If there’s one organ that helps to maintain your overall health, it’s your liver. It helps in transforming nutrients into useful chemicals required by your body and it is great at filtering out poisons and it helps in converting food into energy. Hence, if it fails to function properly, it could adversely impact your entire body. Different things could lead to serious liver diseases thus here are a few of the causes and the liver conditions that occur because of them.
Breaking down liver diseases
Cause: Infections
A serious infection can cause inflammation in the liver and as per the CDC, “Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Any form of damage or inflammation can compromise the liver’s functionality. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can all cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus.” In this connection, we know that Southern Blotting is helpful in the detection of hepatitis B virus-related DNA, as well as antigens in people suffering from end-stage liver disease. The U.S.A. has some of the most common viruses for hepatitis A, B, and C viruses.
Hepatitis A
If fecal matter is lingering in any foodstuff and someone consumes that foodstuff, then they are at a higher risk of getting the disease. You might not have any symptoms and it usually goes away by itself within 6 months without any long-term harm.
Hepatitis B
You acquire this disease from someone else like via unprotected sex or through using shared needles for taking drugs. If this lasts for over six months, it could trigger liver cancer or any other disease.
Hepatitis C
This has its origin in the blood which comes in contact with your blood. You may get Hepatitis C by using shared needles for taking drugs or in HIV-related issues.
One could get hepatitis C from accidentally getting pricked by an infected needle, especially if they are working as a healthcare worker. This type of hepatitis does not demonstrate any symptoms for several years and, for some unclear and unknown reasons, we understand that baby boomers are susceptible to hepatitis C risks and must be examined for it.
Cause: Immune System Issues
Your immune system is known to combat invaders that may include viruses and bacteria, and this, it could go haywire and attack certain parts of the body like your liver.
- Autoimmune hepatitis is known to inflame your liver and causes certain disorders, including liver failure. Women and girls are more likely to experience this as compared to men and boys.
- Primary biliary cholangitis is supposed to attack your bile ducts that are present in your liver. They are used to carrying a chemical called bile that supports digestion and it appears that women are far more susceptible to this as compared to men.
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis is responsible for scarring your bile ducts. It could even end up blocking them, and this may culminate in liver cancer and patients may require liver transplantation.
Tumors and Cancers
Liver cancer is the result of colon cancer, breast cancer or lung cancer spreading to your liver. However, a few kinds of liver cancers originate in the organ itself. So who’s more at risk of getting liver cancer? Well, statistics have revealed that it generally affects women more than men and African-Americans more than whites. It happens if you are in the habit of consuming excessive alcohol or are having hepatitis. Bile duct cancer can affect your bile ducts that carry fluid called bile that helps effectively in the process of digestion. Liver cancer also usually affects individuals over the age of fifty.
Conclusion
There are certain dire complications associated with liver diseases that may include acute liver failure, which may be triggered due to infections, an overdose of acetaminophen, or due to certain prescription drugs. Another serious disease associated with the build-up of scars within the liver is liver cirrhosis. You must know the symptoms of serious liver diseases. That said, you should also seek medical intervention at once if you see any such symptoms.
World Hepatitis Day is celebrated on the 28th July and it is aimed at reducing deaths from viral hepatitis infections and reducing new infections. Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver that is commonly caused by a viral infection. The condition can be self-limiting or can progress to liver cancer. Other possible causes of hepatitis may occur as a secondary result of medications, toxins, drugs and alcohol. The signs and symptoms of hepatitis may not be visible in the beginning and may not occur until the damage affects liver function.
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