4 Key Facts about Liver Disease

The liver is a dark reddish-brown organ that weighs about 3-4 pounds. It is located in the upper right-hand portion of the abdomen. As one of the most important organs in the human body, the liver helps digest food, rid the body of waste products and make various substances, including glycogen, bile and clotting factors. Things may get terrible when your liver is working improperly. Because of the liver\'s role of filtering wastes from your blood, too many toxins can overwhelm your liver\'s ability to function and cause liver disease. This passage aims to cover several significant facts about liver disease for better understanding.

4 Stages of Chronic Liver Disease

• Hepatitis: Hepatitis means inflammation in the liver tissues. Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury and an important part of healing or immune response. While controlled inflammation is essential to maintain proper function and balance in the liver, it drives the progression of liver disease if it becomes dysregulated. Virus infection is the most common reason for hepatitis, but alcohol, obesity and exposure to toxins can also cause inflammation. Chronic hepatitis will result in scarring.



• Fibrosis: Fibrosis refers to scar tissue gradually building up in the liver. Chronic inflammation sends signals to the repair cells to continue releasing collagen. When repetitive damage or long-lasting inflammation occurs, collagen and other proteins build up between liver cells, forming scar tissue. It replaces healthy tissue and restricts blood flow, generating more scar tissue. Some amount of scar tissue is reversible. But if left untreated, the scars lead to severe scarring known as cirrhosis and liver cancer.



• Cirrhosis: Cirrhosis is where your liver is permanently damaged and the scars are irreversible. There is no treatment for cirrhosis so far. However, the damage at this stage can still be slowed down or stopped. People with cirrhosis are at a very high risk of developing liver cancer and liver failure, so effective treatment is essential at this stage. Successful treatment may slowly improve the liver's condition. It is important to avoid things that could damage the liver further like alcohol, fat and certain medications.



• Liver failure: Liver failure, also called decompensated cirrhosis, happens when the liver's function starts to fail after irreversible chronic damage. Chronic liver failure happens gradually, over months or years. It's the final stage of many liver diseases. This is a life-threatening condition that demands urgent medical care. Only a liver transplant can cure this condition.

Symptoms

• Early-stage liver disease: Acute hepatitis happens with obvious symptoms like fever, stomachache or nausea. However, chronic liver disease often causes no clear symptoms in the early stages. Because of this, it's difficult to discover and diagnose liver damage in time. Early symptoms include nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, malaise, diarrhea, upper abdominal pain and vomiting.



• Later-stage liver disease: The liver's function begins to decline in this stage. The first signs is bile and other toxins building up in your blood. These may include jaundice, pruritus, dark-colored urine/light-colored stool. The scar tissue blocks the blood flowing through the portal vein. This will cause an increased pressure known as portal hypertension, which leads to varicosity, hepatic encephalopathy and ascites.

Reasons

• Infection: Infection, mainly virus and parasite infection, is the most common cause of liver diseases. There are five main types of hepatitis virus: types A, B, C, D and E. Especially hepatitis B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people. Parasites affecting the liver constitute a large family: roundworms, tapeworms and liver flukes. They are mostly spread through ingestion of contaminated food or water.



• Alcohol: The liver breaks down most of the alcohol one consumes. During this process, a toxic compound called acetaldehyde is generated. It is a poisonous by-product that can damage liver cells and lead to inflammation, liver disease, and cancer. Alcohol abuse will increase the liver's burden and lead to serious liver disease, including alcoholic fatty liver and chronic hepatitis.



• Obesity: Obesity, diabetes or high cholesterol levels can induce nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This is because fat can deal as severe damage to the liver as alcohol does. Extra fat cells build up in your liver, leading to more inflammation. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease improves the risk of developing liver cirrhosis, which can lead to liver failure and cancer.



• Toxins: Liver failure, also called decompensated cirrhosis, happens when the liver's function starts to fail after irreversible chronic damage. Chronic liver failure happens gradually, over months or years. It's the final stage of many liver diseases. This is a life-threatening condition that demands urgent medical care. Only a liver transplant can cure this condition.



• Family History: If you or your family member has had liver disease, you may be at a higher risk of developing liver conditions. For instance, hepatitis B or C and hemochromatosis increase the risk of liver cancer. You should also keep an eye out for symptoms if your close relative has had a genetic liver disease, including hemochromatosis, Wilson's disease, or alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency.

Liver Disease Prevention

• Have a healthy lifestyle: Keeping a healthy weight and doing exercise regularly can reduce your risk of developing fatty liver disease significantly. Alcohol and tobacco are both toxic to your liver. If you have liver disease, quit them. Get your regular wellness checkups to monitor any potential risks. Use medications as directed and don't take more than the recommended dose.



