THE liver is the largest internal organ of the body. this vital organ is crucial to the smooth functioning of the human body.
It metabolises most of the nutrients that are absorbed by the intestine and detoxifies the blood by removing medications, alcohol and potentially harmful chemicals from the bloodstream – processing them chemically so that they can be expelled from the body by the digestive or urinary systems.
The liver also produces clotting factors and other proteins, stores certain vitamins, minerals (including iron) and sugars, regulates fat stores, and controls the production and excretion of cholesterol.
It is an amazing organ that can regenerate its cells within a few weeks. in fact, the liver can tolerate a fair amount of “abuse” and will only show signs of injury when the hurt is very advanced.
Liver disorders include hepatitis and cirrhosis. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver and cirrhosis is scarring of the liver. these two conditions may progress to liver cancer if they are not monitored or treated properly.
Cirrhosis of the liver happens when your liver has a complication of many diseases. Anatomically, your liver will have a lot of scar tissue manifested in nodules and fibrous tissue that is hard.
When this happens, it could be due to the following factors:
1. That your liver is damaged by chronic liver disease.
2. That there is a lot of damaged liver tissue, leading to inflammation and subsequent repair and replacement by fibrous or scar tissue.
3. That there is regeneration of liver tissue from the cells that are still remaining, but it doesn’t go quite normally, leading to regenerative nodules.
If it were only the structure of the liver that is affected, cirrhosis would just be an ugly feature on an ultrasound. unfortunately, this is not a common occurance. usually, your liver functions are also affected and that’s when the problem starts.
As the largest internal organ of the body, the liver performs the following essential functions:
1. it controls the levels of fats, amino acids and glucose in your blood. Stores glycogen (glucose in another form), iron, vitamins and other essential nutrients.
2. it manufactures bile and aids in your digestive process, especially in the breakdown of fats.
3. it detoxifies your blood by clearing it of toxic wastes, breaking them down and getting rid of them either through your faeces or releasing them into your blood in smaller particles to be further cleared by your kidneys.
4. Manufactures and regulates various hormones, enzymes and clotting factors.
5. Fights infections, especially through macrophages.
Cirrhosis of the liver occurs because the liver anatomy is so scarred that it interferes with the liver cells’ functions, and thus renders the liver to be unable to perform many of its functions well.
The trouble with cirrhosis is that it has no clear symptoms or very few which are nondescript, like tiredness or fatigue. So you will not know that you have it till liver failure creeps up on you by which time may be a small too late.
Some symptoms associated with cirrhosis are fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, itching, and sometimes jaundice if there is accumulation of bilirubin in your blood. Your clotting factors may also be affected and you can have simple bruising of your skin.
Often when cirrhosis becomes severe, you will develop complications. these complications can be a lot more clear in their symptoms and usually are the first physical sign that something is wrong.
1) You begin to retain water, leading to a condition called ascites, where there is excessive water in your peritoneal cavity (cavity within your abdomen). there is also a lot of water accumulated in your ankles and feet, manifested by swelling. the ascites is a magnet for bacteria to grow, and you may have an infection.
2) You can also have bleeding from oesophageal veins. in cirrhosis, the scar tissue blocks the flow of blood from the intestines to the heart, resulting in the distension of the portal vein. (This is the vein that is very important in the digestive process.) the back pressure leads to distension of your veins in the lower part of your oesophagus. these veins can bleed, leading to you vomiting blood (haematemesis). this can be life-threatening.
3) this pressure can also cause your spleen to distend and become so swollen that it sometimes becomes a hard mass in your abdomen. this gigantic spleen traps your blood cells and causes you to have anaemia and prolonged bleeding.
4) Because your liver cannot detoxify your body, this can lead to toxic substances in your blood. this goes to your brain and causes sleepiness during the day, irritability, confusion, loss of concentration, and finally coma and death.
5) Cirrhosis greatly increases the risk of you getting liver cancer
Causes of liver cirrhosis include excessive alcohol consumption that leads to hurt of your liver cells, resulting in a fatty liver (something which is heightened by obesity); chronic viral hepatitis (B,C); genetic liver disorders; and possibly anything that can hurt your liver can lead to cirrhosis.
