What should I know about liver disease?
The liver plays an important role in many bodily functions from protein production and blood clotting to cholesterol, glucose (sugar), and iron metabolism.
What causes liver disease?
Many diseases and conditions can affect the liver, for example, certain drugs like excessive amounts of acetaminophen, and acetaminophen combination medications like Vicodin, Norco, and statins, cirrhosis, alcohol abuse, hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, infectious mononucleosis (Epstein Barr virus), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH), and iron overload (hemochromatosis).
What are the signs and symptoms of liver disease?
Symptoms of liver diseases include weakness and fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and yellow discoloration of the skin (jaundice).
What are the symptoms of liver disease?
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.
Liver disease caused by Alcohol & Cirrhosis
As per AMRI hospitals specialist he liver can be damaged in a variety of ways. Cells can become inflamed, for example, hepatitis. Bile flow can be obstructed, for example, cholestasis).
Cholesterol or triglycerides can accumulate, for example, steatosis). Blood flow to the liver may be compromised. Liver tissue can be damaged by chemicals and minerals, or infiltrated by abnormal cells, like cancer cells.
Alcohol abuse and liver disease: Alcohol abuse is the most common cause of liver disease in North America. Alcohol is directly toxic to liver cells and can cause liver inflammation, referred to as alcoholic hepatitis. In chronic alcohol abuse, fat accumulation occurs in liver cells affecting their ability to function.
Cirrhosis of the liver (end-stagge liver disease): Cirrhosis is a late-stage of liver disease. Scarring of the liver and loss of functioning liver cells cause the liver to fail. Significant amounts of liver cells need to be damaged before the hole organ fails to function.
The liver plays an important role in many bodily functions from protein production and blood clotting to cholesterol, glucose (sugar), and iron metabolism.
What causes liver disease?
Many diseases and conditions can affect the liver, for example, certain drugs like excessive amounts of acetaminophen, and acetaminophen combination medications like Vicodin, Norco, and statins, cirrhosis, alcohol abuse, hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, infectious mononucleosis (Epstein Barr virus), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH), and iron overload (hemochromatosis).
What are the signs and symptoms of liver disease?
Symptoms of liver diseases include weakness and fatigue, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and yellow discoloration of the skin (jaundice).
What are the symptoms of liver disease?
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.
Liver disease caused by Alcohol & Cirrhosis
As per AMRI hospitals specialist he liver can be damaged in a variety of ways. Cells can become inflamed, for example, hepatitis. Bile flow can be obstructed, for example, cholestasis).
Cholesterol or triglycerides can accumulate, for example, steatosis). Blood flow to the liver may be compromised. Liver tissue can be damaged by chemicals and minerals, or infiltrated by abnormal cells, like cancer cells.
Alcohol abuse and liver disease: Alcohol abuse is the most common cause of liver disease in North America. Alcohol is directly toxic to liver cells and can cause liver inflammation, referred to as alcoholic hepatitis. In chronic alcohol abuse, fat accumulation occurs in liver cells affecting their ability to function.
Cirrhosis of the liver (end-stagge liver disease): Cirrhosis is a late-stage of liver disease. Scarring of the liver and loss of functioning liver cells cause the liver to fail. Significant amounts of liver cells need to be damaged before the hole organ fails to function.
