by Jane Macaballug Profiles in Catholicism
The liver is an incredible organ. Your liver can indeed recover and grow new cells. After an injury or the doctor removes it, liver tissue can regenerate. This is due to the liver's ability to enlarge already-existing liver cells. The damaged or removed area then sees the growth and proliferation of new liver cells. It is self-healing and continually regenerating. If you stop drinking alcohol early enough after you are diagnosed with liver disease, it may be able to heal some of the damage caused by alcohol.
The level of the damage determines your liver's capacity to recover by itself following alcohol damage. Because the liver is so strong, alcoholic fatty liver disease might heal on its own if you cut back on your drinking.
Healing can occur within a few days to weeks of quitting drinking. However, it might take a few months or even years to repair if the damage is extensive. So how do you know when the repair is happening? Below are some of the signs that your liver is healing.
Increased Appetite
Anyone overcoming addiction often has an increased interest in eating. There will always be a level of appetite increase in someone making a healthy shift, whether it be about cigarettes, alcohol, or illicit substances.
That's not the same as the increased hunger you'll have when your liver starts to recover. Because the liver is involved in digestion and its role is in filtering toxins from your blood, the diminished function it displays as a result of alcohol addiction will affect your appetite.
When you finally turn over a new leaf and allow your liver to start healing, your improved digestive system will prompt your body to demand more nutrients, increasing your appetite.
Weight Stabilization
The poor function of your liver is directly related to your metabolism. Therefore, you may see weight fluctuations that don't make sense if you have poor liver function. Many alcoholics have digestive problems, such as ulcers, which contribute to inadequate nutrition, but they may still gain weight due to liver impairment. At the same time, you may lose weight even with a high-calorie intake from meals and high-carbohydrate beverages like beer.
Liver damage is a biochemical problem that impacts how your body uses food. This is the reason why the signs of liver failure are often unpredictable.
After you get sober, your liver function will start normalizing and bring your metabolism back on track regardless of whether your bathroom scale indicates a downward or upward trend. You'll soon notice that your weight fluctuations make more sense and are more in sync with what you'd anticipate based on your food and activity.
Color Improvements
Certain toxins build in the body as fatty liver disease advances. The liver's poor performance prevents it from doing its job correctly, resulting in increasing amounts of those toxins in the blood. These toxins accumulate to the point where they can be seen through the whites of the eyes and the skin.
This toxin accumulation is a disease known as jaundice, a clear indication of severe liver disorders. Fortunately, the color will fade as your liver continues to recover and will restore your previous sharp, clear vision. The yellow hue on your skin that showed the intensity of your addiction would soon be gone.
Higher Energy
You'll realize that you lack energy when your liver approaches complete shutdown. Ordinary tasks that seemed quite simple before alcoholism took hold of you no longer feel appealing.
Your metabolism's inefficiency as a result of liver failure is the cause of this dull feeling. When your liver cannot function properly, it can expel neither energy nor waste from your body. The end consequence is a sensation of sluggishness that intensifies the depressive effects of alcohol usage and leads to a downward trend.
Your energy levels will begin to increase as your liver starts to heal. You may notice minor changes at first, but as the days of sobriety go by, you'll see a consistent and evident shift toward a more energizing mood. Your continued recovery will be fueled by the newly acquired strength, giving you more energy for a better life.
Pain Reduction
When your liver isn't functioning correctly, it starts to fill up with waste and swell. The liver soon begins to ache due to the limited space for expansion. Although the discomfort may fluctuate in severity and even disappear at times, the general trend is for the pain to become more persistent.
As soon as you quit drinking, your liver will start to perform its function effectively. It will be able to start removing the waste buildup and lowering its inflammation once its level of function improves. As a result, you will notice reduced pain and inflammation around the body.
Increased Blood Clotting Ability
Blood platelets are produced less often when alcohol is present in the body. Their function is to form clots to halt or prevent bleeding. You bruise more quickly, and wounds heal more slowly if you have fewer platelets. You risk suffering serious internal damage as well. Giving up alcohol enables your body to create enough platelets.
A Sharper Brain
The buildup of toxins brought about by liver impairment affects more than just how you look and feel. It also influences how you think. Poor liver function can lead to disorientation and "brain fog," which can result in several issues and make it difficult for you to concentrate.
With sobriety, you'll see a quick improvement in your mental health. Your short-term memory will get better, you'll feel more alert, and your ability to focus will be more impressive.
Enhanced Immunity
The liver is responsible for locating and getting rid of the infection-causing bacteria and viruses, among other harmful pathogens. The immune system is weakened by heavy alcohol consumption, making you more prone to common illnesses. By giving up alcohol, you boost your immune system and increase your resilience to diseases.
Improved Blood Work
You could have had some lab work performed at the hospital or a doctor's office when your health deteriorated throughout your drinking days. The findings most likely showed impaired liver function, and the medical practitioner advised you of the risk it posed to your health.
Your liver began to mend itself as soon as you entered recovery. Naturally, this process ultimately has observable outcomes, such as enhanced color and less discomfort. Even so, it could be challenging to notice the gradual changes occurring in those early days.
As a result, returning to the doctor after starting therapy might give valuable feedback regarding your progress, even before any apparent changes in your body. If lower levels of toxins are detected in your bloodwork, your doctor will inform you of this. These indicators are an excellent way to track the progress you've made in your health since discontinuing alcohol.
If you believe your recovery has stalled or need a reminder of how far you've come, request lab work to obtain a status update.
Final Thoughts
Alcoholism has a harmful influence on several organs, including your liver. Fortunately, its capacity to heal (to a degree) should offer you optimism that it will return to near normal during your recovery journey. Watch out for these signs for evidence of improved liver functionality.