Liver Diseases:
The liver is the largest organ of the human body. A functional powerhouse and a true miracle of nature’s perfect design. The liver synthesizes protein, produces hormones, detoxifies chemicals, or regulates glycogen storage. And synthesize metabolites necessary for human growth and adds indigestion. With such wide and varied functions, any disease that affects the liver can devastating effects on the whole body.
The liver is affected by more than 100 diseases, some with acute onset where most of the damage happens within days or weeks. Some chronic where liver damage takes place gradually in a matter of years. Most of these liver diseases cause DNA damage, accumulation of toxins in the liver. And anatomical changes and may lead to permanent damage or liver failure.
Symptoms of Liver Diseases:
There is not a single class of liver diseases so the clinical presentation and symptoms varied but the most common symptoms include.
- Jaundice
- Confusion, disorientation, and other CNS symptoms associated with hepatic encephalopathies.
- Thrombocytopenia and blood coagulation disorders.
- Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
- Muscular asthenia
- Unexplained weight loss.
- Fever and body aches.
The liver affected by more than 100 diseases and below a few notable classes of hepatic diseases discussed in brief.
classes of hepatic diseases:
- Parasitic diseases of the liver are common and worldwide mostly caused by a genius of liver fluke.
- Liver infections are very common in the developing world and are often the leading, also cause of cirrhosis in Pakistan. Viral infections like viral hepatitis, ( including A, B, and C varieties) can cause much damage before any symptoms appear. These are rightly termed as silent killers as well as they go unnoticed for years. The only sure way to know about your liver health is to routinely get yourself checked by the Hepatic clinic. Dr. Faisal Dar Clinic Quaid e Azam Hospital. State of the art liver care facility and offering unmatched diagnostic, treatment, surgical and transplant facilities in Pakistan. With robust expertise and the highest qualified staff, and also you can confide in us for every matter pertaining to liver health.
- Alcohol abuse results in the accumulation of toxins in the liver causing alcoholic hepatitis. It causes fatty liver diseases and eventually cirrhosis.
- Some hereditary conditions can lead to liver inflammation and cause autoimmune hepatitis.
- Various drugs, toxins, and other chemicals may cause acute or chronic liver damage. Leading to cirrhosis/liver failure.
-
More about hepatic diseases:
- Fatty liver disease may be non-alcoholic. These are characterized by the accumulation of large amounts of triglycerides in liver tissues and are mainly caused by obesity or metabolic syndrome.
- Hereditary diseases like Wilson disease, hemochromatosis(a large amount of iron deposition in the body). And hereditary amyloidosis( faulty protein synthesis with severe cardiopathiceffects) are less common. A liver transplant the only treatment option in this condition.
- Cirrhosis of the liver may progress to chronic liver failure, where transplant remains the only chance at life.
- Primary liver cancer and secondary liver cancer the leading causes of liver-related deaths. Secondary liver cancer metastasized cancer from other organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, lungs, etc.
- Primary bile cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease of the bile capillaries.
- Another serious chronic inflammatory disease of the bile duct is primary sclerosing cholangitis. The exact cause of which debated but thought to be of autoimmune origin.
- Occlusion of the hepatic vein manifests clinically through various symptoms collectively called as Budd-Chiari syndrome.
More about the liver disease:
Many of these liver diseases can be either cured or controlled to minimize the damage effectivity if timely diagnosis takes place and treatment initiated at an early stage. Remember our liver a vital organ and we can not survive without it. It demands extra care and protection. Diagnosis and treatment facilities specifically aimed at liver health are rare in Pakistan, and your go-to health care professional may lack the required expertise that the liver demands.
Dr. Faisal Dar (Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute, Lahore)
Call us at 0341–0543883, 042-111 117 554
Email: info@faisaldar.com