Liver Disease

Liver disease related to alcohol consumption fits into one of three categories fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, or cirrhosis. Fatty liver, which occurs after acute alcohol ingestion, is generally reversible with abstinence and is not believed to incline to any chronic form of liver disease if abstinence or moderation is maintained.

Alcoholic hepatitis is an acute form of alcohol-induced liver injury that occurs with the consumption of a large quantity of alcohol over a prolonged period of time; it encompasses a spectrum of severity ranging from asymptomatic derangement of biochemistries to fulminate liver failure and death.

Type of Liver Diseases:

• Alcoholic Liver Disease: Alcoholic hepatitis is inflSammation of the liver (hepatitis), usually from long-term alcohol use that causes widespread liver damage and destruction. The effects of alcohol vary among individuals. You don't have to be an alcoholic to develop alcoholic hepatitis. Alcoholic hepatitis may also occur in moderate drinkers or after a single episode of binge drinking.

• Fatty Liver Diseases: Fatty liver is the accumulation of fat in liver cells. Simple fatty liver is not a disease, since it does not damage the liver, but is a condition that can be identified by taking a sample of liver tissue (liver biopsy) and examining it under a microscope. Another term often used to describe this condition is fatty infiltration of the liver.

• Biliary Diseases: Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a disease where the bile ducts inside and outside the liver become inflamed and scarred, and over time the ducts become blocked. The ducts are important because they carry bile (a liquid that helps break down fats in food) out of the liver. If the ducts become blocked, bile builds up in the liver and damages liver cells. Eventually, PSC can cause liver failure and cirrhosis.

• Chronic Hepatitis: Chronic Hepatitis is ongoing injury to the cells of the liver with inflammation which lasts for longer than six months. The causes of chronic hepatitis are several: viruses, metabolic or immunologic abnormalities and medications.

• Liver Cirrhosis: is a severe kind of liver disorder which is caused due to Cirrhosis or Hepatitis C virus. The term Cirrhosis means the liver is damaged so severely that its normal shape is distorted. The term also means that there is an increase in scar tissue in the liver and the liver mass is reduced. The main causes behind this disorder include long-term, excessive alcohol consumption; inherited disorders of iron and copper metabolism; severe reactions to certain medications; chronic infection with hepatitis B virus; repeated episodes of heart failure with liver congestion and bile-duct obstruction; etc.

Risk factors for liver disease include:

• Abdominal trauma
• Various congenital disorders
• Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Autoimmune disease.
• Blood clots
• Cirrhosis
• Chronic viral hepatitis
• Exposure to arsenic
• Inflammation or tumors of the bile ducts or pancreas

By: Dr. Mital John

Labels: alcohol liver, cirrhosis, cirrhosis of liver, fatty liver, fatty liver disease, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver disease, liver failure, liver function, liver symptoms

In order to understand how alcohol leads to liver disease, you must first understand the function of the liver and alcohol's effects on this function. The liver helps your body break down fat and protein compounds by producing bile which enters the stomach to help the digestive process. It also helps to remove poisons and toxins which enter your body, including alcohol. When you consume alcohol, it is absorbed into the bloodstream through your stomach and intestines.

All of the blood from your stomach and intestines then passes through the liver for cleaning before it is circulated around your entire body. However, your liver can only clean a certain amount of alcohol per hour. Therefore, if you consume alcohol faster than your liver can process it, your blood alcohol content level rises.

Consuming too much alcohol can lead to various different liver conditions, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and fatty liver. These conditions can occur together in the same person, at the same time. Fatty liver is the beginning of hepatitis, in which a large fat build up occurs in the liver of people who drink heavily. By its self, the condition is not really serious and usually reverses its self. However, continued drinking can lead to hepatitis. Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. There are mild to severe cases of hepatitis, with the most severe sometimes causing liver failure, blood clotting problems, coma, and even death.

Cirrhosis is the most severe condition of the three, in which regular liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue. Scar tissue development is gradual and usually occurs in heavy drinkers of more than ten years. If enough scar tissue develops, it can lead to liver failure and perhaps even death. The scarring of Cirrhosis is usually permanent and cannot be fixed by any current medical procedures.

