Liver disease

Liver disease
What is the function of the liver?

As part of its function, the liver makes bile, a fluid that contains among other substances, water, chemicals, and bile acids (made from stored cholesterol in the liver). Bile is stored in the gallbladder and when food enters the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), bile is secreted into the duodenum, to aid in the digestion of food.

The liver is the only organ in the body that can easily replace damaged cells, but if enough cells are lost, the liver may not be able to meet the needs of the body.

The liver can be considered a factory, and among its many functions include:

    Production of bile that is required in the digestion of food, in particular, fats
    Storing of the extra glucose or sugar as glycogen, and then converting it back into glucose when the body needs it for energy
    Production of blood clotting factors
    Production of amino acids (the building blocks for making proteins), including those used to help fight infection
    The processing and storage of iron necessary for red blood cell production
    The manufacture of cholesterol and other chemicals required for fat transport
    The conversion of waste products of body metabolism into urea that is excreted in the urine
    Metabolizing medications into their active ingredient in the body
Diagnosis

Finding the cause and extent of liver damage is important in guiding treatment. Your doctor is likely to start with a health history and a thorough physical examination.

Your doctor may then recommend:

    Blood tests. A group of blood tests called liver function tests can be used to diagnose liver disease. Other blood tests can be done to look for specific liver problems or genetic conditions.
    
    Checking a tissue sample. Removing a tissue sample (biopsy) from your liver may help diagnose liver disease and look for signs of liver damage. A liver biopsy is most often done using a long needle inserted through the skin to extract a tissue sample that's sent to a lab for testing.
Classic symptoms of liver disease include nausea, vomiting, right upper quadrant abdominal pain, and jaundice (a yellow discoloration of the skin due to elevated bilirubin concentrations in the bloodstream). Fatigue, weakness, and weight loss may also occur. However, since there are a variety of liver diseases, the symptoms tend to be specific for that illness until late-stage liver disease and liver failure occurs. Examples of liver disease symptoms due to certain conditions or diseases include:


Gilbert's disease has no symptoms and is an incidental finding on a blood test where the bilirubin level is mildly elevated.

Cirrhosis of the liver will develop progressive symptoms as the liver fails. Some symptoms are directly related to the inability of the liver to metabolize the body's waste products. Others reflect the failure of the liver to manufacture proteins required for body function and may affect blood clotting function, secondary sex characteristics, and brain function.

Symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver include the following: Easy bruising may occur due to decreased production of clotting factors; bile salts can deposit in the skin causing itching; gynecomastia or enlarged breasts in men may occur because of an imbalance in sex hormones, specifically an increase in estradiol; impotence (erectile dysfunction, ED), poor sex drive and shrinking testicles are due to decrease in function of sex hormones; confusion and lethargy may occur if ammonia levels rise in the bloodstream (ammonia is a waste product formed from protein metabolism and requires normal liver cells to remove it); ascites (fluid accumulation within the abdominal cavity) occurs because of decreased protein production; and muscle wasting may occur because of reduced protein production. Additionally, there is increased pressure within the cirrhotic liver affecting blood flow through the liver. Increased pressure in the portal vein causes blood flow to the liver to slow down and blood vessels to swell. Swollen veins (varices) form around the stomach and esophagus and are at risk for bleeding.
Treatment

Treatment for liver disease depends on your diagnosis. Some liver problems can be treated with lifestyle modifications, such as stopping alcohol use or losing weight, typically as part of a medical program that includes careful monitoring of liver function. Other liver problems may be treated with medications or may require surgery.

Treatment for liver disease that causes or has led to liver failure may ultimately require a liver transplant.
Lifestyle and home remedies

Changing certain lifestyle habits can often help improve your liver health. If you've been diagnosed with liver disease, your doctor may recommend that you:

    Drink alcohol sparingly, if at all.
    Avoid red meat, trans fats, processed carbohydrates, and foods with high-fructose corn syrup.
    Exercise 30 to 60 minutes around three to four times a week at a moderate intensity.
    Cut calories by 500 to 1,000 calories daily, if you're overweight.

Alternative medicine

No alternative medicine therapies have been proved to treat liver disease. Some studies have indicated possible benefits, but further research is needed.

On the other hand, some dietary and herbal supplements can harm your liver. More than a thousand medications and herbal products have been associated with liver damage, including:

    Vitamin A
    Ma-huang
    Germander
    Valerian
    Mistletoe
    Skullcap
    Chaparral
    Comfrey
    Kava
    Pennyroyal oil

To protect your liver, it's important to talk to your doctor about the potential risks before you take any complementary or alternative medicines.

thanks for watching