Symptoms, signs and treatment of liver diseases

Contents:

• Liver disease
• Signs and symptoms
• Causes of liver diseases
• Diet in diseases of the liver
• Prevention of liver diseases
• Tips in liver disease

The human body is designed in such a way that all the organs can be divided into vital and secondary. The liver is uniquely related to the first group. Its value for maintaining the viability of the organism cannot be overemphasized. This is a powerful parenchymatous organ that combines the functions of the digestive gland and the peculiar biochemical laboratory.

It is here that all the Central biochemical reactions responsible for maintaining life processes. Naturally, the more complex the structure of the body and above the load, the more vulnerable he is. And despite the great regenerative and restorative ability of the liver, the number of diseases that go into liver failure, continues to grow steadily.

Where is the liver in humans?

Like all vital organs, the liver is located in the Central areas of the body. It occupies virtually the entire right upper abdominal cavity, under the diaphragm. The bulk of the fixed cords on the right under its dome that is projected on the anterior abdominal wall as the area of the right costal arch and hypochondria. From this Department the liver is directed to the left gradually tapering to the full edges at an acute angle in the form of a wedge towards the left quadrant. So if you have liver problems, patients complain of pain or discomfort in the right upper quadrant, with possible spread to the epigastrium.

Liver function in human body

As many functions as they performs liver, provides no single organ in the human body. These include:

• Detoxification of the body – disposal of all toxic compounds that enter the blood from the environment (alcohol, toxins, medication).
• Recovery and inactivation of toxic products of metabolism, formed in the body in the process of life (decomposition products of protein, phenol, ketone compounds and acetone);
• Participation in the exchange of vitamins and minerals: a Deposit of water-soluble vitamins C, PP, and fat-soluble D, E, K, minerals iron, copper and cobalt;
• Participation inthe synthesis of the sex steroid, thyroid, and adrenal hormones and disposal of surplus;
• Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism;
• The deposition and distribution of energy substrates in the body (glucose, glycogen) by the processes of glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis;
• Involved in lipid metabolism (metabolism of cholesterol, phospholipids, fatty acids, lipoprotein);
• The implementation of the Central processes of protein metabolism: synthesis of protein components for cell membranes and transport proteins, the redistribution of amino acids;
• Involved in the synthesis of immunoglobulines, antibodies and other important proteins of the immune system;
• Synthesis of plasma clotting factors and anticoagulation system of blood;
• The function of hematopoiesis, particularly in fetal and childhood;
• Synthesis of bile and enzymes that are involved in the processes of digestion. Their main role is the breakdown of fats;
• The implementation of the bilirubin metabolism and its neutralization by conjugation with glucuronic acid;
• Deposition of blood that allows you to redistribute it in case of need (ejection of the blood in the vessels when it was in short supply during blood loss or concentration with congestive heart failure);

The liver is the largest gland of the human body which performs most of the functions among all organs. Liver disease may be accompanied, as a violation of one or all of its functions, what is the basis of the severity of the disease.

Liver disease

In the group of hepatic diseases can be included any kind of destruction of all structures which do not extend beyond the anatomical limits of the body. It may be hepatocytes and liver slices, which they form, intrahepatic arterial and venous vessels, and bile ducts. Diseases of the extrahepatic bile ducts and gallbladder should be considered a separate category.

The main common diseases of the liver are given in the table:

