What are the causes and symptoms of liver disease? How to prevent it?
Introduction
The liver is an important organ in the body that is present around the rib cage and it is on the abdomen sides. The liver functioning is important as it helps in food digestion and removes the harmful toxins in the body. In some cases, liver disease can be genetic and in that case, utmost care needs to be taken. The liver problem can occur due to different factors which leads to liver damage through:
- Excess weight
- Alcohol use
- Virus
In worse cases, problems can lead to liver scarring which leads to liver failure. This is the reason, it is suggested that you take proper care of your health all the time and get the treatment right away.
What are the symptoms of liver disease?
Liver disease symptoms are noticed right away and it occurs over some time. Usually, you might notice symptoms like:
- Skin and eyes appear yellow (jaundice)
- Itchy skin
- Dark urine color
- Pale stool color
- Chronic fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain and swelling
- Legs and ankles swelling
- Tendency to bruise easily
What are the causes of liver disease?
There are different causes of liver disease which includes:
Infection
The liver can get affected by viruses and parasites which eventually leads to liver problems. Due to the virus, the liver is damaged which can spread to the blood or semen. The most common types of liver infection include the following:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
Immune system abnormality
It means that your immune system starts attacking itself, instead of protecting it, basically the liver. The diseases included in it are:
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Primary biliary cholangitis
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
Genetics
In some cases, a person inherits an abnormal gene from their parents which impacts their liver health. Eventually, the problem will lead to liver damage. Some examples of genetic liver diseases are:
- Hemochromatosis
- Wilson’s disease
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
Cancer and other growths
Cancer can start growing on the liver and some of its examples are:
- Liver cancer
- Bile duct cancer
- Liver adenoma
What are the common risk factors of liver disease?
- Heavy alcohol use
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Unprotected sex
- Tattoos or body piercings
- Injecting drugs using shared needles
- Blood transfusion before 1992
- Chemicals or toxins exposure
- History of liver disease
- Exposure to other people’s blood and body fluids
What are the ways to prevent liver disease?
- Reduce alcohol consumption
Make sure that you drink alcohol in moderation like for women 1 drink is enough per day and for men 2 drinks are enough in a day. If you drink more than that, the chances of liver disease will increase.
- Indulge in safe practices
You must do safe practices daily like, if you want to get a tattoo, then make sure the syringe is clean. Make sure what you do or have, should not affect your liver health.
- Get vaccinated
Make sure that you get yourself vaccinated so that the risk of hepatitis virus is reduced. Talk to the doctor about what you should do.
Additional preventive measures
- Take medications correctly
- Take care of aerosol sprays
- Keep your body weight normal
- Wash your hands before eating
- Protect the skin