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Liver disease
 
 
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Liver disease is a broad term describing any single number of disease
Disease

A disease or medical condition is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and Medical signs....
s affecting the liver
Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion....
. Many are accompanied by jaundice
Jaundice

Jaundice, also known as icterus , is a yellowish discoloration of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclera , and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia ....
 caused by increased levels of bilirubin
Bilirubin

Bilirubin is the yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism. Heme is formed from hemoglobin, a principal component of red blood cells. Bilirubin is excreted in bile, and its levels are elevated in certain diseases....
 in the system. The bilirubin results from the breakup of the hemoglobin
Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates, and the tissues of some invertebrates....
 of dead red blood cell
Red blood cell

Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate body's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood....
s; normally, the liver removes bilirubin from the blood and excretes it through bile.

There are also many pediatric liver disease, including biliary atresia
Biliary atresia

Biliary atresia is a rare disease in neonate in which the common bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent. If unrecognised, the condition leads to liver failure but not to kernicterus....
, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, alagille syndrome
Alagille syndrome

Alagille syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the liver, heart, and other systems of the body. Problems associated with the disorder generally become evident in infancy or early childhood....
, and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis
Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis refers to a group of familial cholestasis conditions caused by defects in bile epithelial transporters....
, to name but a few.

A number of liver function tests
Liver function tests

Liver function tests , which include liver enzymes, are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give information about the state of a patient's liver....
 are available to test the proper function of the liver.






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Encyclopedia


Liver disease is a broad term describing any single number of disease
Disease

A disease or medical condition is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and Medical signs....
s affecting the liver
Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion....
. Many are accompanied by jaundice
Jaundice

Jaundice, also known as icterus , is a yellowish discoloration of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclera , and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia ....
 caused by increased levels of bilirubin
Bilirubin

Bilirubin is the yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism. Heme is formed from hemoglobin, a principal component of red blood cells. Bilirubin is excreted in bile, and its levels are elevated in certain diseases....
 in the system. The bilirubin results from the breakup of the hemoglobin
Hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates, and the tissues of some invertebrates....
 of dead red blood cell
Red blood cell

Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate body's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood....
s; normally, the liver removes bilirubin from the blood and excretes it through bile.
  • Hepatitis
    Hepatitis

    Hepatitis implies injury to the liver characterized by the presence of inflammatory cell s in the Tissue of the organ. The name is from ancient Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation" ....
    , inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various virus
    Virus

    A virus is a Optical microscope#Limitations of light microscopes infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell . Viruses infect all cellular life....
    es but also by some poisons, autoimmunity or hereditary conditions.
  • Cirrhosis
    Cirrhosis

    Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver Tissue by fibrous scar tissue as well as regenerative Nodule , leading to progressive loss of liver function....
     is the formation of fibrous tissue in the liver, replacing dead liver cells. The death of the liver cells can for example be caused by viral hepatitis, alcoholism
    Alcoholism

    Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions to describe the detrimental effects of alcohol intake.In common and historic usage, alcoholism refers to any condition that results in the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages despite health problems and negative social consequences....
     or contact with other liver-toxic chemicals.
  • Haemochromatosis
    Haemochromatosis

    Haemochromatosis, also spelled hemochromatosis , also called hereditary haemochromatosis, siderophilia and bronze diabetes, is a hereditary disease characterized by excessive absorption of Human iron metabolism resulting in a pathological increase in total body iron stores....
    , a hereditary disease causing the accumulation of iron
    Iron

    Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a Group 8 element and period 4 element. Iron is lustrous and silvery in color....
     in the body, eventually leading to liver damage.
  • Cancer
    Cancer

    Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
     of the liver (primary hepatocellular carcinoma
    Hepatocellular carcinoma

    Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary cancer of the liver. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitis infection or cirrhosis ....
     or cholangiocarcinoma
    Cholangiocarcinoma

    Cholangiocarcinoma is a cancer of the bile ducts, which drain bile from the liver into the small intestine. Other biliary tract cancers include pancreatic cancer, gall bladder cancer, and cancer of the ampulla of Vater....
     and metastatic cancers, usually from other parts of the gastrointestinal tract
    Gastrointestinal tract

    The digestive tract is the system of Organ s within multicellular animals that takes in food, digestion it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste....
    ).
  • Wilson's disease
    Wilson's disease

    Wilson's disease or hepatolenticular degeneration is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder in which copper accumulates in biological tissue; this manifests as neurology or psychiatry symptoms and liver disease....
    , a hereditary disease which causes the body to retain copper
    Copper

    Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
    .
  • Primary sclerosing cholangitis
    Primary sclerosing cholangitis

    Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic liver disease caused by progressive inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts of the liver. The inflammation impedes the flow of bile to the gut, which can ultimately lead to liver cirrhosis and liver failure....
    , an inflammatory
    Inflammation

    Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
     disease of the bile duct
    Bile duct

    A bile duct is any of a number of long tube-like structures that carry bile.Bile, required for the digestion of food, is excreted by the liver into passages that carry bile toward the hepatic duct, which joins with the cystic duct to form the common bile duct, which opens into the intestine....
    , likely autoimmune in nature.
  • Primary biliary cirrhosis
    Primary biliary cirrhosis

    Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease of the liver marked by the slow progressive destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver....
    , autoimmune disease of small bile ducts.
  • Budd-Chiari syndrome
    Budd-Chiari syndrome

