What is the liver?
The liver is the largest internal organ in the human body. The liver, which is part of the digestive system, performs many functions which are essential to life. It is located on the right side of the abdomen behind the lower ribs and below the lungs.
Liver Disease
Diseases of the liver range from mild infection to life-threatening liver failure. For many of these ailments, the first sign of a problem is a condition called jaundice, characterized by a yellowing of the skin, conjunctivae, and mucous membranes. It develops when liver cells lose their ability to process bilirubin, the yellowish-brown pigment found in bile.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis, irreversible liver damage characterized by
scarring, or fibrosis, and widespread formation of nodules in the liver. If left untreated, the liver becomes unable to carry out its functions, resulting in complications that affect many different systems of the body. In the United States, the leading cause of cirrhosis is excessive alcohol consumption, which has direct toxic effects on the liver. Cirrhosis can result from virtually any chronic liver disease. A number of inherited metabolic diseases can cause cirrhosis such as:
- hemochromatosis
- Wilson’s disease
- alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
- autoimmune
diseases
The liver can also be harmed whenever injury or disease affects the rest of the body. For example, cancer may spread from other organs to the liver, and diabetes, if not properly treated, may result in damage to the liver. Drug use, including long-term use of some prescription medications as well as illegal drugs, can cause liver damage.
Symptoms of Liver Disease
Especially in its early stages, cirrhosis is often symptomless. Some patients suffer from fatigue, particularly when they exercise.
As the liver's capacity to function is compromised, a variety of complications listed below develop throughout the body
- Jaundice due to the liver’s inability to process bilirubin
- Fluid retention from decreased production of albumin, a protein made in the liver
- Bruising and bleeding from inability to manufacture adequate clotting factors
- Confusion, sleeplessness, coma failure of the liver to clear toxins from bloodstream
- Weight loss and weakness as a result of poor absorption of nutrients
Treatment Options
The liver is unique among the body’s vital organs in that it can regenerate cells that have been destroyed by some short-term injury or disease. If damaged repeatedly over a long period of time, however, it may undergo irreversible changes that permanently interfere with function
Although cirrhosis is irreversible, treating the underlying cause of the liver damage can dramatically limit further destruction of liver tissue and help prevent the development of complications. In advanced cases of cirrhosis, the goal of treatment is managing complications such as fluid retention, internal bleeding, and neurological symptoms.