What is #Liver #Disease
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What Is the Liver? What is its function?

The liver is the largest gland, and the largest solid organ in the body, weighing some 1.8 kg in men and 1.3 kg in women. It holds approximately 13% (about 0.57 litres) of your total blood supply at any given time and has over 500 functions. The liver is dark reddish brown in colour and is divided into two main lobes (the larger right and the smaller left) which are further subdivided into approximately 100,000 small lobes, or lobules. About 60% of the liver is made up of liver cells called hepatocytes which absorb nutrients and detoxify and remove harmful substances from the blood.

Liver functions include:

  • processing digested food from the intestine
  • controlling levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in the blood
  • combating infections
  • clearing the blood of particles and infections, including bacteria
  • neutralising and destroying all drugs and toxins
  • manufacturing bile
  • storing iron, vitamins and other essential chemicals
  • breaking down food and turning it into energy
  • manufacturing, breaking down and regulating numerous hormones including sex hormones
  • making enzymes and proteins which are responsible for most chemical reactions in the body, for example those involved in blood clotting and repair of damaged tissues.

Some of the most important functions:

Producing quick energy

One of the liver’s most important functions is to break down food and convert it into energy. Carbohydrates, such as bread and potatoes, are broken down to glucose and stored mainly in the liver and muscles as glycogen. When energy is required in an emergency the liver rapidly converts its store of glycogen back into glucose ready for use.

Your liver also helps the body to get rid of waste. Waste products which are not excreted by your kidneys are removed from the blood by the liver. Some of them pass into the duodenum and then into the bowel via the bile ducts. People with liver damage may sometimes lose the ability to control glucose concentration in the blood and need a regular supply of sugar.

Fighting infections

Your liver plays a vital role in fighting infections, particularly infections arising in the bowel. It does this by mobilising part of your body’s defence mechanism called the macrophage system. The liver contains over half of the body’s supply of macrophages, known as Kuppfer cells, which literally destroy any bacteria that they come into contact with. If the liver is damaged in any way its ability to fight infections is impaired.

What is liver disease? What are liver Types,
Symptoms and Signs

Liver disease and liver failure is the result of so much scar tissue forming that the liver can no longer function. There are many different forms of liver disease and damage. Globally, liver disease is a major cause of illness and death; especially viral hepatitis (predominantly hepatitis B and C viruses), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease.

Some of the most common types of liver diseases include:

  • Infections including typhoid, parasite invasion, Epstein Barr virus/mononucleosis, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus and toxoplasmosis.
  • Fatty liver, when fat builds up in the liver. This type occurs more frequently with obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
  • Hepatitis, usually caused by viruses like hepatitis A, B and C. Hepatitis can also be caused by heavy drinking, drugs, allergic reactions or obesity.
  • Bile duct infection (cholangitis)
  • Ascites, when the liver leaks fluid (ascites) into the belly
  • Cirrhosis, which develops when scar tissue replaces the healthy cells in the liver. This can result in long-term damage to the liver that can lead to permanent scarring.
  • Liver cancer, including the most common type called hepatocellular carcinoma
  • Alcoholic liver disease; when the liver becomes damaged by heavy drinking because it is the primary site of ethanol (alcohol) metabolism. Alcohol abuse can lead to steatosis (retention of fats), hepatitis and fibrosis/cirrhosis. Among problem drinkers, about 35 percent develop advanced liver disease.
  • Liver failure, which occurs when scarring becomes so severe that the liver cannot function anymore.
  • Genetic disorders such as Wilson’s Disease, Gilbert’s Disease or Hemochromatosis, which occurs when iron deposits in the liver and throughout the body

What are the early signs of liver problems?

The first signs of liver damage tend to be abdominal pain, pain under Right ribs, yellowish tongue and eye balls, digestive issues, loss of appetite and skin itching. As liver damage and scarring progresses, symptoms can include edema, chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, changes in the skin and other issues.

Symptoms of Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease usually causes no signs and symptoms.

When it does, they may include:

  • Enlarged liver
  • Fatigue
  • Pain in the upper right abdomen
  • Abdominal swelling (ascites)
  • Enlarged blood vessels just beneath the skin's surface
  • Red palms
  • Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
  • Bitterness in the mouth

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with our doctor if you have persistent signs and symptoms that cause you concern.