Group of diseases of the liver	Nosologic units from the group
Primary inflammatory, purulent and functional damage to hepatic cells	Viral hepatitis (A, b, C and other); Toxic hepatitis; Hepatomegaly unspecified origin (unexplained enlargement of the liver); Steatosis (fatty liver); Alcoholic and non-alcoholic steatohepatosis; Tuberculous and syphilitic lesions of the liver; Abscess of the liver (formation of purulent cavity).
Traumatic injuries	Ruptures of the liver with the blunt closed trauma of the abdomen; Open liver damage (stab wounds); Gunshot damage and crushing of the liver.
Disease	Thrombosis of hepatic veins (Budd-Chiari); Pylephlebitis (suppurative inflammation of the portal vein of the liver); Portal hypertension (increased pressure in the portal vein and the portal system in cirrhosis of the liver); Intrahepatic arteriovenous fistula, and fistulas (abnormal anastomosis between the vessels of the liver).
The defeat of the intrahepatic bile ducts	Intrahepatic cholestasis (stagnation of bile in the liver); Acute cholangitis (purulent inflammation of the bile ducts); Chronic cholangitis; Intrahepatic cholelithiasis (formation of stones in the liver bile ducts); Caroli's disease (congenital enlargement of the intrahepatic ducts with increased stone formation and multiple small abscesses).
Neoplastic diseases	Liver cyst (limited accumulation of liquid limited by the capsule); Hemangioma (an abnormal accumulation of vascular structures, tumors); Hepatocellular cancer; Angiosarcoma and other sarcomas of the liver; Intraductal cancer (tumor Klatskin); Liver metastases in cancer of anylocalization.
Parasitic infestation and infection	Alveococcosis; Echinococcosis; Ascariasis; Opisthorchiasis; Leptospirosis.
Hereditary pathology and anomalies	Hypoplasia and aplasia of the liver (underdevelopment or absence of the body); Atresia of the intrahepatic ducts and blood vessels (constriction or membrane that impedes the flow of blood or bile); Fermentopathy hepatic with violation of bilirubin metabolism (Gilbert syndrome, Rotor, Davina Jones); Hepatic fermentopathy violation of copper metabolism syndrome (Wilson's); Hemochromatosis; Hereditary pigmentary hepatosis.
The liver in the pathology of other organs	Stagnant liver in heart failure; Amyloidosis; Renal-hepatic failure; Hepatomegaly with leukemia.
Structural and functional alterations in the liver and their complications	Cirrhosis of the liver; Liver failure; Parenchymal jaundice; Hepatic coma.
Autoimmune liver disease	Pathology in which there is wanton destruction of the liver's own immune system: Autoimmune hepatitis; Primary sclerosing cholangitis; Primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver;

Any liver disease in the case of the progression ends with cirrhosis and is accompanied by some degree of hepatobiliary disease.

Signs and symptoms of liver diseases

Symptoms of liver disease are considered to be frequent nausea, heartburn, very unpleasant, pungent smell of perspiration, yellowish skin, urine dark yellow, diarrhea, feces color change to dark brown or light yellow, sometimes green.

Also disorders of the liver can cause acne in adulthood, frequent hunger and frequent or strong thirst, itching of some thin skin, poor vision. For example, a person may start to confuse white with yellow, sharply to feel the cold, the heat, not sleeping at night, feeling of heat, palpitations. Can start losing hair, eyebrows. Convulsions, the formation of papillomas, begins the development of atherosclerosis of the brain, heart, intestine, blood vessels of the legs.

Typical cases of liver problems, organic and functional plan are recognized easily by the characteristic symptoms. But some situations create difficulties for the correct diagnosis even for experienced Hepatology (specialists dealing with diseases of the liver). It all depends on the type of disease, individual characteristics of the organism, the presence or absence of comorbidity.

The main clinical manifestations of hepatic pathology can be:

• Discomfort and pain in the projection of the liver;
• Enlarged liver in size;
• General weakness and malaise;

• Headaches;

• Violation of mental-cognitive abilities;
• Excessive sweating of the skin and swelling;
• Yellowness of skin and sclera;
• Skin rash;

• Severe itching of the skin;

• Increased vascular fragility and bleeding tendency;
• Signs of hypovitaminosis;
• The instability of the chair, the changing nature and color of feces;
• The increase in size of the abdomen;
• Reinforced venous pattern on the skin of the abdomen;
• Unmotivated loss of body weight;
• Bitter taste in the mouth;
• Cracks on the surface of language and its oblojennosti white or brown overlay;
• Temperature reactiondifferent degrees of severity.

How does it hurt the liver?