By: Cooper

Labels: alcohol liver, cirrhosis, cirrhosis of liver, fatty liver, fatty liver disease, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver disease, liver failure, liver function, liver symptoms

Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease that ends up leaving the scar and damaging the liver tissues centric to body functions. Once damaged by Cirrhosis the cells and tissues in the liver are difficult to repair and when regenerated sustains a permanent scars and strands that creates problem in blood circulation process through liver.

Liver is an important functionary of body and is responsible for certain essential body functions such as blood portal circulation, Bilirubin Secretion and biochemical functions (drugs & toxins metabolization, blood clotting, Cholesterol, Blood pressure etc). And a slight dysfunctioning of liver mayaffect these functions and can lead to severe complications.

Cirrhosis can be identified with symptoms like fever, Vomiting, Restlessness, Sleeping disorders, Loss of appetite, unusual weight gain/loss, tender muscles and muscle pain etc.Some of the other major Cirrhosis symptoms that are indeed complications are Diseases like Diarrhea, Blood clotting problem, Hemorrhoids, Abdominal swelling and pain due to enlarge liver, Reaction to medications, drugs etc due to non-functioning biochemical action of liver, Jaundice rises due to Bilirubin secretion malfunctioning in liver and is identified by yellowing of skin and eyes, Low sex drive and impotence

Causes behind Cirrhosis are:

Hepatitis- One of the major causes of liver disorders and cirrhosis is chronic Hepatitis. It is indeed an inflammation on liver and it can be caused due to toxins and infections. Though there are many form of Hepatitis but major drastic forms are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Blood Circulation- Any congestion in the process of heart pumping blood to liver and back flow of blood through liver may result in swelling and inflammation of liver. Gradually the liver gets damage.

Bilirubin secretion- Bilirubin secretion is an important function of liver. Here liver carries bile’s to gall bladder and intestines through ducts. In case of any blockage and disorder in these ducts liver gets affected and inflamed. And this is known as Bilirubin Cirrhosis

Toxin and drugs effects- The toxins destroying the liver are one of the major causes in America. People in America are victim to Cirrhosis due to excess Alcohol intake. The excess drugs, toxins and alcohol intake may lessen the immune system of liver and destroy the liver cells resulting into Cirrhosis.

Livup capsules- Livup capsule is a complete supplement to all the liver problems and is very effective in counterchecking Cirrhosis. It makes your liver strong and gives it strength towards any toxic foreign substance. Livup Capsules constitutes the following herbs- Bhringraj (Eclipta prostata), Arjuna, Kasni, Sharpunkha (Tephrosia purpurea), Pitpada (Fumaria officinalis), Kakmachi (Solanum nigrum) and Punarnava (Boerhevia diffusa). Liveup capsules helps tremendously in Liver inflammation, oxidation and hepatitis arising out of infections etc.

By: samnickel2

Labels: cirrhosis, cirrhosis of liver, fatty liver, fatty liver disease, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver disease, liver failure, liver function, liver symptoms

Alcoholic liver disease is a pandemic problem that afflicts millions of people worldwide. In many famalies across america alcoholic abuse has and is causing detrimental harm to people's livers.

What Is The Liver?

The liver is situated just under the right ribs and beneath the right lung. The liver is also the largest organ in your body that has a pyramid shape and divided into left and right lobes. There are also two sources from where the liver receives blood: The hepatic artery brings oxygen rich blood directly from the heart and the portal vein carries nutrient rich blood from the intestines.

What Are Important Functions Of The Liver?

Secretes bile into the intestines to help absorb nutrients an example of this would be fats.

The liver aids the body in eliminating harmful toxic wastes from the body.

Creates most of the clotting factors that help us to not bleed too much when you get a cut.

Stores and breaks down many of the nutrients absorbed from the intestines that are needed for the body to function.

What Is The Definition Of Liver Disease?

A chronic or acute inflammation of the liver is induced by alcohol abuse. A number of years of excessive drinking can cause alcoholic liver disease. Acute alcoholic hepatitis can result from binge drinking. Malnutrition comes from consuming empty calories from alcohol and a reduction in appetite. The actual toxicity of the ethanol, genetic factors and individual susceptibility to alcohol-induced liver all play a role in the development of alcoholic liver disease.

