Liver diseases are serious health problems that significantly affect the mechanisms of many systems in the body. It is the largest organ in the body and a gland, while it has many important functions such as synthesizing proteins and fats, removing drugs or other substances from the body. Any damage that disrupts its functioning can cause disruptions in the functions of other systems. Its treatment is very important for individuals in risky groups.
If it is not detected in the early stages and controlled with the right treatment methods, the body's functions can deteriorate rapidly and health problems that can cause life-threatening health problems may occur in the later stages. Knowing the diseases related to this condition and the symptoms of these diseases is important for people's health.
What are Liver Diseases?
The organ, which has the ability to regenerate itself, can become unable to heal itself in some different situations and can be damaged too much. In addition, the occurrence of certain diseases can also damage this organ. The main liver diseases are as follows:
Hepatitis
Hepatitis can cause a number of infections and inflammation in the organ. The causes of this formation can be viruses, long-term medications and alcohol-related poisoning, as well as the defense system in the body can see the cells in the organ as a different cell and initiate infection.
The most common type of hepatitis is viral hepatitis. In this case, hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses can infect the individual for different reasons and cause inflammation in the tissue. The disease caused by hepatitis B can often heal on its own. It may recur in one episode and become chronic. Then liver failure , called cirrhosis, can occur.
In addition, consuming too much alcohol, certain medications and painkillers, some antibiotics, drugs used in the treatment of epilepsy and some herbal food supplements can cause hepatitis.
Acute Liver Failure
In people who previously had no problems with the functioning of this organ and had no disease, this is caused by the fact that a damage occurs in about 7-8 weeks. In this case, there may be momentary changes in the functioning of the organ and different symptoms may be seen depending on the disorder. If the correct treatment method is not applied, serious losses may occur and cirrhosis may occur.
Chronic Liver Disease
This is a serious and terminal stage of the disease caused by factors such as hepatitis and alcohol. In this condition, callousing (fibrosis) develops between the tissues and the function of the cells in the organ is impaired. Among the most common causes of this condition are alcoholism, hepatitis and fatty deposits.
Liver Cysts
These cysts may be congenital or may develop later in life. These frequently encountered cysts are defined in four different types. Surgical methods are usually applied in their treatment. After removal of the cyst, the functions of the organ are greatly improved.
Liver Infections
Infections other than viruses can occur in the form of hydatid cysts, bacterial abscesses and amebic abscesses. Treatment of these diseases with similar symptoms is mostly done with antibiotherapy. Early diagnosis is important in this treatment.
Liver Tumors
There are two types of this disease: benign and malignant. The treatment process of these tumors, which occur due to different causes, may vary depending on the location of the tumor, the age of the person and the different diseases they carry.
What are the Symptoms of Liver Diseases?
All these diseases that cause impaired functionality of the organ cause serious damage to the organ. In cases of loss of function caused by these diseases, the symptoms of liver diseases can be listed as follows:
Jaundice: In case of impaired functioning, it does not produce bile and in this case, some substances that need to be excreted from the body remain in the body while they cannot be excreted. While this condition can cause jaundice, the condition that starts in the whites of the person's eyes can then be seen on the skin and finally spread to the whole body.
Swelling and Pain: Abdominal pain and swelling are among the most common symptoms of these diseases. The fluid accumulated in the abdominal cavity causes this condition.
Edema in Feet and Legs: In cases where the organ cannot fulfill its function, some blood circulation problems may occur. Edema that usually occurs in the lower parts of the body can cause this condition.
Itching: Substances that cannot be excreted from the body through bile can cause an intense itching condition in the person by accumulating bile salts on the skin.
Dark Color in Urine: Substances that cannot be excreted from the body through bile pass into the urinary tract and are tried to be excreted from the body in this way. For this reason, people may have dark color in their urine.
Pale Color in Stool: The fact that bilirubin is added to the digestive tract through bile and is not excreted through feces can cause a color change in the stool and pale compared to normal.
Blood in the Stool: While problems in blood circulation can cause bleeding, the most common symptom in this case is bloody stools.
Prolonged Fatigue: Serious damages and problems that can occur in the functions of the mechanisms in the body negatively affect the digestive system and metabolism of the person. This situation causes the symptom of fatigue in the person. It is one of the most common symptoms.
Nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite: Many enzymes produced in this organ are of great importance for the functioning of digestion and metabolism in the body. Problems in these organs can affect digestion and cause nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.
Apart from these, there are a number of symptoms that the person may experience. These are; sleep problems, bruises and bruises, fever, skin rashes.
What are the Symptoms of Liver Diseases in Infants?
Jaundice is frequently experienced in infants with bilirubin elevation. However, this condition does not cause disease and jaundice in infants is known to be temporary. This disease, which normally regresses in 2 or 3 days, completely resolves when the baby consumes enough breast milk. When there is a different health problem under this condition, the bilirubin rate does not decrease and jaundice may continue.
Prolonged jaundice is among the symptoms of this disease. Since this disease can occur when yellow color occurs in the eyes and skin of babies, when there is weakness and reluctance to suck, when the color of their stools is pale, babies with this problem should be taken to the hospital immediately, examined by a specialist doctor and necessary treatments should be applied.
What is Nutrition in Liver Diseases?
It is an organ that can renew and heal itself due to its structure. Too much alcohol consumption and unhealthy diets can cause damage to cells. With nutrition to support this organ and stopping alcohol consumption, recovery can be achieved.
The foods that should be consumed in these diseases and the vitamins that should be taken are as follows:
- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
- Artichoke
- Pumpkin
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Celery and cauliflower
- Garlic and onion
- Grapes, oranges, apples and lemons
In addition, there are also foods that should not be consumed. These people should not consume foods with high iron levels such as molasses and offal frequently.
It is important to pay attention to the health of this organ that affects many systems in the body. Being aware of these diseases, which can progress rapidly, and eating a healthy diet also prevents the emergence of diseases.