Liver diseases and treatments

by Abel Dale
(Khi)

(This page is one of Your Articles pages.)

Liver is the largest organ inside body

It is also one of the most important. It is essential in keeping the body functioning properly. The liver has many jobs, including changing food into energy and cleaning alcohol and poisons from the blood.

The liver also makes bile, produces agents to control infection, a yellowish-green liquid that helps with digestion and removes germs and bacteria from the blood. It makes proteins that regulate blood clotting and produces bile to help absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins.

Liver diseases

There are many kinds of liver diseases. Viruses cause some of them, like hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. 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. In a baby there can be one or more signs that the liver is not working properly. The skin and eyes may be jaundiced (appear yellow). Jaundice is caused by a buildup of bilirubin in the blood. The abdomen may look swollen or stick out.

The urine may be dark yellow or brown. The stools are often grey or white instead of green or yellow. There may also be bleeding or easy bruising. The blood might contain higher than normal levels of liver enzymes.

The liver may feel large or look large on an x-ray. Jaundice, if it occurs in the first few days after birth and then goes away by about a week of age, is not harmful. This is called 'physiologic jaundice.

Jaundice that remains or increases after a week from birth or 14 days for preterm infants, may be due to a build-up of bile in the liver (cholestasis) and requires further testing. Like other parts of the body, cancer can affect the liver. You could also inherit a liver disease such as haemochromatosis.

Liver diseases treatments

There are many symptoms of liver diseases and they have different treatments. If the patient survive jaundice he/she needs medication help to improve their self. Medications may be required to control the amount of protein absorbed in the diet also they needs low sodium diet and water pills (diuretics) may be required to minimize water retention. The patients also drink glucose with large amount in warm water.

Jaundice or yellow skin is never normal and should prompt an evaluation by a medical professional. Persisting fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain should also prompt medical evaluation as soon as possible.

Liver disease can have physical findings in almost all body systems including the heart, lungs, abdomen, skin, cognitive function, and other parts of the nervous system. The physical examination can require evaluation of the entire body. Blood tests are helpful in assessing liver inflammation and function. Specific liver function blood tests include.

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Read more about:

• Liver diseases treatments - Alcoholic liver disease - Treatments for cirrhosis
• Is aloe vera a natural cleanser for the liver?

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