A variety of diseases and conditions can affect the overall capacity of the liver, a vital organ of the body. Conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer can cause a lot of damage to the liver. Many other diseases such as hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis can also create problems for the liver. Symptoms of Liver Problems Symptoms vary, depending on the actual disease. Most people are... Read more >
Cirrhosis of the liver is the end result of years of organ damage. Chronic inflammation slowly builds scar tissue, changing the organ's shape, killing organ cells and altering blood flow. The liver becomes increasingly damaged and loses its capacity to function effectively. Every year, cirrhosis kills approximately 25,000 Americans. In its final stages, the diseased organ is covered with large areas of... Read more >
Hepatitis C (also known as HCV or hep C) is a liver-damaging virus that is spread through exposure to contaminated blood and body fluids. The virus has infected approximately four million Americans. Out of this number, over 2.5 million suffer from chronic HCV infection. New cases of hepatitis C are declining as awareness of the disease alters public perceptions and health care precautions. Approximately... Read more >
Every year, over 16,000 new cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed in the United States. Out of this number approximately 14,000 cases will prove fatal. Worldwide, the numbers are even higher: areas of Africa and Asia have incidence rates ten times as high as those in America. Worldwide, rates appear to be increasing. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for over eighty percent of... Read more >
A liver cancer diagnosis usually starts with a physical examination. The doctor feels for hard lumps in the abdomen. An organ affected by a tumor often feels enlarged and hard to the touch. The patient may feel some pain during the physical exam, as the liver may be tender. If the doctor listens to the blood vessels surrounding the liver, he may hear sounds that indicate the tumor is putting pressure on the... Read more >
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a disease that causes an inflammation of the bile ducts. The inflammation damages the bile ducts, which causes scarring or fibrosis, hardening, narrowing and possibly blocking of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver. The bile ducts are the only way for bile to drain from the liver, so narrowed ducts cause bile to back up in the liver. This eventually leads to damage... Read more >
Many drugs can cause hepatotoxicity, the toxic destruction of the liver. Eight of every thousand cases of hepatitis are caused by medications. The liver reacts to the medication and becomes inflamed. Treatment is relatively straightforward: if medication side effects cause drug-induced hepatitis, discontinuing or changing the medication usually resolves the issue within a few weeks. The timing of the... Read more >
Besides hepatitis, cirrhosis and cancer, a number of other liver disorders exist. These disorders vary in severity from life threatening to mild. Many of these disorders have a genetic basis and vary in severity from mild to life threatening. The following are some of the more common examples of liver disease. Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a hereditary disorder. The mechanism... Read more >
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