Pain in the liver can be of different nature. To interpret them, you can:

1. Slight pain in the right hypochondrium in the form of aching pain, fullness and heaviness. Characterize indolent pathological process of inflammatory or toxic origin. A kind of pain in the liver, most likely due to increase in the size of the body and hyperextension of the hepatic capsule. Patients can not clearly indicate a single painful points;

2. Common intense pain in the right hypochondrium. Rare say anything about severe inflammatory, purulent, traumatic, pathological process, or of the defeat of the bile duct stones;

3. A strong point of local pain in the projection of the liver. Not specific for liver damage and in most cases associated with pathology of the gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts;

4. The complete absence of pain in the liver. Very common in sluggish liver, which long time unnoticed and are determined only at the stage of liver failure or cirrhosis of the liver.

Skin in liver disease

The characteristics of the skin can determine the functioning of various organs, including the liver.

In such diseases the skin may be:

• Pale or dark with severe sweating and swelling of the subcutaneous tissue, particularly in the area of the face and extremities;
• Dry, flaky with multiple marks scratches and cracks;

• Prone to allergic rashes, occurrence of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema;

• Jaundice. The nature of this kind of skin changes can determine the origin of the jaundice. If you have problems with the liver yellowness is moderate intensity and displayed in orange color. In the differential diagnosis of jaundices, this criterion allows to exclude mechanical types (brown skin tone) and hemolytic, accompanied by a lemon-yellow tint of the skin;
• With the presence of striae. Stretch marks represent a stretching of the skin to a greater extent of the abdomen in the form of bluish stripes of thinning. The reason for their appearanceis hormonal imbalance, in both the male and female body, when the liver is not able to neutralize the excess of steroid hormones.

Rash in liver disease

The majority of patients with liver disease along with skin discoloration the appearance of various lesions.

The mechanisms of origin and varieties of the rash can be the following:

• Pustular elements, a tendency to folliculitis and furunculosis. They are based on the immune imbalance that occurs on the background of reduced ability of the liver to synthesize immunoglobulins;

• Allergic rash - type spots and papules. Due to the violation of the detoxification functions of the liver that is the basis of allergic reactions on the body is accustomed to the environmental conditions;

• Hemorrhagic rash. Small hemorrhages throughout the skin surface, which are called petechial rashes are typical manifestations of decrease in synthetic function of the liver. In the first place, suffer proteins included in the blood coagulation system. Such patients have increased tendency to form hematomas at the slightest damage.

Itching in liver disease

Characteristically, any of the types of skin rashes in diseases of the liver accompanied by a pronounced itching. Special persistence he acquires the combination of jaundice skin rashes. This symptom is due to the fact that uncleared liver bilirubin, in putting off the skin, causing irritation. In addition, other toxic products of metabolism are concentrated in the broad microcirculatory network of the skin, which further becomes the cause of its irritation and itching. In this regard, during the examination of patients with pathology of the liver, you notice traces of scratching, especially on the lateral surfaces of the abdomen and forearms.

Causes of liver diseases

Liver tissue has a Grand potential in relation to resilience and resistance to harmful environmental factors.

Among the possible causes of liver problems are:

1. The viral agents. These include hepatitis viruses types A, b, C, D, E and other rare species. Result in acute and chronic inflammatory processes in liver tissue, which is called hepatitis according to the virus name. The most favorable type of viral hepatitis is consideredhepatitis a, threat, becomes chronic and is detected at the stage of cirrhosis hepatitis C;

2. The toxic effects. A long and systematic intake of toxic compounds from the environment (pairs, chemicals, heavy metals) or simultaneous exposure to high doses in the liver leads to damage of this organ. This may occur as a moderate enlargement of the liver without obvious functional disorders, or massive necrosis of hepatocytes with the transition in the progression of hepatocellular failure;

3. Drug influence. Not all drugs have the same hepatotoxicity. The most aggressive of them are considered chemotherapeutic agents, antibiotics, hormones;

4. Alcoholic beverages. Systematic abuse etanolsodergaszczye products causing a direct detrimental effect on the hepatic cells. Over time this leads to cirrhosis of the liver. Established safe daily dose of 40% ethanol to the liver does not exceed for men 90-100 ml, and for women 50-70 ml;