• Avoid toxic exposure: You should turn away from external toxins. Use a condom during sex. If you get tattoos or body piercings, pick a shop that's clean and safe. Don't share needles or personal items that might be exposed to blood, like razors or toothbrushes. Wear gloves or a mask when interacting with toxic chemicals. Wash fruits and vegetables completely before eating them.



• Get vaccinated for viral hepatitis: Vaccines can prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis B. If you've recently been exposed, you can still prevent the infection by getting the vaccine within 24 hours. If you're at increased risk of getting hepatitis, talk with your doctor about getting the hepatitis A and B vaccines. This is also true if you've been infected with any form of the hepatitis virus.

14 Signs of Liver Damage

While each type of liver disease has different symptoms, there are still some common signs. Identifying the signs of liver damage early and getting swift treatment can make a difference. However, it is difficult to diagnose liver disease in the early stage. Therefore, it is important to visit your doctor immediately if your body shows any of the following symptoms.

Abdominal pain

When the liver becomes inflamed or affected by liver disease, the protective tissue of the liver, Glisson's capsule, will signal to the brain that something is wrong with your liver. Liver pain often strikes the upper right side of the abdomen near the ribcage. It's dull, persistent aches in the upper abdomen. Liver damage causing pain can also lead to problems in other areas, such as backache and stomachache.

Nausea and Vomiting

An upset stomach is one of the early symptoms of liver disease. Liver damage will reduce the ability to eliminate waste products and toxins. Hence, there is an increase in digestive distress. And swelling in your abdomen can also cause nausea and vomiting. Because vomiting and nausea are reactions to excess waste products in the body, they are often linked to liver damage.

Weight and appetite loss

A damaged liver cannot produce enough amount of bile which helps digest food. The digestive systems will be disrupted, and the patient will suffer from a disinterest in food and weight loss. Other complications, such as nausea, vomiting and a swollen abdomen will also take away the desire to eat. They are early symptoms of liver problems.

Fatigue

In the early stages of liver disease, the patient might experience constant malaise and fatigue. People usually regard fatigue as a normal side effect of a stressful life, but severe exhaustion could potentially point to low blood-oxygen levels and the accumulation of waste products. It should be addressed immediately if the condition persists.

Fever

In the early stage of liver disease, the liver is struck by inflammation and infection. Due to declined liver function, toxins and waste products cannot be filtered and removed properly. They will build up in the human body and cause flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache and common cold.

Abdominal swelling (Ascites)

The liver produces various substances, including glycogen, bile and clotting factors. Therefore, liver malfunction can lead to an imbalance of protein and other compounds. It will make the fluid build up in the tissue, resulting in a swollen abdomen. This condition is called ascites. Cirrhosis is the most common cause of ascites.

Bruising

People with liver disease tend to bruise more easily. Because the liver can produce clotting factors, which work together with platelets to form a clot and stop bleeding. A damaged liver cannot efficiently produce the clotting factors required to heal a certain bruise, making the body bleed and bruise more easily.

Pruritus

Itchy skin that develops into flaky rashes is also a sign of liver damage. The exact cause of itching in liver disease is complicated. Problems with the liver can cause toxin buildup, which irritates the nerves and leads to itchy skin. The itching can be mild or severe, widespread or limited to certain areas, like the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.

Jaundice

Jaundice is caused by the build-up of a substance called bilirubin in the blood. This happens because the damaged liver cells cannot process bilirubin. Bilirubin is a bile pigment. When bodily waste cannot be eliminated efficiently, the bilirubin builds up in the bloodstream. This results in yellow skin and eyes, dark-colored urine and light-colored stools.

Edema

A damaged liver reduces the ability to produce and circulate proteins, which causes circulatory problems that lead to fluid retention in the body. The fluids move down to the lower parts of the body by gravity and accumulate in the lower extremities like legs, ankles and feet. Cirrhosis is the most common cause of edema. Edema caused by cirrhosis is soft edema. When pressed, it will leave a concave and after 1-2 minutes the skin will stretch again.

Mental and cognitive problems

When the liver isn't filtering toxins as it should, hepatic encephalopathy will happen. The toxins that build up in the blood will enter and affect the brain, causing confusion, disorientation, forgetfulness and other mental and cognitive changes. This usually happens in advanced liver disease, when liver functions begin to fail.

Fatty Liver Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Prevention

Fatty liver disease (FLD) is also called steatotic liver disease (SLD). It is a disease caused by too much fat building up in the liver. A healthy liver should contain little fat. When fat accounts for over 5% of the liver\'s weight, it becomes a problem. People feel no discomfort in the early stages of fatty liver disease, but it can lead to serious liver damage if left untreated. Here are several facts about fatty liver disease.

