treatment, to maintenance (practicing sober living by changing your life), to transcendence—the final step in the path to recovery.