Causes of liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are both linked to the following:

  • Overweight or obesity
  • Insulin resistance, in which your cells don't take up sugar in response to the hormone insulin
  • High blood sugar (hyperglycemia), indicating prediabetes or actual type 2 diabetes
  • High levels of fats, particularly triglycerides, in the blood

These combined health problems appear to promote the deposit of fat in the liver. For some people, this excess fat acts as a toxin to liver cells, causing liver inflammation and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, which may lead to a buildup of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the liver.

Risk factors of liver disease

A wide range of diseases and conditions can increase your risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, including:

  • High cholesterol
  • High levels of triglycerides in the blood
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Obesity, particularly when fat is concentrated in the abdomen
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Sleep apnea
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
  • Underactive pituitary gland (hypopituitarism)

Complications of liver disease

Liver cancer

The main complication of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is cirrhosis, which is late-stage scarring (fibrosis) in the liver. Cirrhosis occurs in response to liver injury, such as the inflammation in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. As the liver tries to halt inflammation, it produces areas of scarring (fibrosis). With continued inflammation, fibrosis spreads to take up more and more liver tissue.

If the process isn't interrupted, cirrhosis can lead to:

  • Fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites)
  • Swelling of veins in your esophagus (esophageal varices), which can rupture and bleed
  • Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy)
  • End-stage liver failure, which means the liver has stopped functioning

Prevention of liver disease

Can liver disease be prevented? In most cases, yes.

You can lower your risk for liver disease greatly by observing the following:

  • Choose a healthy diet: Choose a healthy plant-based diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats.
  • Maintain a healthy weight: If you are overweight or obese, reduce the number of calories you eat each day and get more exercise. If you have a healthy weight, work to maintain it by choosing a healthy diet and exercising.
  • Exercise: Exercise most days of the week. Get an OK from your doctor first if you haven't been exercising regularly.
  • Managing stress levels: By keeping positive attitude.

Diagnosis of liver disease

Because nonalcoholic fatty liver disease causes no symptoms in most cases, it frequently comes to medical attention when tests done for other reasons point to a liver problem. This can happen if your liver looks unusual on ultrasound or if you have an abnormal liver function test and lipid profile test.

Which types of diagnosis show liver diseases?

Some of the liver disease are non-symptomatic. To diagnose your liver condition and liver function see our doctors to do a physical exam and run a number of different tests, including: blood tests to check levels of liver enzymes, a complete blood cell count (FBC), hepatitis virus screen, blood clotting tests, tests to check levels of bilirubin, albumin and ammonia, ultrasound and CT scan.

Blood tests can reveal if the liver is inflamed and not properly making proteins, which are needed for blood clotting. A physical exam, ultrasound and CT scan are also performed to assess the anatomy and structure of the liver and surrounding tissues, in order to check for shrinking, swelling, edema, etc.

Lifestyle, home remedies for Treating liver disease

The first line of treatment is usually weight loss through a combination of a healthy diet and exercise. Our doctors will recommend that you receive vaccinations against hepatitis A and hepatitis B to help protect you from viruses that may cause further liver damage.

With our doctor's help, you can take steps to control your nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

You can:

  • Lose weight: If you're overweight or obese, reduce the number of calories you eat each day and increase your physical activity in order to lose weight. Calorie reduction is the key to losing weight and managing this disease. If you have tried to lose weight in the past and have been unsuccessful, ask your doctor for help.
  • Choose a healthy diet: Eat a healthy diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and keep track of all calories you take in.
  • Exercise and be more active: Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. If you're trying to lose weight, you might find that more exercise is helpful. But if you don't already exercise regularly, get our doctor's OK first and start slowly.
  • Control your diabetes: Follow our doctor's instructions to stay in control of your diabetes. Take your medications as directed and closely monitor your blood sugar.
  • Lower your cholesterol: A healthy plant-based diet, exercise and medications can help keep your cholesterol and your triglycerides at healthy levels.
  • Protect your liver: Avoid things that will put extra stress on your liver. For instance, don't drink alcohol. Follow the instructions on all medications and over-the-counter drugs. See our doctor's before using any herbal remedies, as not all herbal products are safe.

Alternative medicine

Liver diseases don`t have specific medicine to cure it. Every chemical used induce number of toxins in the blood. And presents of liver diseases reduce detoxification, utilization of pathological bacteria. Herbal treatment are preferable to alleviate disorders related to liver and other internal organs for many centuries all over the world. Our researches evaluates the effects of herbal extracts, it combination in the treatment of liver diseases, provides a general understanding of the actions of our herbal medicines.

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