Alcoholic Liver Disease
Alcohol-related liver disease moves through stages, and there is real good news: the earlier stages improve substantially once alcohol stops, and even at the latest stage, stopping still changes the outlook.
Medically reviewed by the RIIMS medical team · Last updated: June 2026
Go to hospital now
- Vomiting blood, or black tarry stools
- New confusion or unusual drowsiness
- Sudden, deep yellowing of the eyes or skin
See a doctor soon (not an emergency)
- AST persistently more than twice ALT on a report
- Swelling in the abdomen or legs
- Ongoing heavy drinking with any abnormal liver report
What is alcoholic liver disease, and does it improve if I stop drinking?
Alcoholic liver disease develops in stages, from drinking beyond what the liver can safely process over months or years. The first stage, fatty liver from alcohol, is common and improves substantially, often completely, within weeks of stopping. The next stage, alcoholic hepatitis, is inflammation of the liver caused by alcohol, ranging from mild to life-threatening, and it also improves with abstinence, though recovery is slower and less complete than fatty liver alone. The furthest stage is cirrhosis, scarring that does not go back to normal once it has set in. But stopping alcohol still matters enormously even at this stage: survival improves at every stage of alcoholic liver disease once drinking stops, cirrhosis included, because the liver tissue that remains is protected from further injury. On a blood report, one useful clue that alcohol is driving the picture is the ratio between the two liver enzymes: when AST (SGOT) runs more than twice ALT (SGPT), this pattern favors alcohol as the cause, though it is a clue and not a standalone diagnosis, read alongside your history and other tests.
Symptoms to watch for
- Often no symptoms in the early stage
- Tiredness and poor appetite
- Tenderness or discomfort under the right ribs
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin
- Swelling in the abdomen or legs, in later stages
- Nausea, especially after drinking
When to consult a doctor
If you drink regularly and notice tiredness, appetite loss, or discomfort under the right ribs, get your liver checked. Yellow eyes, confusion, or vomiting blood after drinking need emergency care immediately.