Best Doctors in India for Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment
- Interventional Neuroradiologist, Shalimar Bagh, India
- Over 10 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Nishchint Jain is one of the bright young Interventional Neurologists in Delhi NCR who has experience treating brain tumors, head injuries, acute spinal cord surgeries, Bell’s palsy, muscular dystrophy, migraine, cluster headaches, etc.
- He began his medical journey as a senior resident at AIIMS and is now associated with Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.
- Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 35 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Nutan Agarwal is an eminent Obstetrician & Gynecologist.
- Dr. Nutan Agarwal is credited with pioneering various PCOS medications in India, such as Metformin and myoinositol.
- She has also developed several treatments, such as ablation in multiple pregnancies, and formulated a guideline for managing irregular uterine bleeding in the Indian context.
- Neurointerventional Surgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 15 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Rajsrinivas Parthasarathy is one of the best Neurologists in Gurugram, and one of the few who has received training in stroke neurology and neurointerventional surgery.
- His therapeutic interests include thrombolysis and thrombectomy for acute stroke, vasculitis, stroke in children, and localized arteriopathy in children.
- Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Renu Raina Sehgal is a renowned Gynecologist in Delhi/NCR, having 25+ years of rich experience in the field.
- Dr. Renu Sehgal specializes in obstetrics, menopause, infertility, and advanced gynecological laparoscopy and has extensive experience in several other gynecological procedures. In addition to this, she is an expert medico-legal consultancy.
- Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 40 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Veena Bhat is a senior obstetrician and gynecologist. Her clinical interest lies in Endoscopic management of infertility, Adolescent Gynecology, High-risk pregnancy, Menopausal health, and Minimal invasive surgery in Gynae.
- The doctor performs Gynecological Endoscopy, both Laparoscopy & open (Hysteroscopy); Laparotomy, Endometriosis Surgery, Ovarian Cystectomy, and myomectomy with decent success.
- Gastroenterologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 7 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Abhinandan Mishra is one of the young Gastroenterology doctors in Gurugram who is particularly interested in inflammatory bowel disease treatment.
- Dr. Abhinandan Mishra offers Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography, Ascites tap, Endoscopy, Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy, Capsule Endoscopy, Esophageal Manometry, Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography, etc.
- Cardiologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 15 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Anurag Passi is a young cardiologist in Gurugram and is well-known for his meticulousness, precise diagnosis, and compassionate care of patients.
- He is proficient in performing procedures like Primary Angioplasty, Transradial Intervention, Pacemaker, ICD and CRT implantation, and Complex coronary interventions (Unprotected Left Main, Bifurcation, and CTO).
- Presently, he is practicing as a Senior Consultant of Cardiology at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram.
- Gastroenterologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 18 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Atul Sharma is a renowned Gastroenterology practitioner in Gurugram and is particularly interested in Third Space Endoscopy and Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM).
- He presented several papers on Manometry, Luminal gastroenterology, and interventional Gastroenterology during training in Advanced Interventional GI Endoscopy.
- Gastroenterologist, Gurugram, India
- Over 15 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Kapil Jamwal is a renowned GI practitioner in Gurugram with an extensive experience in digestive and liver disease.
- The specialist offers treatment for Hepatitis B, Jaundice, Hepatitis C, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome, Acute Pancreatitis, Liver Diseases, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
- Neurosurgeon, Gurugram, India
- Over 25 years’ experience
Profile Highlights:
- Dr. Pawan Goyal is a renowned neurosurgeon in Gurugram with 25 years of experience.
- He gained expertise in endoscopic neurosurgery, minimally invasive spine and neurosurgery, all brain and spine tumors, head and spine injuries.
Best Hospitals in India for Alcoholic Hepatitis Treatment
ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS
Alcoholic hepatitis is a liver infection, which is mainly caused by frequent, heavy use of alcohol. Fat can build up in the liver cells, which might lead to inflammation as well as scarring of the liver.
Alcoholic hepatitis might be mild or severe. A patient might even need a liver transplant if proper treatment is not provided, or if they don’t stop consumption of alcohol.
It is also notable that all heavy drinkers don’t develop this condition, and sometimes this condition even develops in people who drink moderately. However, if you are diagnosed with this condition, it is important for you to quit drinking alcohol. People who continue drinking alcohol might face a huge risk of serious liver damage as well as death.
Symptoms
Depending on the amount of damage to the liver, the symptoms can vary. If you are having a mild form of the disease, you might not even experience any symptoms at all. However, as the damage continues to grow, you might experience the following:
- Changes in appetite
- Dry mouth
- Weight loss
- Pain or swelling in the abdomen
- Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin or eyes
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Changes in your mental state, including confusion
- Fatigue
The symptoms of this condition are similar to those caused by a few other health conditions. Therefore, if you develop any of these symptoms, it is best to get a proper diagnosis as well as begin treatment.