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption, and make sure you have your hepatitis jabs, especially if you intend to travel to anyplace where hepatitis is viral . Lose any excess weight, and ensure you go for frequent check-ups
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure and here are some measures you can take to preserve your liver health:
Poor nutrition rarely causes liver disease but excellent nutrition in the form of a balanced diet will enable the liver to perform its many various functions efficiently, resulting in better overall health. it can also help liver cells damaged by hepatitis viruses to regenerate, forming new liver cells.
But, whilst it is important to take vitamins and minerals, please note that an excess of Vitamin A is toxic to the liver and should be taken in moderation.
2. Limit intake of calories.
Excess calories in the form of carbohydrates can add to liver dysfunction and can cause fat deposits in the liver, contributing to fatty liver.
No more than 30% of a person’s total calories should come from fat because of the danger to the cardiovascular system. in order to estimate your daily calorie needs, you will need a minimum of 15 calories a day for each pound you weigh
3. Hold the alcohol
Liquor, beer and wine are hard for the liver to metabolise. the daily recommended alcohol intake is three units/drinks for men and two units/drinks for women.
As a general guide, one unit of alcohol translates to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, a small measure (25ml) of spirits or a standard measure (50ml) of fortified wine such as sherry or port.
Having three drinks or more per day should be avoided, as it may lead to alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. People with liver disease should never drink alcohol at all. the same goes for individuals who are taking medication ? mixing alcohol with painkillers or other types of medications can be perilous to your liver.
In particular, the mixture of alcohol and acetaminophen (an ingredient in pain killers and cough medication) can cause sudden, severe hepatitis and even fatal liver failure. If you are not sure which medications to take in combination, please consult your doctor.
4. Beware “nutritional therapies”
Herbal treatments and alternative liver medicines should undergo rigorous scientific study before they can be recommended.
“Natural” or diet treatments and herbal remedies can be quite perilous. Plants of the Crotalaria, Senecio and Heliotopium families, as well as chaparral, mistletoe, skullcap, germander, comfrey, margosa oil, mate tea, Gordolobo yerba tea, pennyroyal, and Jin Blu Huan are all toxic to the liver.
Several scientific studies suggest that substances in milk thistle may protect the liver from harmful substances such as acetaminophen, which can cause liver hurt. it is also believed that milk thistle has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it may help the liver repair itself by growing new cells.
5. stop smoking and stay away from toxic fumes and liquids.
Fumes from paint thinners, bug sprays, and other aerosol sprays are picked up by the tiny blood vessels in your lungs and carried to your liver where they are detoxified and discharged in your bile.
The amount and concentration of those chemicals should be controlled to prevent liver hurt. make certain you have excellent ventilation, use a mask, cover your skin, and wash off any chemicals you get on your skin with soap and water as soon as possible.
Hands should be washed with soap and water following bowel movements and before food preparation and consumption. this will help prevent the spread of hepatitis A.
Avoid sex with multiple partners or wear protection where unavoidable. Hepatitis B and C are transmitted through blood and body fluids. So use condoms and avoid sharing your personal items such as toothbrush, razor or manicure sets, especially if your partner may be suffering from a liver disease.
Vaccination for hepatitis A and B is available. an immunisation programme for hepatitis B has been in place for all children and adults since 1989 to prevent hepatitis B infection. it is essential to vaccinate newborns for hepatitis B as infections in this group will result in 90% chronic infection. there is no vaccination available for hepatitis C.
Chronic liver infection can lead to cirrhosis, where there are areas of scarring and liver cell regeneration within the liver.
Cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer, which is often diagnosed too late as few symptoms appear until it has reached an advanced stage. Signs and symptoms of liver cancer include right upper abdominal pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), abdominal swelling, weight loss, fatigue, simple bruising or bleeding.
Apart from surgery, for which most liver cancer patients are ineligible due to the advanced stages of the disease at time of diagnosis, there is currently an oral treatment that has been found to be effective in targeting the liver cancer cells specifically and can be used in patients who are unsuitable for surgery.
Sorafenib is an oral treatment available for the treatment of advanced liver cancer.
Keeping the liver healthy is essential to keeping your entire being healthy, so take excellent care of your liver, so that it can take care of you.
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