Liver Diseases
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It is also one of the most important. The liver has many jobs, including changing food into energy and cleaning alcohol and poisons from the blood. Your liver also makes bile, a yellowish-green liquid that helps with digestion. There are many kinds of liver diseases. Viruses like hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C can cause some of them. Others can be the result of drugs, poisons or drinking too much alcohol. If the liver forms scar tissue because of an illness, it's called cirrhosis. Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, can be one sign of liver disease. Cancer can affect the liver. You could also inherit a liver disease such as hemochromatosis.
Introduction:
The liver is the largest organ inside the body. It has several important jobs. The liver changes food into energy. It also cleans alcohol and poisons from the blood. There are many diseases that can affect the liver. Treatment for liver diseases depends on the cause. It may include medicines, surgery or other treatments. This program will help you understand liver diseases. It talks about common diseases of the liver. It also covers symptoms and treatment.
The Liver:
The liver is an important organ of the body. It is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. There are two sections of the liver called the right and left lobes. The liver plays several important roles in our bodies. After we eat, food is digested. Substances are absorbed from the food. These are then taken through large blood vessels to the liver. The liver processes absorbed substances so the rest of the body can use them. Some of these substances include:
• Fat.
• Protein.
• Sugar.
• Vitamins.
The liver gets rid of harmful substances called toxins. Toxins can poison the body if they are not filtered from the blood by the liver. The liver also makes bile. Bile is a yellowish liquid. It helps absorb the food we eat. It is made out of a substance called bilirubin, a yellowish chemical. Bile is released directly into the first part of the intestines through the common bile duct. It can also be stored in the gallbladder until it is released. Bile is what gives our feces, or poop, a brownish green color. The liver also makes special chemicals that cause our blood to clot. When we are injured, blood clots stop us from bleeding too much.
General Symptoms:
Many liver diseases have similar symptoms. The main symptom is jaundice. Jaundice is yellowing of the skin and eyes. It is caused by a buildup of a yellow substance called bilirubin. Other common symptoms of liver diseases are:
• Abdominal pain.
• Dark colored urine and pale bowel movements.
• Loss of appetite.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Weakness or feeling very tired.
• Weight loss.
Some liver diseases may also cause:
• A lump or feeling of heaviness in the upper abdomen.
• Diarrhea.
• Fever.
• Heart problems.
• Joint pain.
• Loss of sex drive.
• A swollen, bloated abdomen.
Talk to your health care provider if you notice any of these symptoms or other changes. Finding a problem early can make treatment easier in most cases.
Hepatitis:
Hepatitis is a liver disease. It is caused by a viral infection of the liver. Viruses are very small germs that can multiply only after invading a host. Cold sores and the flu are caused by viruses. There are many viruses that can cause hepatitis, such as:
• Hepatitis A.
• Hepatitis B.
• Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis leads to swelling of the liver. Some viruses rarely cause lasting damage. Hepatitis A is one example. Sometimes hepatitis B can also be mild and temporary. Other viruses can last a lifetime. One example is hepatitis C. In some cases, hepatitis B can also last a lifetime. These viruses cause damage to the liver, including:
• Cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver.
• Liver cancer.
• Liver failure.
Different hepatitis viruses are spread in different ways. The hepatitis virus may be spread through:
• Contact with blood and infected body fluids.
• Delivery, from a woman to her newborn.
• Food or water contaminated with feces.
• Unprotected sex.
• The use of needles that are not sterile.
A blood test can tell if you have hepatitis. Treatment is not usually needed for mild types of hepatitis. The body will fight off the virus. Treatment often includes medicines for more severe cases. There is no cure for these types of hepatitis. The goal is to slow the damage to the liver by slowing down the virus. Vaccines are available to prevent hepatitis A and B. Talk to your health care provider about these vaccines to learn more.
Hemochromatosis:
Hemochromatosis is a disease in which too much iron builds up in your body. It is also called iron overload. Iron is an essential nutrient found in many foods. The greatest amount is found in red meat. It is also found in breads and cereals that have iron added to them. Hemochromatosis causes the body to absorb and store too much iron. Your body has no way to get rid of the extra iron. The extra iron builds up in the body’s organs and damages them. Healthy people usually absorb about 10% of the iron contained in the food they eat. People with hemochromatosis absorb up to 30% of the iron. They absorb and store 5 to 20 times more iron than the body needs. Hemochromatosis can cause the liver, heart and pancreas to stop working. These organs are where the extra iron is usually stored. This is why it is important to get treatment. Too much iron in the liver can cause liver disease. This may include:
• An enlarged liver.
• Cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver.
• Liver cancer.
• Liver failure.
The goals of treating hemochromatosis are to:
• Reduce the amount of iron in your body to normal levels.
• Prevent or delay organ damage from iron overload.
• Treat complications of the disease.
• Maintain a normal amount of iron in your body for the rest of your life.
A common treatment for hemochromatosis is therapeutic phlebotomy. It is a procedure that removes blood from your body. The blood cells contain iron, so removing the blood removes the excess iron. This process is similar to donating blood. Iron chelation therapy is another treatment option. It uses medicine to remove excess iron from your body. Your health care provider may also suggest you change your diet as a part of treatment. You may be told to:
• Avoid or limit alcohol.
• Avoid extra iron in pills or injections.
• Avoid uncooked fish and shellfish.
Your health care provider may also tell you to limit your daily intake of vitamin C. This is because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron.
Liver Cancer:
Cancer begins in your cells. Cells are the building blocks of your body. Normally, your body forms new cells as you need them, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong and a tumor forms. If a tumor is cancer, cells from the tumor can invade other tissues throughout the body. Cancer cells can spread through blood vessels and lymph channels. Cancers in the body are given names, depending on where the cancer started. Cancer that begins in the liver will always be called liver cancer, even if it has spread to other places in the body. Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world. Certain hepatitis viruses over time can cause liver cancer. Long-term infection with hepatitis B or C is the main cause of liver cancer. Hepatitis B and C are spread through blood or sexual contact. The risk of liver cancer increases with the amount of alcohol that a person drinks. Having more than two drinks of alcohol each day for many years increases the risk of liver cancer. Aflatoxin can also cause liver cancer. Aflatoxin is a harmful substance made by certain types of mold. It can form on peanuts, corn and other nuts and grains. Aflatoxin levels are high in parts of Asia and Africa. Liver cancer may develop in people who have:
• Cirrhosis of the liver.
• Diabetes.
• Excess body weight.
• Hemochromatosis.
Treatment for liver cancer may include one or more of the following:
• Surgery, including a liver transplant.
• Ablation, which uses heat or chemicals to destroy cancer cells.
• Embolization, which blocks blood flow to a tumor.
• Targeted therapy, which uses medicines to slow the growth of tumors.
• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
Other Diseases:
Liver disease can also be caused by drinking too much alcohol. This type of liver disease is called alcoholic liver disease. The liver normally breaks down alcohol and removes it from the body. When too much alcohol is taken in, the liver cannot process all of it. This can damage the liver. Alcoholic liver disease often starts with the buildup of extra fat in the liver cells. If a person quits drinking alcohol at this point, the disease will usually go away. If a person does not stop drinking alcohol, it can cause the liver to swell. Swelling can damage the liver. The swelling can be reversed if it is mild. If the swelling is severe, alcoholic liver disease often leads to cirrhosis and liver failure. Similar problems may also happen due to Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, or NAFLD. NAFLD causes fat to build up in the liver. This might also lead to cirrhosis and liver failure in severe cases. Like the name says, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is not caused by alcohol. Some people are more likely to get nonalcoholic fatty liver disease than others. These people include those who:
• Are diabetic.
• Are overweight or obese.
• Have high blood cholesterol levels.
Both alcoholic liver disease and NAFLD are treated with lifestyle changes and medicines, if needed. For alcoholic liver disease, treatment includes avoiding alcohol. An alcohol recovery program may help. NAFLD treatment also includes:
• Exercise.
• A low-glycemic index diet.
• Weight loss.
Medicines may also be used to manage complications of liver damage. In severe cases, a liver transplant may be needed. A liver transplant is a surgery that removes the damaged liver. A donated liver takes its place.
Summary:
The liver is the largest organ inside the body. It has several important jobs, including changing food into energy and cleaning alcohol and poisons from the blood. Common diseases that affect the liver are:
• Hepatitis.
• Hemochromatosis.
• Liver Cancer.
• Alcoholic liver disease.
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Treatment for liver diseases depends on the cause. Treatment may include medicines, surgery or lifestyle changes. It may also include other treatments if the cause is cancer. Talk to your health care provider if you notice any abnormal changes or liver symptoms. Finding a problem early makes its treatment easier in most cases
