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 >
No cure exists for cirrhosis. Damage caused by scarring cannot be reversed. However, the progression of the disease can be halted. Treatment varies according to the cause of the cirrhosis. No matter what the cause, a damaged liver requires changes in lifestyle, eating habits and personal health care. Emergency Symptoms If you suffer from cirrhosis, seek immediate medical attention if you experience any 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 >
A number of factors increase a person's chance of developing primary liver cancer (also known as hepatoma). Age, gender and genes all play a part. Men are twice as likely to suffer from the disease as women and incidence rates increase after age 60. The role genetics plays is unclear, although researchers speculate that people with a family history of hepatomas are at greater than normal risk. The exact... Read more >
While a hepatitis vaccine for HAV and HBV is available, a vaccine for hepatitis C has yet to be developed. Therefore, prevention of the disease is important. In the absence of a hepatitis C vaccine, you can take some simple precautions to lower your chance of contracting the virus.Drug Abuse and HCV Statistically, intravenous drug abuse leads to more cases of HCV than any other form of hepatitis C transmission... Read more >
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