Liver disease is a term for a collection of conditions, diseases, and infections that affect the cells, tissues, structures, or functions of the liver.
Table of Contents
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Causes
- Abnormal blood flow to the liver( Budd Chiari syndrome, Congestive heart failure)
- Accumulation of Cholesterol/triglycerides(steatosis)
- Alcohol abuse
- Chemicals (anabolic steroids and vinyl chloride )and minerals
- Eating unidentified mushrooms
- Drugs (acetaminophen, statins, niacin, nitrofurantoin, amoxicillin, clavulanic acid, tetracycline, isoniazid, oral contraceptives, methotrexate, disulfiram, and vitamin A, to name a few)
- Infiltration by abnormal cells
- Obstruction of bile flow(cholestasis, Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis)
- Infections — These could be viral (Hepatitis, Toxoplasmosis, Epstein Barr virus, Adenovirus fever, Cytomegalovirus) or non-viral (Rocky mountain spotted)
- Fatty liver disease
- Hereditary (Hemochromatosis, Wilson’s Disease)
- Gilbert’s Disease
- Cancers (hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma
- Metastatic cancer (begin in the lung, breast, large intestine, stomach, and pancreas, Leukemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma )
- Diseases(portal hypertension, hepatic encephalopathy )
Symptoms and signs of liver diseases
- Abdominal pain in the upper right part of the stomach
- Dark urine
- Depression
- Diarrhoea
- Fatigue
- Generalized itching
- Hypoglycemia
- Jaundice
- Light-coloured stools
- Loss of appetite
- Loss of sex drive
- Low-grade fever
- Malaise,
- Muscle aches and pains
- Nausea
- Unusual weight loss or weight gain
- Varicose veins
- Vomiting
Investigations
- Blood tests
- Serum transaminase
- AST(Aspertate aminoitransferase)
- ALT (Alanine transferase)
- Biliary enzymes
- GGT(Glutamyl transpeptidase)
- ALP(Alkaline phosphatase)
- Serum protein (albumin, globulin, Alpha-trypsin, ferritin, Alpha-fetoprotein)
- Total serum bilirubin
- Full blood count
- Prothrombin time
- Serum Lipase
- BUN
- Creatinine
- Ammonia
- CT scan
- MRI
- Ultrasound
- Liver Biopsy
Treatment
- Bed rest
- Drink extra fluids to prevent dehydration
- Ayurvedic Medicines are very effective in liver diseases. There are a lot of preparations using herbs and metals. All work equally well in almost all types of liver diseases.
Complications
- Decreased Cognitive Function
- Liver Cancer
- Liver Failure
- Malnutrition and Weight Loss
Prevention
- Avoid alcohol and smoking
- Avoid drinking or using tap water when travelling abroad.
- Avoid illegal drug use( sharing injection equipment)
- Avoid the sharing of personal hygiene items( razors or nail clippers, towels, soaps)
- Avoid toxic substances
- Eat a balanced diet, get plenty of physical activity and rest
- Hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be prevented with vaccines.
- Practice good hygiene( washing hands after using the washroom or changing diapers)
- Practice the safest sex
- Use only prescribed medicines, especially vitamins and antibiotics.
Cirrhosis of liver
Causes
- Alcohol dependence and alcoholism
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Chronic hepatitis B or C
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Exposure to certain toxins such as arsenic
- Glycogen storage diseases
- Hemochromatosis
- Obesity
- High triglyceride blood levels
- Intestinal bypass surgery
- Long-term treatment with corticosteroids
- Secondary biliary cirrhosis
- Wilson’s disease
Symptoms and signs
- Abdominal swelling
- Bleeding from gums
- Blood in vomit/faeces
- Difficulty breathing
- Easy bruising
- Oedema
- Encephalopathy (Extreme sleepiness, difficulty awakening, coma)
- Gynaecomastia
- Haemorrhoids
- Nosebleeds
- Poor appetite
- Scrotal swelling
- Small red, spider-like blood vessels under the skin
- Wasting
- Weakness
Treatment
Ayurvedic medicines are very effective in all liver diseases and are prescribed according to the Prakriti of a person and the extent of the disease.
Complications
- Ascites
- Oesophagal varices
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Kidney failure
- Permanent liver damage and loss of normal liver function
- Portal hypertension
Ascites
Causes
- Cirrhosis
- Acute liver failure
- acute injury to liver cells
- adverse reactions to medications
- drug abuse
- Budd-Chiari syndrome (blockage of the hepatic veins)
- Metastatic Cancer
- Heart failure
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Disorders of the pancreas
- Acute pancreatitis
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Pancreatic cancer
- Direct irritation of the peritoneum
- Diseases of the ovary like cancer or Meigs syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
Symptoms And Signs
Mild-moderate
- no symptoms
- increased abdominal girth and size
- shortness of breath
- pleural effusions
- Due to cirrhosis of the liver-
- leg swelling
- easy bruising
- enlargement of the breasts
- confusion
- Due to heart failure
- shortness of breath
- oedema
- paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
- Due to cancer
- pain
- weight loss
- Fatigue
- Abdominal distention.
- With spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
- Abdominal pain
- Fever.
Treatment
- Dietary salt restriction and medications assist the body in ridding itself of excess salt and fluid.
- Ayurvedic medicines
- Liver Transplant
Complications
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
- Hepatorenal syndrome
Gall Bladder Stones
Causes
Cholesterol Stones
- Obesity(especially in women)
- Pregnancy
- Hormonal therapy,(especially estrogen)
- Rapid loss of weight
- High triglycerides(as in diabetes),bilirubin
- Fewer bile salts
- Crohn’s disease
- Fasting
- Anti-cholesterol drugs(increase cholesterol in bile)
Pigment Stones
- Cirrhosis
- Biliary tract infections(brown pigment stones)
- Hereditary blood disorders (black pigment stones)
- Residual bile in the gall bladder(due to poor muscle tone)
Symptoms And Signs
- Pain
- Steady gripping or gnawing severe pain in the upper right abdomen near the rib cage, radiating to the upper back.
- Changing position, taking over-the-counter pain relievers, and passing gas does not relieve the pain
- Pain typically occurs at the same time of day
- Dark urine, lighter stools, or both
- Fever, chills
- Jaundice
- Nausea or vomiting
- Rapid heartbeat and abrupt blood pressure drop
Acute cholecystitis
- Pain in the upper right abdomen is severe and constant
- Pain lasts for days.
- Pain frequently increases with inspiration
- Pain may also radiate to the back or occur under the shoulder blades, behind the breast bone, or on the left side.
- Fever and chills
Chronic Cholecystitis
- gas
- nausea
- abdominal discomfort after meals
- Chronic diarrhoea (4 – 10 bowel movements every day for at least 3 months).
Investigations—
- Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)
- Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
- Cholescintigraphy (HIDA scan
- Oral cholecystogram (OCG)
- Intravenous cholangiogram (IVC)
Treatment
- Ayurvedic medicines relieve the pain and other symptoms in 1-2 days. It takes nearly 4-5 months to get rid of gall stones depending on the size, number and location of gall stones.
- Surgical
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
- If gallstones are in the bile ducts, ERCP with endoscopic sphincterotomy is performed.
Complications
- Pancreatitis
- Gangrene
- Perforation of the gallbladder