What Are The Symptoms Of Alcoholic Liver Disease?

Fever

Jaundice

Nausea

Loss Of Appetite

Dry Mouth

Fatigue

Abdominal pain and tenderness

Mental confusion

Also bloody or dark bowel movements

Redness on feet or hands

Vomiting blood

Breast development in males

Alcoholic liver disease is a pandemic problem that should be brought out in the open through more education and prevention.

As more information is uncovered this article will be updated.

DISCLAIMER

The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practioner/ patient relationship with its readers.

By: Eugene Williams

Labels: alcohol liver, cirrhosis, fatty liver, fatty liver disease, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver disease, liver failure, liver function, liver problems, liver symptoms

The liver is a very important organ that performs a variety of functions in the human body. Being a large organ, the liver can cope with small damages. If the damage is left untreated, it can worsen the condition of the liver and prevent it from functioning. Severe damage to the liver can result in liver failure and death. Some of the conditions that can lead to death from liver disease are alcoholism, liver cancer, cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis.

Liver disease symptoms can be hard to detect initially. For instance, a loss of energy that often is the first sign of liver problems can be confused with a myriad of other problems, including things as simple as a reaction to a seasonal change or a lack of sleep.

There are dozens of diseases that affect the liver. The two most common causes of liver diseases are viral infections and drugs. Though there are different causes of liver diseases, the clinical signs and symptoms are divided in to two categories.

Keeping your liver in healthy condition is very necessary and that can be done by eating a varied nutritional and vegetarian diet. Junk food, alcohol intake, low quality oils, chemicals -in air and we breathe are the main roots for liver maladies.

About 90 percent of patients diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis are women over the age of 40. Women living in northern Europe tend to be more susceptible to this disease compared to women in other parts of the world. Women in Japan have the lowest rate of diagnosed cases of this disease.

The liver can get inflamed due to certain conditions, use of alcohol and certain chemicals. The conditions that can cause liver inflammation are Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Autoimmune Hepatitis, and Wilson's disease. Extensive alcohol use also causes inflammation of the liver. Some drugs and industrial pollutants may affect the liver. Inflammation is characterized by redness, swelling, heat and possible pain in the liver.

Alcoholic liver disease occurs due to an acute or chronic inflammation of the liver due to alcohol abuse. This disease usually occurs after a prolonged use of alcohol. In the United States 10% of men and 3% of women suffer from problems related to alcoholic consumption.

The symptoms of impending liver deterioration cross over into other medical problems as well making early and precise laboratory tests and narrative. The symptoms will likely include nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and tenderness, vomiting, fever and jaundice. Further complicating the issue is that symptoms of cirrhosis are quite often almost identical to those of alcohol hepatitis.

If you only had one choice for picking a natural cure for liver disease it should be Milk Thistle Seed Extract (...fortunately you have more than one choice, so why not use all of them, it will only speed up your healing). There are a few reasons why Milk Thistle Seed Extract (also referred to as "Mte") is beneficial to the liver and liver regeneration. Firstly, it protects the liver from toxins.

By: peterhutch

Labels: cirrhosis, fatty liver, fatty liver disease, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver disease, liver failure, liver function, liver symptoms

Fatty liver disease covers a range of conditions where there is a build-up of fat in the liver cells. It may be caused by various diseases, such as in chronic alcoholism and obesity . Simple fatty liver usually does not damage the liver, but is a condition that can be identified by taking a sample of liver tissue (liver biopsy) and examining it under a microscope. All of the stages of NAFLD have in common the accumulation of fat (fatty infiltration) in the liver cells (hepatocytes). Yet, in many respects, the histological picture of NAFLD (when we look at a biopsy piece of liver under the microscope) is similar to what can be seen in liver disease that is due to excessive intake of alcohol. As we shall see, however, the clinical circumstances in NAFLD and NASH are very different from those in alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

Causes of Fatty Liver Disease

The common Causes of Fatty Liver Disease :

Several risk factors may be cofactors required for the development of advanced ALD.