5. Infectious and parasitic agents. Among them the main place is occupied by Echinococcus and alveolars, roundworm, causative agents of leptospirosis. They cause as pathological changes of acute and causes chronic processes in the form of cystic transformation of the liver;

6. Errors in diet and improper nutrition. In this respect, the most dangerous systematic abuse of fatty, fried, smoked and products containing a large amount of spices. It is a violation of the outflow of bile, leading to its stagnation, cholangitis and stone formation in the ductal system of the liver;

7. Genetic predisposition, genetic diseases and malformations. This kind of causes underlies the different atresia of the hepatic vessels and ducts, hypoplasia of the liver, storage diseases, and enzymopathies;

8. Acute diseases of the abdominal organs, accompanied by suppurative processes. Can lead to the spread of suppuration in the portal vein, which will cause it thrombosis;

9. Injuries to the abdomen and liver. Are important not only soon after the occurrence. Sometimes a few years after injuries may show cysts or other liquidaccumulation in the parenchyma of the liver;

10. Ionizing radiation and other physical and chemical carcinogens. These causative factors can cause cancerous degeneration of certain areas of the liver tissue.

The liver has one of the highest regenerative capacity of all tissues of the body. The degree of implementation of the pernicious influence of the causal factors in the development of liver disease largely depends on lifestyle

On topic: the list of the best hepatoprotectors to restore the liver

Diet in diseases of the liver

Adherence to dietary diet for liver diseases is a mandatory part of the treatment process. Sometimes it depends on the performance. Remember this should every patient with liver disease. It is important to stay clear recommendations on lifestyle to keep the liver in a state of relative functional rest.

What should be excluded from the diet?

Should be excluded from the diet the following products:

• Absolutely no alcohol, even in small amounts
• Coffee and strong tea;

• The juice from the grapes, tomatoes and tomato juice

• Mineral sparkling water, especially with dyes, or plain chilled
• Fatty meats (pork, duck, goose) and offal (kidneys, liver, brains, heart);
• Not the rich broth of meat, fat, mushroom-based beans and sorrel
• Barley, corn, barley and millet porridge
• Pasta with additives, pastes and sauces with a fat, strong tomato filling and a creamy sauce
• All kinds of smoked products, sausages, canned food, confectionery is excluded fat, lamb, beef and pork
• Fatty fish (salmon, salmon, sturgeon, eel, carp, sturgeon, catfish), including salted and smoked fish.
• Any kind of caviar and sushi
• Fresh bread and pastry products (biscuits, cakes, donuts, cookies);
• Fermented baked milk, fat milk and cottage cheese, salted and seasoned cheeses
• Some vegetables: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, sorrel, spinach, pickles, pickles, garlic, onions, eggplant, mushrooms, radishes, turnips, asparagus and bell pepper after cookingprocessing
• Almost all kinds of fresh fruits and berries, including figs, cranberries, grapes, figs and raspberries
• Can not be used in liver pathology a lot of eggs and fried them
• Of invalid snacks, sushi, meats, spicy and fatty meals;
• Sweet banned all products containing chocolate and cocoa, cream, confectionery or a lot of fat
• Any spices, mustard, vinegar, pepper, hot sauce, ketchup, mayonnaise, and sauces, especially spicy;

What products are allowed for liver

Allowed in liver disease the following products:

• Drinks. Broth hips, weak black tea with lemon, milk. Instead of sugar you can use substitutes (xylitol). Juices from berries and fruits without sugar. Fruit drinks prepared from dry and fresh fruits, rubbing them.
• Rye or branny bread, or wheat baking yesterday (or stale), biscuit, cookie app type;
• Low-fat meat products. It is recommended that poultry, meat, Turkey, beef, rabbit, chicken. The skin of poultry meat is better to remove;
• Of lean fish. The focus is on walleye, pike, cod, all low fat varieties of river fish;
• Oil. Allowed refined vegetable oil (10 g) and cream (10-30 g);
• Low-fat dairy products. This can be yogurt, low-fat or laborary cheese, not sharp grades of cheese. Yogurt and milk can only be fat-free, maximum fat should not exceed 2%. To diversify the menu with cheesecakes, lazy dumplings, puddings.;
• Eggs. The recommended amount of eggs per day – only one. It can be eggs all poultry;