Causes & risk factors
Alcoholic hepatitis generally develops when the alcohol you drink causes damage to your liver. However, it is not clear why alcohol does this damages only to some heavy drinkers.
Few factors that are known to play a role in this condition include:
- The body’s process that breaks down alcohol produces some toxic chemicals
- These chemicals can trigger inflammation that can destroy the liver cells
- Thus, over time, scars replace healthy liver tissue, thus interfering with the function of the liver
- This irreversible scarring, which is also termed cirrhosis, is the final stage of alcoholic liver disease
If you have hepatitis C and continue to drink, even moderately, you are more likely to develop cirrhosis.
Some heavy drinkers are also malnourished because they don’t eat a proper balanced diet. Alcohol and its byproducts also prevent the body from absorbing nutrition properly. Lack of nutrition can contribute to liver cell damage.
Some other risk factors that can lead to this condition include:
- Your sex- Women are usually at a higher risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis since the way alcohol is processed in women is different.
- Binge drinking- Having over five drinks within two hours for men and four or more for women can increase the risk of alcoholic hepatitis.
- Obesity- Heavy drinkers who are overweight are also more likely to develop alcoholic hepatitis and to progress from that condition to cirrhosis.
- Race and ethnicity- Hispanic and Negroid people might be at higher risk of alcoholic hepatitis.
- Genetic factors- According to studies, there may be a genetic component in alcohol-induced liver disease. However, it is difficult to separate genetic and environmental factors.
Diagnosis
If you are showing symptoms of alcoholic hepatitis, your doctor will first inquire about your medical history and alcohol consumption. Next, he/she will perform a physical exam to see if you have an enlarged liver or spleen. They might also need a few more tests to confirm your diagnosis, such as:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Liver function test
- Ultrasound of the liver
- Abdominal CT scan
- Blood clotting tests
In some cases, a liver biopsy might also be needed to confirm the diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis. A liver biopsy requires your doctor to remove a tissue sample from your liver, which is then tested in the lab. This method helps to show the severity and type of liver disease.
Treatment
Stopping alcohol consumption is the most important treatment for alcoholic hepatitis. There is no cure for this condition, but treatment can help in reducing or eliminating symptoms, or stopping its progression.
It is also important to note that scarring of the liver is permanent, but treatment can aim to restore as much function as possible.
Dietary changes
Your doctor might also recommend dietary changes, vitamin supplements, or a focused diet plan to correct the imbalance of nutrients in the body.
Medication
Doctors might also prescribe medicines to prevent inflammation of the liver.
Liver transplant
In severe cases, the only chance for survival may be a liver transplant. Unfortunately, in such cases, the process of finding a donor can be long and complicated.
The best hope of recovery is to be aware of the signs and symptoms as well as to reduce, manage, or if possible, completely stop consumption of alcohol.
Complications
Alcoholic hepatitis might lead to severe other complications such as:
- Enlarged veins (varices)- In this condition, blood that is unable to flow freely through the portal vein, can back up into other blood vessels in your esophagus or stomach.
- Hepatic encephalopathy- This condition can be caused by the buildup of toxins if your damaged liver is unable to remove all the toxins from your body. It involves confusion, drowsiness, and slurred speech.
- Ascites- Ascites is a condition in which the fluid that accumulates in the abdomen may get infected and thus, require treatment with antibiotics. Although this condition is not life-threatening, it can be a sign of advanced alcoholic hepatitis, or cirrhosis.
- Kidney failure- A damaged liver affects blood flow to the kidneys, thus resulting in kidney failure.
- Cirrhosis- The scarring of the liver might lead to liver failure.
Prevention
Alcoholic hepatitis might be prevented if you take the following steps:
- Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all- For healthy adults, moderate drinking means no more than one drink a day for women of all ages and men older than 65, and not over two drinks a day for men aged 65 and younger. However, if you prevent all alcohol, it is a certain way to prevent this condition.
- Check before mixing medications and alcohol- Ask your doctor if it’s safe to drink alcohol while you are taking medications. Consider reading the warning labels on over-the-counter medications as well. Don’t drink alcohol when you are taking medications that warn of complications when combined with alcohol.
- Protect yourself from hepatitis C- Hepatitis C is an infectious liver disease that is caused by a virus. If it is left untreated, it may lead to cirrhosis. If you are having hepatitis C and you consume alcohol, you’re generally more likely to develop cirrhosis than if you don’t drink.