Types

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): It is also named metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This condition isn't associated with heavy alcohol consumption. Obesity and excess fat intake may be the main culprits of NAFLD, but there are also other potential risk factors that contribute to the condition.
• Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD): It is in the large family of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). As the name suggests, it occurs because of excessive alcohol consumption. The liver processes alcohol and filters waste products created in this process. This function makes the liver vulnerable to alcohol damage. Too much alcohol consumption will increase the liver's burden of self-repairing and cause liver damage.

Symptoms

People with early-stage fatty liver disease usually won't discover any visual symptoms. The disease will remain undiscovered unless it's diagnosed during medical tests or develops into advanced stages, such as fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. If you are experiencing the following symptoms, go to see the doctor and have a thorough medical examination immediately.

• Abdominal pain: Patients will feel a dull pain in the upper right side of the abdomen. The liver itself cannot sense pain because it contains few relative nerves. When the liver becomes inflamed or affected by liver disease, the protective tissue of the liver, Glisson's capsule, will signal to the brain that something is wrong with your liver.



• Weight loss: When fat builds up in the liver, it will cause inflammation and decrease the liver's function, making the liver produce less bile which helps digest food. It will disrupt the patient's digestive system, and the patient will suffer from a disinterest in food and weight loss. It's one of the early symptoms of liver damage.



• Fatigue and malaise: With fatty liver disease, the presence of excess fat in the liver can lead to inflammation, which can cause the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The inflammation also causes decreased liver function, restricting the liver's production of energy. Both may contribute to the feeling of fatigue and general malaise.



• Jaundice: Jaundice happens because the damaged liver cells cannot process bilirubin. It is caused by the build-up of a bile pigment called bilirubin in the blood. When the liver is damaged, waste in the human body cannot be removed efficiently, and bilirubin will build up in the bloodstream and result in many visual symptoms like yellow skin and eyes, dark-colored urine and light-colored stools.



• Pruritus: Itchy skin is also a sign of liver damage caused by fatty liver disease. The exact cause of itching in fatty liver disease is complicated. Problems with the liver can cause toxin buildup, which irritates the nerves and leads to itchy skin. The itching can be mild or severe and may occur in different areas.



• Bruising: People with fatty liver disease tend to bruise more easily. Because the liver can produce clotting factors that help stop bleeding. A damaged liver cannot produce enough clotting factors required to heal a bruise. This can result in increased bruising and bleeding, even from minor injuries.



• Abdominal swelling: The liver produces various substances, including enzymes and clotting factors. Therefore, liver malfunction caused by fatty liver disease can lead to an imbalance of protein and other compounds, which will make the fluid build up in the tissue, resulting in a swollen abdomen. This condition is called ascites.

Risk Factors

• Being obese or overweight: Obesity is the main culprit of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This is because extra fat will build up in your liver, leading to more inflammation. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease improves the risk of developing serious chronic liver disease, such as liver cirrhosis, which can lead to liver failure and cancer. Losing weight can help slow or reverse the development of NAFLD.



• Type-2 diabetes: According to relative research, up to two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes have NAFLD, and eighty percent of people with diabetes have fat in the liver. Research indicates that NAFLD may contribute to type 2 diabetes because the liver plays an important role in regulating blood glucose. The fat buildup in the liver will reduce its ability to control blood glucose levels. If you have type-2 diabetes, you should pay more attention to your liver.



• Alcohol use disorder: Alcohol abuse is the cause of alcoholic fatty liver disease. When the liver breaks down the alcohol one consumes, a toxic compound called acetaldehyde is generated. It can damage liver cells and lead to inflammation, liver disease, and cancer. Alcohol will increase the liver's burden and lead to serious liver disease, including alcoholic fatty liver and chronic hepatitis.



• Metabolic Syndrome: Having metabolic syndrome will increase the risk of developing fatty liver disease. Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of metabolic disorders involving high BMI (body mass index), high blood lipid levels, high blood pressure and diabetes. Insulin resistance is the main driver of metabolic syndrome. Besides fatty liver disease, it will also increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and stroke.

Prevention

• Lose weight: Losing weight by 7 to 10% is the most effective way of improving fatty liver disease conditions. For people without liver problems, keeping a healthy weight can help prevent potential risks. Develop the habit of exercise. Change your diet and eat less food rich in fat and sugar.



• Quit alcohol: Abstaining from drinking alcohol can help stop the development of alcoholic fatty liver disease and even potentially reverse it. If you have alcoholic fatty liver disease, the damage it causes may be reversed if you manage to give up drinking for a period of time. This process may last for a long time, months or years.



• Regular check-ups: In the early stages of fatty liver disease, people usually won't find any visual symptoms unless they have a medical test. Diagnosing fatty liver disease in time can help doctors make targeted therapy and prevent it from developing into advanced stages. Go to the hospital and have medical examinations regularly.