• Vegetable dishes cook better from potatoes, pumpkins, colorful cabbage, zucchini, carrots and beets. Perfectly complement the menu, green peas and cabbage. Vegetables can be boiled, grind and make a soup, soufflé, casseroles with meat and fish. In a small number of salads are welcome with a neutral taste (corn, iceberg, Romaine). Useful bell pepper;

• Can any varieties of noodles and pasta, buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, all boiled;

• Season the finished dish can be Bay leaves, cinnamon, parsley, dill, vanilla. Great for flavor soy sauce.;
• In people with liver disease pastries and sweetsmust be submitted fruit jam, honey in a small amount, marmalade.
• Snacks. Diet in liver disease does not limit the consumption of fresh vegetable and fruit salads, dressed with refined oil; after boiling of fish make jelly, soaked low-fat varieties of herring make gefilte fish. Allowed in small quantities, so as not to cause flatulence, sauerkraut without vinegar. From the usual salads: vinaigrette, zucchini caviar.

How to cook and eat meals?

Any products should be steamed, braised, baked, fried. In any case it is impossible to fry them and smoke. It can be soup, soup, casserole, pudding, mashed potatoes, just boiled products in pure form. You can combine the allowed foods in salads and stews. Be sure to properly add some salt. This will provide the body with ions of sodium and chlorine. Ready meals before eating should be warm. It is better to adhere to the principle of fractional dosed 6 meals a day. This approach will create the most careful regard to the liver and provide the body with nutrients.

Topic: Full list of permitted and prohibited foods for the liver

Prevention of liver diseases

Unfortunately, prevention of liver diseases depends on the proper behavior of one man who even with all his desire may not always be able to protect yourself from them. Hepatic pathology to some extent refers to the social problem. Among the reasons for its development are those that are extremely difficult to affect the usual adherence to preventive recommendations. But to strive for it required all: state government agencies, healthcare institutions, catering facilities and every person who are watching their health.

Prevention of diseases of the liver include the following activities:

• Maintaining the technology of the production of harmful, with the exception of throwing the waste into the waste water or air;
• Observance by workers in hazardous work rules for handling toxic substances, use of personal protective equipment;
• Only purchase fresh food from reliable suppliers. Many of them are grown and transported using their chemical treatment, which is extremely harmful to the liver;
• Exceptionalcohol abuse;
• Hold tight control over the processing of surgical instruments in hospitals and dental offices. Maximum practical use of disposable devices.
• Tight control over the condition of the donor of blood and blood products, and donors. This will prevent cases of viral hepatitis;
• Isolate patients with viral hepatitis A;
• To exclude neregulyarno unprotected sex;
• Compliance with the principles of healthy eating;
• Vaccination against hepatitis b the risk groups for this disease;
• To monitor the condition of patients with chronic liver disease;
• To exclude uncontrolled medications;
• To use medications when there is a threat of liver damage;
• Promptly seek medical attention if there is any suspicion of liver disease;
• The correct treatment of any pathology present in humans, which may lead to secondary liver damage.

Liver disease is a serious threat to health and life, which in any case should not remain without attention!

Tips in liver disease

Those who suffer from liver disease, it is necessary to abandon bad habits, from eating spicy, hot, greasy. Please avoid the heat and sun. Food should be consumed steamed or boiled, braised. Do not eat yesterday's food. Can't eat onions and garlic, and it is better to add in food horseradish and mustard; chicken is boiled, not fried. Also, you can not duck, goat meat, or it's dried meat. Vegetables eat raw. Do not consume too many dairy products, eat often, but slowly.

You can have the sweet, sweet tea can help with pain in the liver. Eat also by sweet, bitter, knitting.

To what doctor to address?

The doctor who deals with treatment of liver - a gastroenterologist (physician-gastroenterologist), hepatologist (if you have hepatitis)