Common Liver Diseases – List of Symptoms | Causes | Diagnosis | Treatment

The liver is a quintessential organ of the body which participates in many important functions so that you can sustain for a long time in a healthy way. The liver can be affected with any disease or disorder which prevents the normal functioning of this organ. But with the help of the proper medication and the best liver doctor in India you can overcome liver diseases. Livonta Global is a prominent name in the field of medical tourism which is partnered with many best liver hospitals in India.

Liver disease is a general term which affects the normal function of your liver. Here, we are going to mention some common liver diseases.

 

1. Hepatitis

This is a viral infection of the liver which causes liver damage and inflammation. Hepatitis can be two types, acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis.

Acute Hepatitis: This is an inflammation of the liver which causes liver cell damage and destruction. Acute hepatitis is quite common; one in every 4000 people develop acute hepatitis every year in developed countries.

Causes

•       Infection with a virus (viral hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E)
•       Drugs overdose (such as acetaminophen, paracetamol)
•       Overexposure of chemical (such as dry-cleaning chemicals, and some wild mushrooms)

Symptoms

•       Jaundice
•       Nausea
•       Fever
•       Loss of appetite
•       Sore muscle
•       Joint Pain
•       tenderness in the right upper part of the tummy 

Diagnosis

•       Liver function tests
•       Specific tests of viral infection

Treatment

Depending on the severity of the disease, underlying condition, your physician will give you the right medication for your treatment. Some severe patients only need hospitalization.

Chronic Hepatitis

Some people may not recover fully from acute hepatitis and as a result, the liver continues to sustain more damage and inflammation. Hepatitis can be considered acute if symptoms persist longer than six months to several years.

Types of chronic hepatitis

•       Alcohol-induced chronic hepatitis: In this case, the liver is damaged fully due to the consumption of heavy alcohol.
•       Chronic active hepatitis: an aggressive inflammation and destroyer of liver cells. This may lead to cirrhosis.
•       Chronic persistent hepatitis: This is a milder inflammation of the liver which does not lead to cirrhosis

Symptoms

Some people may experience no symptoms while others may face some symptoms

•       Jaundice
•       Loss of appetite
•       Fatigue
•       Low fever
•       Upper abdominal pain

Diagnosis

Chronic hepatitis can be diagnosed in the following ways

•       Certain lab tests for viruses
•       Liver function tests
•       Liver biopsy to determine inflammation, scarring, and cirrhosis

Treatment

After taking a review of your condition, underlying issues, and severity of the disease, your doctor will decide the right treatment for you.

•       Corticosteroids: this is used to treat the chronic liver disease which is caused by an autoimmune disorder. Though inflammation may suppress, still, scarring of the liver may continue.
•       Stop using certain drugs: If chronic hepatitis is caused by certain drugs, then by discontinuing those drugs will improve your symptoms.
•       Discontinue alcohol: If you want to recover from your hepatitis, you must stop consuming alcohol.

 

2. Fatty liver disease

A layer of fat is built up around your liver which can lead to fatty liver disease. There are two types of fatty liver disease and they are,

Alcoholic fatty liver disease: this is caused due to consumption of heavy alcohol

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: The medical experts are still trying to understand the exact cause of this disease.

Treatment

A healthy diet and lifestyle changes may improve your symptoms and will reduce the risk of complication.

 

3. Liver cancer

If cancer develops in your liver, then it is called primary liver cancer. But if cancer develops in any other part of your body and spreads to your liver, then it is called secondary liver cancer. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma. Though it can start as a single tumour, gradually it develops several spots in your liver.

4. Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis means scarring of the liver that can result from liver diseases and other causes of liver damage (overuse of alcohol or certain drugs).

Your liver tissue can regenerate in response to damage, but this process usually results in the development of scar tissue. If the liver develops more scar tissue, then it becomes difficult for your liver to function properly. Cirrhosis can be treated by addressing underlying issues in the early stage. But not if they remain untreated, then it may cause liver failure and other complications.

  5. Immune system abnormality

Sometimes your immune system attacks certain parts of your body (autoimmune) which can affect your liver. Examples of autoimmune liver diseases include:

•       Autoimmune hepatitis
•       Primary biliary cholangitis
•       Primary sclerosing cholangitis

6. Genetic liver disease

Sometimes, you may inherit an abnormal gene from one or both of your parents which can cause various substances to build up in your liver. This may cause liver damage and other complications in future. Genetic liver diseases include:

•       Hemochromatosis
•       Wilson’s disease
•       Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

7. Liver failure

This can be two types and they are chronic liver failure and acute liver failure. In chronic liver failure, a part of your liver is damaged and can’t function properly. Though initially, you may not have symptoms, gradually you may notice some symptoms. These symptoms are,

•       jaundice
•       diarrhea
•       confusion
•       fatigue and weakness
•       nausea

Sometimes, a liver transplant is required to treat chronic liver failure.

Acute liver failure happens suddenly as a result of drug overdose or poisoning.

Risk factors

There are certain factors which may enhance the risk of your liver disease. These factors are,

•       Heavy alcohol consumption
•       Type 2 diabetes
•       Obesity
•       Tattoo
•       Unprotected sex
•       Exposure to certain chemicals
•       Injecting drugs using shared needles
•       Family history of liver disease

Prevention

By following the below-mentioned things, you can prevent liver disease.

•       Alcohol consumption should be moderated
•       Get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B
•       Use medications prudently
•       Maintain a healthy body weight
•       Avoid other people’s blood and body fluid
•       Protect your skin so that chemicals aren’t absorbed through your skin

Now, hope you have plenty of idea regarding different types of liver diseases, causes, and treatment.

If you are suffering from any liver issue, you must contact Livonta Global as it has an immense reputation and good profile in the field of medical tourism. Livonta Global is partnered with many reputed and leading hospitals in India who provide the best liver treatment along with liver transplant in India. For any query, just visit the website of Livonta Global, you will know much information about them.

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