Alcoholic Hepatitis vs Cirrhosis

Difference Between Alcoholic Hepatitis and Alcoholic Cirrhosis

The liver is a large organ that lies up under the ribs on the right side of the belly (abdomen). It helps filter waste from the body. It also makes bile to help digest food, and stores sugar that the body uses for energy. Long-term alcohol abuse or alcoholism can lead to dangerous alcohol liver damage [1]. 

Proper liver function depends on the liver synthesizing proteins, detoxifying metabolites, and producing different digestion chemicals. Alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis are two diseases that present different roadblocks to this normal function. 

Hepatitis is an infection of the liver, usually caused by a virus, that leads to acute or chronic inflammation of the liver. Cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver whereby healthy liver tissue is not generated to replace the scarred tissue.

While both cirrhosis and hepatitis affect the liver, hepatitis has many variants, from hepatitis A through E (and even autoimmune hepatitis), while cirrhosis may actually be caused by chronic hepatitis infection.

Hepatitis in its various forms also has many causes, including but not limited to the following generalized areas: direct sexual contact, sharing needles with an infected person, or being accidentally stuck with a needle from an infected person.

Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by drinking too much alcohol. The liver breaks down alcohol. Over time, if you drink more alcohol than the liver can process, it can become seriously damaged.

Alcoholic hepatitis usually develops over time with continued drinking. But severe alcoholic hepatitis can develop suddenly. It can quickly lead to liver failure and death.

Cirrhosis has many causes but is limited to a particular few: alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic hepatitis C, and chronic hepatitis A. Less common causes of cirrhosis include:

Alcoholic cirrhosis happens after years of drinking too much alcohol and is an advanced form of alcohol-induced liver disease. If you have alcoholic cirrhosis, likely, your liver has not been functioning well for a long time.

Alcoholic cirrhosis symptoms typically develop when a person is between the ages of 30 and 40. Your body will be able to compensate for your liver’s limited function in the early stages of the disease. As the disease progresses, symptoms will become more noticeable.

Get Your Life Back

Find Hope & Recovery. Get Safe Comfortable Detox, Addiction Rehab & Mental Health Dual Diagnosis High-Quality Care at the We Level Up Treatment Centers Network.

Hotline (877) 378-4154

General Symptoms of Liver Diseases

Liver disease symptoms may be present with hepatitis, cirrhosis, or any other conditions that result in dysfunction of or damage to the liver. These may include:

Jaundice

Yellowish discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes (the sclera), is a common symptom of liver disease but has many possible causes. Jaundice happens due to a build-up of bilirubin, a yellow pigment in the blood (hyperbilirubinemia). Jaundice can develop rapidly and dramatically (as with acute hepatitis or bile duct obstruction) or instead develop gradually and subtly.

Enlarged Breasts in Male Patients

Enlarged breasts, referred to as gynecomastia, are common with liver disease due to an increase in estrogen caused by liver dysfunction.

Itching Skin

Chronic itching (pruritis) is common with liver disease and is due to bile salts, which build up in the skin. This itching usually occurs without a rash.

Vomiting of Blood

Vomiting of blood can be related to liver disease in several ways. One of the more ominous is esophageal varices. Esophageal varices are essentially varicose veins in the esophagus. Varicose veins in the legs develop due to poor blood flow in the legs, causing blood to back up and pool, while blood flow to the esophagus may increase due to damage to the liver, which causes portal hypertension and increased blood pressure in the liver. Portal hypertension is much more common with cirrhosis than hepatitis, as scarring acts as a “kink in the hose” for blood vessels traveling through the liver.

An Enlarged Liver

In hepatitis, the liver often becomes tender and enlarged and can be felt below the ribs in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. With cirrhosis, the liver often becomes small and firm and may feel like a rock when it is felt in the upper abdomen.

Bacterial Peritonitis

Peritonitis refers to an infection in the abdominal cavity.

Ascites, or Fluid in the Abdomen

Ascites can cause abdominal swelling and bloating and when severe, can result in shortness of breath due to the pressure of the abdomen pushing upward on the chest cavity.

Mental Confusion or Forgetfulness

One of the primary functions of the liver is to “detoxify” the blood, that is, to remove toxins and other substances from the blood. When the function of the liver is compromised, these toxins can build up in the bloodstream. Hepatic encephalopathy is a condition characterized by lethargy, confusion, abnormal muscle movements, amnesia, and often a dramatic personality change. It is sometimes mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease, but is, in some cases, at least partly reversible.

Fatigue

Chronic tiredness, the kind of tiredness that does not respond to a good night of rest, is extremely common in both hepatitis and cirrhosis.

More symptoms of acute hepatitis are possible, including bleeding gums, edema (or swelling) in your legs, sleep reversal and other sleep disorders, and loss of consciousness.

Alcoholic Hepatitis vs Cirrhosis and How to Differentiate

The link between alcohol abuse and liver damage is known since the times of ancient Greeks. The clinical spectrum of alcoholic liver damage differs from asymptomatic hepatomegaly to profound hepatocellular failure with portal hypertension. The clinical picture tends to be more evident in people with more advanced alcohol liver damage.

Alcoholic liver damage may progress from fatty changes through alcoholic hepatitis to alcoholic cirrhosis. The majority of the people who abuse alcohol will develop fatty changes in their liver at some stage of their drinking habits. However, approximately 20% of such individuals will develop alcoholic cirrhosis.

The clear predisposition of certain individuals to develop alcoholic cirrhosis is still unknown. Fatty liver, though indicating a profound metabolic disturbance within the liver, is not necessarily harmful. Certainly, cirrhosis may develop in an alcoholic who has never had fatty change, and isolated fatty change has not been shown to proceed directly to cirrhosis.

Alcoholic hepatitis develops in only a portion of drinkers even after years of alcohol abuse and is assumed to be a pre-cirrhotic lesion, although its natural history is not well understood. It has been suggested that although alcoholic hepatitis may contribute to the evolution of cirrhosis. Though most alcoholics may have a combination of alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis on biopsy and more or less similar clinical and biochemical features, there are certain features that may help in differentiating the two conditions.

Since alcoholic hepatitis is reversible and hepatic function improves over a period of time with abstinence, management consists predominantly of abstinence from alcohol and supportive care; whereas alcoholic cirrhosis once established is irreversible and hepatic function may not improve over time, management consists of abstinence from alcohol, treatment of complications and liver transplantation may be a viable option in carefully selected patients.

Liver transplantation should not be done in patients with pure alcoholic hepatitis. Hence it is very essential to differentiate a patient having alcoholic problems from the one having alcoholic cirrhosis as the management and prognosis are different.

Differentiation Between Alcoholic Hepatitis and Alcoholic Cirrhosis

Symptomatology

Investigations

Management

Prognosis

Treatment – Alcoholic Hepatitis vs Cirrhosis

According to NCBI [3], individuals with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) may also experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Mild to moderate symptoms include irritability, anxiety, headache, sweating, tachycardia, and hand tremors with clammy skin. Severe symptoms include delirium tremens in which the patient is confused and may have visual hallucinations along with agitation, convulsions, and fever.

The goal of treatment is to restore some or all normal functioning to the liver by addressing the underlying issue of alcohol abuse. You will need to stop drinking alcohol. To do this, you may need to be in an alcohol treatment program. Sometimes you may also need to change your diet. Scarring of the liver is permanent. But the liver is often able to repair some of the damage caused by alcohol so you can live a normal life.

Alcoholism is one of the primary causes of liver damage. Alcohol-associated liver disease is the leading cause of chronic liver disease. Chronic alcohol use will result in a progression from steatosis to alcoholic hepatitis and then finally to alcoholic cirrhosis. The complications associated with alcoholic liver damage can be severe. Significant alcoholic cirrhosis can increase the risk for liver cancer, other cancers, kidney failure, and dementia.

Medically Assisted Detox

Usually, the first step in inpatient treatment is medically assisted detox. Doctors and addiction specialists monitor clients’ vital signs while alcohol exit the system. Depending on the type of substance a person is detoxing from, withdrawal symptoms may differ.

Cravings are very common during detox and can be challenging to overcome. This often leads to relapse. Constant medical care provided during inpatient treatment helps prevent relapse. Clinicians can provide necessary medicine and medical expertise to lessen cravings and withdrawals.

Medication-Assisted Treatment

Medication-Assisted Treatments (MAT) for alcohol use disorder and liver disease are commonly used in conjunction with one another. This includes the use of medications and other medical procedures. Typically, individuals undergoing withdrawal management are administered benzodiazepines under the supervision of an addiction medicine physician, whereas steroids are often used to deal with inflammation of the liver that is associated with alcoholic-related liver disease.

Because individuals who have the alcohol-related liver disease often suffer from nutritional deficiencies, physicians may consult with nutritionists and recommend a specific diet. In addition, nutrition therapy, including the use of supplementation and special diets, is often used in the treatment of alcohol-related liver disease.

Integrated Mental Health Care

Alcohol affects mental health, so people may use it to self-medicate undiagnosed disorders. Rehab centers typically provide mental health screenings, diagnoses, and integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders. In addition, holistic and therapeutic approaches are often used to treat recovering addicts with these conditions.

Behavioral Therapies, Dual Diagnosis Programs in New Jersey

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) can improve the behavior of the individual. CBT targets negative and maladaptive thought patterns as it promotes positive emotions and beliefs, while DBT helps clients address conflicting impulses so they can make healthy choices. Both therapies treat substance abuse, anxiety disorders, and other mood issues. Therapy also empowers clients to identify, avoid and mitigate cues that trigger drug cravings.

Individual and Group Counseling

 Alcoholism and mental health counseling occur in both individual and group settings. One-on-one treatment sessions may address unresolved trauma, unconscious conflicts, and specific struggles, while group sessions often involve training in life skills, stress management, conflict resolution, and social connections. Group counseling also gives clients the chance to share their thoughts and experiences to develop social support, which is essential for lasting recovery.

Individual and Group Counseling

Alcoholism and mental health counseling occur in both individual and group settings. One-on-one treatment sessions may address unresolved trauma, unconscious conflicts, and specific struggles, while group sessions often involve training in life skills, stress management, conflict resolution, and social connections. Group counseling also gives clients the chance to share their thoughts and experiences to develop social support, which is essential for lasting recovery.

Find the Treatment Plan at We Level Up NJ

During your rehabilitation, the staff from We Level Up NJ treatment facility will help you identify what caused your alcoholism and teach you skills that will help you change your behavior patterns and challenge the negative thoughts that led to your alcoholism. Sometimes, the pressures and problems in your life lead you to rely on alcohol to help you forget about them momentarily.

Please, do not try to detox on your own because the alcohol detox process can be painful and difficult without medical assistance. If you or someone you know is experiencing some early signs of liver disease, don’t wait and ask for medical help before it gets chronic like alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis, it is important to intervene early. Learn more about alcoholic hepatitis vs cirrhosis. Call We Level Up inpatient rehab New Jersey today.

Experience Transformative Recovery at the We Level Up Treatment Center.

See our authentic success stories. Get inspired. Get the help you deserve.

Hotline (877) 378-4154

Voluntarily testimonials from the We Level Up Treatment Center network vary. Not intended as a guaranteed treatment or outcome as each person's journey is unique.