Liver damage from alcohol-associated liver disease may be possibly reversible in its early stages. In all stages, alcohol cessation is considered critical to overall outlook.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), formerly called alcoholic liver disease, is a type of liver disease caused by damage from excess alcohol consumption.

Also sometimes known as alcohol-related liver disease, this condition ranges in severity, but liver damage may be possibly reversed in its earlier stages only. ALD is also the leading cause of liver-related deaths.

Learn more about alcohol-associated liver damage, including important facts related to its stages, treatment, and overall outlook you may consider discussing with a healthcare professional.

The liver is a vital and complex organ that can regenerate new cells when they are damaged and possibly heal itself. However, your liver can get damaged to a point where it can no longer generate new cells and repair itself.

This is especially the case with alcohol use. When your liver filters alcohol, some of its healthy cells die in the process. Alcohol overuse, or drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, can harm too many cells at once and cause irreversible damage.

Liver damage from ALD is possibly reversible, but this depends on how long you have been overusing alcohol, as well as the stage of ALD you have. There are three types of ALD to consider:

  • fatty liver disease
  • hepatitis
  • cirrhosis

Alcohol-associated fatty liver disease

Alcohol-associated fatty liver disease is the earliest stage of ALD. It’s characterized by excess alcohol use that causes fat deposits to build up in the liver and reduce its overall function.

Also known as hepatic steatosis, this stage of ALD may be reversible if you stop drinking.

Acute alcohol-associated hepatitis

Unlike infectious hepatitis, acute alcohol-associated hepatitis refers to liver inflammation caused by significant alcohol use. This can include consuming a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time, such as with binge-drinking.

Hepatitis can also occur from chronic alcohol misuse — drinking high amounts for a long time.

Liver damage caused by alcohol-associated hepatitis may be reversible when you quit drinking.

Alcohol-induced cirrhosis

Cirrhosis refers to a scarring of the liver, and it’s the final stage of liver disease. It’s estimated that between 10% and 20% of people with ALD will develop cirrhosis.

This type of extensive liver damage is not reversible, including those caused by alcohol use. However, it’s still possible to prevent further liver damage and scarring with alcohol cessation.

Alcohol-associated liver damage may possibly be reversed depending on its extent, as well as the stage. In most cases, cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but fatty liver disease and hepatitis can usually be reversed.

Since there is no medication or other ALD-specific treatment yet available, the only way you can repair liver damage from ALD is by quitting alcohol. Doing so reduces the number of new liver cells killed from alcohol use and gives your liver a chance to regenerate itself.

If you receive a diagnosis of hepatitis or cirrhosis related to ALD, your doctor will likely recommend that you stop drinking for the rest of your life to help prevent further liver disease progression and complications.

It can be challenging to completely quit alcohol. A doctor can help create a plan to help address your needs. They may also refer you to support services, such as therapy.

Certain prescription medications may help reduce alcohol cravings. These include:

  • acamprosate (Campral)
  • disulfiram (Antabuse)
  • naltrexone (Revia, Vivitrol)
  • baclofen (Lioresal)

A doctor will help you weigh both the benefits and the side effects before prescribing these medications.

Sometimes, prednisolone, a type of corticosteroid, may be prescribed to reduce liver inflammation in alcohol-associated hepatitis.

Also, while no specific diet can cure liver damage, certain dietary changes can help you manage your symptoms. These include:

  • eating three to four small meals per day
  • eating an amount of adequate protein
  • reducing your salt intake

In some cases, a liver transplant may be needed in cases of alcohol-induced cirrhosis that has not improved despite alcohol cessation or if you develop liver failure. ALD is considered one of the most common reasons for a liver transplant.

The symptoms of liver damage from alcohol use do not usually become noticeable until your liver is severely damaged. If you do develop symptoms, you might experience:

It’s important to get medical help immediately if you’re experiencing any possible symptoms of ALD. A medical professional will run blood, liver function, and imaging tests to help assess the overall health of your liver and to determine next steps.

Also, you might consider seeing a doctor if you have a history of alcohol misuse or are currently having trouble with alcohol use. They can monitor your liver health and also provide you with resources that can help you quit drinking.

It can take several months or years for your liver to recover from alcohol use, especially in the early stages of ALD. Cases of severe cirrhosis may not be treatable even with quitting alcohol.

The exact life expectancy with ALD depends on its stage when it’s diagnosed and treated and the presence of other underlying health conditions. One 2021 clinical review estimated that 30% of people with alcohol-associated hepatitis died within 1 year of diagnosis.

Cirrhosis is the last stage of liver disease, and damage is not reversible at this point. This includes alcohol-induced cirrhosis.

Quitting alcohol may help prevent further liver damage and scarring, though researchers believe the outlook for this stage is poor.

A healthy liver may tolerate occasional amounts of alcohol. Once your liver becomes damaged from drinking, however, this organ may no longer be able to tolerate any amount of alcohol use.

Fatty liver disease or hepatitis related to ALD may be reversible depending on overall severity and whether you can stick with an alcohol cessation plan. Cirrhosis is considered the most severe stage of ALD and is not considered reversible.

If you suspect you may have symptoms of a liver problem, or if you have trouble with alcohol use, consider seeing a doctor right away. The sooner ALD is treated, the better the overall outcome.