Visual Guide to Liver Problem
Visual Guide to Liver Problem
Props for Your LiverThis workhorse doesn't get the respect it
deserves. If you asked most people to rank
their organs, their liver might be way down
the list. Maybe just above spleen. But day
and night, it breaks down food, fights
infection, and filters bad stuff from your
blood. You can't live without it. Luckily, you
can often slow, stop, or even reverse liver
damage
How Problems Progress
Lots of things cause liver damage, and it tends
to get worse over time. No matter the cause, it
usually unfolds the same way. First your liver
swells. Then it gets scars (called fibrosis).
With treatment, your liver may heal. But
without it, over time, the scars become
permanent (this is cirrhosis) and your liver
struggles to do its job. Last comes liver
failure, which is life-threatening. It means your
liver has stopped working or is about to.
Symptoms
At first, you probably won't notice liver
problems. But as it gets worse, your skin
can feel itchy and bruise easily. Your eyes
and skin may look yellowish, which doctors
call jaundice. Your belly might hurt, and
you could lose your appetite or feel sick to
your stomach. Your legs, ankles, and belly
may swell, too.
Most liver disease is chronic. It happens
slowly over years. But sometimes, it comes
on fast. While the symptoms are the same -
- including jaundice, pain, and upset
stomach -- acute liver failure takes only
weeks or even days. And it can be life-threatening.
So see a doctor right away
when you have symptoms.
Causes
Some liver problems are related to
diseases and other health conditions.
Others have to do with your lifestyle, which
you have some control over -- like how
much you drink and how much (or little) you
exercise.
Obesity
As the country has gotten heavier, rates of
liver disease have gone up. Extra weight
raises your odds of non-alcoholic fatty
liver disease, when fat builds up in your
liver. Most of the time, this condition is
harmless. But for some people, it gets
worse and leads to cirrhosis and other
problems.
Alcohol
Heavy drinking is tough on your body. The liver's
process of filtering alcohol out of your blood creates
harmful chemicals. Drink too much booze for too
long a time and those chemicals damage your liver.
The first stage of alcoholic liver damage, when
extra fat builds up, is called alcoholic fatty liver. If
you keep drinking, you're likely to get alcoholic
hepatitis, cirrhosis, and eventually liver failure.
Drugs and Chemicals
Helpful medications and supplements can
sometimes cause acute liver damage, including
some antibiotics, acetaminophen, and NSAID pain
relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen. Usually, it
happens only when you take a very high dose or
mix these with alcohol or other drugs. Street drugs
like heroin and cocaine also cause liver damage.
So can some chemicals used in dry cleaners and
factories.
Infections
Hepatitis (including A, B, and C) and other
viruses can cause acute or chronic damage
to your liver. Your chances of getting
hepatitis are higher if you share needles
when you use drugs, have unprotected sex,
have sex with a lot of people, or live in
areas where food or water isn't safe.
Autoimmune Conditions
If your immune system goes into overdrive,
it could attack healthy parts of your body,
including your liver. That's what happens
with autoimmune hepatitis and primary
biliary cirrhosis. Treatment to curb the
immune system's reaction may help.
Duct and Blockage Problems
Primary sclerosing cholangitis causes scars
in the ducts that carry bile from your liver to your
intestines. Over time, it can cause serious liver
damage. So can the rare Budd-Chiari
syndrome, when veins in the liver get blocked
off. Gallstones that block bile ducts can cause
jaundice and other problems. You're also more
likely to have gallstones when you have liver
disease.
Cancer
Different types of cancer can affect the liver,
although most spread from other parts of the
body. Your chances of getting liver cancer -- the
kind that starts in the liver -- are higher when
you already have damage from fatty liver
disease, cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver failure, and
other conditions. If that's the case, your doctor
may suggest you get checked regularly so you
can catch cancer early.
Genetic Problems
Some people are born with rare conditions that
can cause liver disease. Symptoms may show up
when they're babies or not until 40 or 50 years
later. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD)
means your body doesn't make enough of a
special protein that protects against liver
damage. Hemochromatosis lets too much iron
build up in your liver. Similarly, someone
with Wilson disease will have too much copper in
their liver.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will start with blood tests to see
how well your liver is working. They may
use ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs to
get a look at it and check for damage.
Some people also need a biopsy. That's
when a doctor uses a needle to take a tiny
sample of the liver and then tests it.
Treatment
In early stages of liver disease, lifestyle
changes can often heal liver problems
completely. Even with advanced disease,
they can often limit the damage.
Medications such as steroids, surgery, and
other treatments may also help slow down
or stop liver disease.
Stop Drinking
Whether your disease is mild or severe,
your liver will be happier if you quit. Can't
do it on your own? Speak up. Ask your
doctor for help getting into a treatment
program. To help prevent liver disease, limit
yourself to no more than one drink per day
for women, two for men.
Eat Well and Exercise
If you're heavy, try to lose some weight. It
can improve your liver health and even
cure some types of early-stage liver
disease. Regular exercise is great whether
or not weight is an issue. Eat a balanced
diet, with lots of healthy grains, fruits,
vegetables, and lean proteins. Choose
high-fiber foods, and limit high-fat things
like fried foods as well as salt.
Transplants
For a severe problem like liver failure, they
can be lifesaving. A surgeon will remove
the sick liver and replace it with a healthy
one. But a transplant doesn't have to be
a whole liver. Sometimes, the doctor can
use just part of a liver from a living person.
In time, it will grow to full size, and the
donor's will grow back, too.
Read Medication Labels
Follow the instructions on whatever drug or
product you use. Don't take more than the
recommended amount. And never mix any
medication with alcohol unless your doctor
or pharmacist said it's safe. If you have liver
problems, you should check with your
doctor before you take any new medicine,
supplement, or vitamin.
Take Care of Your Health
Get checkups regularly so your doctor can
keep an eye on how you're doing with
exams and tests. Follow the recommended
treatment for conditions such as high blood
pressure and diabetes that can make liver
problems worse. Check with your doctor
about shots like hepatitis vaccines to
protect your liver from damage.
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