Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment

Acute alcoholic hepatitis is a condition involving liver inflammation. Acute alcoholic hepatitis is caused by excessive alcohol intake. It is commonly believed to be the initial stage of alcoholic liver disease. According to the Department of Surgery at the University of Southern California, symptoms of acute alcoholic hepatitis include jaundice (yellow skin discoloration), exhaustion and dysfunction of the brain as a result of the failure of the liver. More serious cases of acute alcoholic hepatitis have a high risk of death.

General Treatment

Some general initial treatments for acute alcoholic hepatitis include nutrition and dietary support and assisting with deficiencies of vitamins (especially in cases where hepatic encephalopathy and ascites [the extra fluid located between the abdominal organs and tissues surrounding the abdomen] are involved). These basic treatment options are particularly helpful for individuals suffering milder cases of acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Corticosteroids

According to the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in the United Kingdom, corticosteroids (steroid hormones made within the adrenal cortex) are used for acute alcoholic hepatitis treatment as they have positive effects on immune response, reduce the body's production of cytokine (celluar communication signals), reduce collagen production and stop acetaldehyde adducts (often found in the brains of alcoholics) from forming. This is perhaps the most common treatment of acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Nutrition Support

Malnutrition is a common affliction among acute alcoholic hepatitis sufferers, according to the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Acute alcoholic hepatitis is often tied to calorie or protein malnutrition---either due to diet or reduced function of the intestines. Also, calorie and protein deficiencies are often believed to increase the toxicity of alcohol. Since persons with acute alcoholic hepatitis are usually suffering from severe cases of vitamin deficiencies, one treatment option is to recover the vitamins by taking them, such as folic acid and B-complex, in supplement form. Doing so can help drastically in turning the malnutrition around.

Abstinence

One of the most efficient treatments of acute alcoholic hepatitis is to stop drinking alcohol. In cases in which liver cirrhosis (chronic liver disease that results in liver cells being destroyed and substituted with scar tissue) has not yet come into play, the liver has the potential to completely heal.

Liver Transplants

According to the Journey of Hepatology, with especially severe cases of acute alcoholic hepatitis, the function of the liver comes seriously damaged and, as a result, impaired. In some cases, undergoing a liver transplant is the sole remaining treatment choice. Liver transplants are quite often successful, but there are many people waiting for transplants.

Antioxidants

Free radicals are damaging oxygen molecules. They are a big component of acute alcoholic hepatitis because they cause a lot of destruction when it comes to the liver cells. Antioxidants can help stop the damage from free radicals. Some natural, herbal supplements (like herb milk thistle) can help treat acute alcoholic hepatitis. They can reconstruct and heal the liver by stimulating antioxidant enzyme production.