    In medicine , Budd-Chiari syndrome is the clinical picture caused by occlusion of the hepatic veins. It presents with the classical triad of abdominal pain, ascites and hepatomegaly....
    , obstruction of the hepatic vein.
  • Gilbert's syndrome
    Gilbert's syndrome

    Gilbert's syndrome, pronounced 'zheel-BAYR', often shortened to GS, also called Gilbert-Meulengrachts syndrome, is the most common hereditary cause of increased bilirubin, and is found in up to 5% of the population ....
    , a genetic disorder of bilirubin
    Bilirubin

    Bilirubin is the yellow breakdown product of normal heme catabolism. Heme is formed from hemoglobin, a principal component of red blood cells. Bilirubin is excreted in bile, and its levels are elevated in certain diseases....
     metabolism, found in about 5% of the population.
  • Glycogen storage disease type II
    Glycogen storage disease type II

    Glycogen storage disease type II is a neuromuscular, autosomal recessive metabolic disorder in the family of lysosomal storage diseases caused by a deficiency in the enzyme Acid alpha-glucosidase , which is needed to break down glycogen a long, branched glucose polymer and stored form of sugar used for energy....
    , the build-up of glycogen causes progressive muscle weakness (myopathy) throughout the body and affects various body tissues, particularly in the heart, skeletal muscles, liver and nervous system.


There are also many pediatric liver disease, including biliary atresia
Biliary atresia

Biliary atresia is a rare disease in neonate in which the common bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or absent. If unrecognised, the condition leads to liver failure but not to kernicterus....
, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, alagille syndrome
Alagille syndrome

Alagille syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the liver, heart, and other systems of the body. Problems associated with the disorder generally become evident in infancy or early childhood....
, and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis
Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis

Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis refers to a group of familial cholestasis conditions caused by defects in bile epithelial transporters....
, to name but a few.

A number of liver function tests
Liver function tests

Liver function tests , which include liver enzymes, are groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give information about the state of a patient's liver....
 are available to test the proper function of the liver. These test for the presence of enzymes in blood that are normally most abundant in liver tissue, metabolites or products.

Symptoms of a diseased liver

The external signs include a coated tongue, bad breath, skin rashes, itchy skin, excessive sweating, offensive body odor, dark circles under the eyes, red swollen and itchy eyes, acne rosacea
Rosacea

Rosacea is a chronic condition characterized by facial erythema . Pimples are sometimes included as part of the definition.It is a common but often misunderstood condition that is estimated to affect over 45 million people worldwide....
, brownish spots and blemishes on the skin, flushed facial appearance or excessive facial blood vessels.

Other symptoms include jaundice, dark urine, pale stool, bone loss, easy bleeding, itching, small, spider-like blood vessels visible in the skin, enlarged spleen, fluid in the abdominal cavity, chills, pain from the biliary tract or pancrea, and an enlarged gallbladder.

The symptoms related to liver dysfunction include both physical signs and a variety of symptoms related to digestive problems, blood sugar problems, immune disorders, abnormal absorption of fats, and metabolism problems.

The malabsorption of fats may lead to symptoms that include indigestion, reflux, hemorrhoids, gall stones, intolerance to fatty foods, intolerance to alcohol, nausea and vomiting attacks, abdominal bloating, and constipation.

Nervous system disorders include depression, mood changes, especially anger and irritability, poor concentration and "foggy brain", overheating of the body, especially the face and torso, and recurrent headaches (including migraine) associated with nausea.

The blood sugar problems include a craving for sugar, hypoglycaemia and unstable blood sugar levels, and the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Abnormalities in the level of fats in the blood stream include elevated LDL cholesterol, reduced HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, clogged arteries leading to high blood pressure heart attacks and strokes, build up of fat in other body organs (fatty degeneration of organs), lumps of fat in the skin (lipomas and other fatty tumors), excessive weight gain (which may lead to obesity), inability to lose weight even while dieting, sluggish metabolism, protuberant abdomen (pot belly), cellulite, fatty liver, and a roll of fat around the upper abdomen (liver roll).

Treatment of liver diseases


Natural medicine


- The most commonly used herbs for liver problems include Milk Thistle
Milk thistle

Milk thistles are thistles of the genus Silybum Adans., flowering plants of the daisy family . They are native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East....
, Dandelion Root, Licorice Root, and Chicory
Chicory

Common chicory is a bushy perennial plant herb with blue, lavender, or occasionally white flowers. It grows as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and in North America, where it has become naturalized....
 root.. Phyllanthus
Phyllanthus

Phyllanthus is the largest genus in the Taxonomic family Phyllanthaceae. Phyllanthus has a remarkable diversity of growth forms including annual plant and perennial plant herbaceous plant, arborescent, climbing, floating aquatic, Pachycaule, and Phylloclade....
 is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat jaundice and the herbal formula Sho-saiko-to
Sho-saiko-to

Sho-Saiko-To , Also known as Minor Bupleurum Formula and Xiao Chai Hu Tang in Chinese, is an herbal supplement, believed to enhance liver health....
 is an approved Japanese Kampo
Kampo

Kampo medicine is the Japanese study and adaptation of Traditional Chinese medicine. The basic works of Traditional Chinese medicine came to Japan between the 7th and 9th centuries....
 medicine used to treat liver ailments.

- Milk Thistle
Milk thistle

Milk thistles are thistles of the genus Silybum Adans., flowering plants of the daisy family . They are native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East....
  is the best studied herb for hepatitis, and has been shown to help protect and regenerate liver cells.

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