Minimum amounts of alcohol intake associated with an increased risk for developing ALD range from 40-80 g/d for 10-12 years.

Obesity and dietary habits have been implicated in individual susceptibility to ALD.

Several studies demonstrate a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody in patients with ALD, as well as iron overload.

Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease

Some Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease :

Loss of appetite.

Nausea.

Fever.

Mental confusion.

Dry mouth.

Weakness.

Fatigue.

Swelling of your legs and feet from retained fluid (edema).

Abdominal pain and tenderness.

Treatment of Fatty Liver Disease

Strict management of diabetes with diet, medications or insulin lowers blood sugar, which may prevent further liver damage. It also may reduce the amount of accumulated fat in your liver.

Controlling elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides with diet, exercise and cholesterol-lowering medications may help stabilize or reverse nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

If you have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease especially nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) don't drink alcohol. Also avoid medications and other substances that can cause liver damage. Talk to your doctor about which ones to avoid.

Researchers are studying the effects of several medications on insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in people with and without diabetes. These include metformin (Glucophage, Glucophage XR), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia) and betaine (Cystadane).

By: Juliet Cohen

Labels: cirrhosis, fatty liver, fatty liver disease, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver disease, liver failure, liver function, liver symptoms

The liver is one part of the body that is barely given much notice because it doesn't manifest any complaint like other organs. It is quite easy to ignore but its function in the body is very, very significant. Liver problems are not easy to detect because its symptoms are typical and you wouldn't relate them immediately to liver. It is important to mention that the liver has an ability to regenerate itself. This is the best news ever especially for those suffering from any liver disease. If you have developed liver disease and natural cure is probably the least of your option, you had better think again.

Natural herbs and plants have been used as flavoring for food and for their medicinal properties. They have become extremely vital to daily life since they are main sources of medicine and healing for a lot of human diseases. Like for any liver disease, there are natural cures around that can help.

Dandelions - Official Remedy for Disorders

The scientific name Taraxacum officinale, which means "official remedy for disorders" is the common dandelion. These can probably be found growing in your backyard and you ignore them. It's time you get a closer look at this herbal cure-all. In Europe, studies and scientific experiments have proven that this herb truly has healing properties for hepatic ailments.

Its liver-healing properties help enhance bile flow and remove excess water from edematous conditions brought about by liver congestion. It also can help improve hepatitis and jaundice in children.

A handful of fresh dandelion leaves mixed with other sliced vegetables and drizzles of oil and apple vinegar will make a yummy salad that can help clean out liver and stimulate its activity. Eating this 2 to 3 times a day as an appetizer will help remedy liver cirrhosis and biliary lithiasis.

Milk Thistle Seed Extract (MTE) - Herbal Detoxifier and Liver Protector

Silybum Marianum is also known as Milk Thistle. Its seeds have silymarin extract and silybin component that are natural protectors of the liver. They combat the symptoms of liver disease and help treat cirrhosis of the liver.

In the US, there are milk thistle products and extracts that can be purchased from health food stores and drug stores. In Europe, MTE is highly regarded as a supplement for liver protection against the effects of alcohol or pollution.

What the MTE does is to battle the toxins and prevent them from destroying the liver, making it possible for the liver to regenerate. MTE also assists in speeding up this regeneration process.

Artichoke - An Alternative to Milk Thistle

The vegetable that we all know is also a healer. Traditional herbal healers have used the leaves of the artichoke to treat upset stomachs and poorly functioning livers. The leaf extract increases the flow of bile from the liver to the gallbladder, like the dandelion.

Like the Milk Thistle, the artichoke leaf extract protects the liver from the toxic substances and shields it so that it can regenerate. It helps detoxify the liver, thereby protecting the body from any poison from lethal doses of toxins. This is a great way to protect the liver from this very polluted world that we live in now.

So, for those with liver disease and natural cures are still something they need to be convinced about, try to take some of these plants mentioned as appetizers. See if something good comes out of it for you.

By: Natsuko Tsuchiya

Labels: cirrhosis, fatty liver, liver, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, liver damage, liver disease, liver failure, liver function, liver pain, liver symptoms, liver transplant