Liver disease (liver disease): medications, symptoms, etc. • hello healthy

Definition

What is liver disease (liver disease)?

Liver disease (liver disease) is a disturbance in the function and physiology of the liver. Liver or liver is just below the ribs on the right side of your stomach. This organ consists of two parts, namely the left lobe and the right lobe.

The liver is the size of a ball that works the hardest in the body. This is because the liver plays an important role in the digestive process, removes toxic substances from the body, and stores reserve energy.

Liver dysfunction can be caused by many things. The cause of liver disease can be preceded by a viral infection or alcohol abuse, such as excessive alcohol consumption. Obesity is also closely related to liver disease.

Over time, the damage can cause injury to the liver tissue. This condition, called cirrhosis of the liver, can lead to liver failure and is life threatening.

How common is this condition?

Impaired liver function can happen to anyone, especially groups of people at risk. Reporting from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the prevalence of liver diseases such as HBsAG was 7.2% in 2013.

This means that it is estimated that around 18 million people suffer from Hepatitis B and 3 million people have Hepatitis C. In addition, about 50% of that number are at risk of developing chronic liver disease and another 10% are developing liver fibrosis.

Causes and risk factors

What causes liver disease?

There are many things that cause liver dysfunction, from viral infections to cancer.

Infection

One of the causes of liver disease is a parasitic or viral infection that attacks the liver. This infection later triggers inflammation, thereby inhibiting liver function.

Pathogens that cause liver damage are then spread through contaminated blood or urine, food, or water. Liver disease can also occur when you come into close contact with infected people.

The most common infection that causes liver disease is viral hepatitis, including:

hepatitis A,
hepatitis B, and
hepatitis C.

Immune system disorders

Diseases in which the immune system attacks certain parts of the body (autoimmune) can also cause impaired liver function. Examples of autoimmune diseases that cause liver disease include:

autoimmune hepatitis,
primary biliary cirrhosis, and
primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Genetic

If you have one or both parents who have the abnormal gene, you need to be careful. The reason is, abnormal genes can be inherited and cause various substances to accumulate in the liver. As a result, liver damage occurs.

Some examples of genetic liver disease include:

hemochromatosis,
hyperoxaluria and oxalosis, and
Wilson's disease.

Lifestyle

The causes of liver disease can also be influenced by lifestyle, such as:

chronic alcohol abuse,
unhealthy diet, and
use of certain drugs.

What factors increase my risk of developing this condition?

There are various factors that can increase the risk of experiencing liver dysfunction, namely:

heavy and chronic alcohol use,
use of drugs with needles together,
tattoos or piercings with non-sterile tools,
exposure to blood or body fluids in a patient with liver disease,
unprotected sex,
exposure to certain chemicals or toxins,
obesity,
diabetes,
high blood triglyceride levels, and
history of liver disease.

Keep in mind that having one or more risk factors doesn't necessarily mean that your liver is damaged. If you have a particular concern, please consult a doctor to find the right solution.

Type

What are the types of liver dysfunction?

So far there have been about 100 types of liver disease that have been identified. A common feature of this type of liver disease is that they all interfere with the liver's ability to function normally.

In addition, the signs and symptoms of liver disease in each person can be different, depending on what the underlying cause is. The following are the types of liver disease that are most commonly found.

Impaired liver function due to alcohol

Liver and organ damage due to excessive alcohol consumption in the long term is also known as alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD). This type of liver disease is divided into two, namely:

fatty liver due to alcohol (alcoholic fatty liver), and
alcoholic cirrhosis.

The liver can indeed digest alcohol and filter the toxic substances to be excreted from the body. When alcohol is digested, some liver cells are damaged and die.

The more often and longer alcohol is consumed, the liver function will continue to be disturbed. As a result, liver disease occurs.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver

Apart from being caused by alcohol, there are other types of liver disease that can cause high levels of fat in the liver. Condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease this is usually seen in obese people.

Normally, the liver contains little or no fat. Too much fat in the liver can cause serious problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease.

For people with diabetes, fatty liver disease can increase the risk of heart problems. However, this risk can be prevented as long as it is detected and treated early.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver which is usually caused by a viral infection or impaired liver function due to alcohol consumption.

Types of hepatitis also vary depending on the symptoms, namely:

hepatitis A,
hepatitis B,
hepatitis C,
hepatitis D,
hepatitis E,
alcoholic hepatitis, and
autoimmune hepatitis.

Some types of hepatitis can be treated with simple medications. While others can occur in the long term to cause liver failure and in certain cases, liver cancer.

Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis is a condition of iron buildup that occurs over many years. This buildup of iron can trigger symptoms that irritate and destroy important organs, such as the liver, joints, cancer, and heart.

In general, the symptoms of liver disease begin between the ages of 30 and 60 years. You will experience signs and symptoms such as:

often feel tired,
weight loss,
body feels weak,
joint pain,
male erectile disorders, and
irregular menstruation.

Primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary or biliary cirrhosis primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a type of liver disease that can become severe gradually over time.

If not treated immediately, this liver dysfunction can lead to liver failure. Unfortunately, primary biliary cirrhosis is not always symptomatic. However, some patients experience conditions such as:

bone and joint pain,
fatigue,
dry eyes and mouth, and
pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen.

Stages

The process of liver damage experienced by all types of liver disease will be the same. The following are the stages of liver disease that generally occur.

Normal liver function

A healthy liver generally works normally to fight infection and cleanse the blood of toxins. This organ also helps filter food and filter energy when needed.

A healthy liver is also able to regrow or regenerate when it is damaged. If the dysfunction is impaired, this ability will be reduced or lost, causing liver failure.

Inflammation

Initially, inflammation of the liver will occur. The heart will feel soft and enlarged. Inflammation indicates that the body is fighting an infection or healing a wound. If it continues, it means that liver dysfunction is occurring.

When an organ is inflamed, you will feel heat and pain in that area. Unfortunately, inflammation of the liver often goes unnoticed by patients.

The good news is that the liver disease diagnosed and above at this stage can heal inflammation and restore liver function.

Fibrosis

If the liver damage is not treated, inflammation will develop causing scar tissue (scar). Scar tissue will grow and replace healthy liver tissue and this process is known as fibrosis.

Unfortunately, scar tissue can't work like healthy liver tissue. This scar tissue can even prevent blood from flowing to the liver.

The more scar tissue that appears, the liver function can not work normally. The healthy part of your liver may also work harder to cover up the scar tissue.

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is the formation of scar tissue in the hard liver, replacing soft healthy tissue. If not treated immediately, the liver will lack healthy tissue and cannot work at all.

If you are diagnosed with cirrhosis, treatment will focus on preventing your condition from getting worse. This aims to slow down disturbances in liver function.

The final stage

End-Stage Liver Disease (ESLD) or end-stage liver disease is a condition when a cirrhotic patient with signs of decompensation requires a transplant.

Symptoms included in decompensation include:

hepatic encephalopathy,
varicose bleeding,
kidney disorders,
ascites, and
lung problems.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of impaired liver function?

Basically, the signs and symptoms of liver disease vary considerably depending on the underlying cause. However, there are several common conditions that characterize liver disease, namely:

yellowish skin and eyes (jaundice),
stomach pain and swelling,
swelling of the feet and ankles (edema),
itching of the skin,
dark urine color,
pale stool color or bloody stools,
chronic fatigue,
nausea or vomiting,
loss of appetite, and
frequent bruises.

There are other possible signs and symptoms not listed above. Consult a doctor if you feel any unusual changes in your body.

When to see a doctor for this condition?

Consult a doctor if you have bunches and symptoms related to liver dysfunction above. Seek immediate medical help if you have abdominal pain that is so severe that you are unable to move.

Complications

If liver dysfunction is not treated promptly, the liver will begin to fail and other organs will become affected, causing complications, such as:

cerebral edema,
bleeding disorders,
infections, such as urinary tract infections, and
kidney failure.

Diagnosis and treatment

How to diagnose liver disease?

When consulting a doctor, the doctor will start with a physical examination, such as asking about symptoms and checking your medical history. After the initial physical exam, your doctor will recommend the following tests.

Complete blood count

A complete blood count aims to check for suspicious compounds or components in the blood that cause liver dysfunction, such as:

virus,
high levels of fatty triglycerides, or
alcohol

Blood tests are also done to look for certain liver damage caused by genetic factors.

Imaging test

Apart from blood tests, other tests to diagnose liver disease are imaging tests such as:

CT scan,
MRI, and
Ultrasound.

Liver biopsy

A liver biopsy is a procedure in which liver tissue is sampled for analysis in a laboratory. This method uses a long needle that is inserted through the skin to take a tissue sample.

How to treat liver disease (liver)?

Generally, treatment of liver disease is based on the cause and severity of your disease. For example, impaired liver function due to paracetamol overdose is treated by reversing the effects of paracetamol.

Meanwhile, for the causes of liver disease related to viral infections, such as hepatitis, the doctor will provide drugs to treat the infection. In addition to providing drugs to treat liver problems, the liver will also be monitored.

Several types of liver disease can be treated by making healthier lifestyle changes, including:

reduce alcohol use,
weight loss program, and
healthy diet.

Other liver diseases may have to be treated with medication or may require surgery. In addition, treatment for liver disease that causes liver failure may require a liver transplant.

Home remedies

What home remedies can be used to treat this condition?

The liver will do its job easily and can repair the damage itself if you adopt a healthy diet.

Consumption of unhealthy foods will cause the liver to work harder. As a result, impaired liver function becomes worse.

Always talk to your doctor about the type of diet for your liver disease, so that you get the right amount of nutrients. General lifestyle recommendations for patients with liver disease include: