The liver is one of the most commonly talked about vital organs in the human body, and even though not many people know of its actual functions, that doesn’t take away its high significance in our lives.
The liver is often talked about and associated with drinking and smoking. You’ve probably heard someone warn against both habits and how they are bad for you.
So apart from reacting harmfully to drinking and smoking what else does the liver do?
The human liver performs major functions ranging from detoxification to the production of bile, proteins and cholesterol for the body’s use.
The fact is that the human body absolutely cannot function without the one organ that is flushing away its toxic waste. And when issues arise that come to disrupt such important functions, the complications can be very critical.
We would like to share with you some more facts about your liver, how to take care of it effectively beyond just avoiding too much drinking and smoking as well as some warning signs that you may want to look out for if you want to maintain a healthy Liver.
So What Exactly Is This Organ
Fun fact: The Liver is the second largest organ in the body!
Want to know what organ is first? … The skin.
Its key functions include the detoxification of waste during the digestive processes and the production of bile. The bile aids in other digestive processes.
As important as this organ is, it is very much prone to various harmful diseases. Some of these diseases are life-threatening while others are milder. Liver or Hepatic diseases can be caused by a variety of things. And they are more common than you think.
This is due to the rise of harmful lifestyle practices, most especially excessive intake of alcohol and smoking. These and many more are some of the ways many people today both knowingly and unknowingly expose themselves to the risk of having hepatic diseases.
Types Of Liver Diseases
There is a large spectrum of complications that can befall the Liver. The possibilities are endless and with some fatal prognoses according to Cleveland Clinic. The great thing though, about most common cases of hepatic diseases is that many can be managed with early diagnosis.
The various forms of hepatic diseases are:
Viral Hepatitis: This is most commonly associated with one of the most dangerous sexually transmitted diseases, the various strains of hepatitis —A, B, C, D and E. With symptoms that almost never manifest and with a high death and infection rate, viral hepatitis can be fatal.
Autoimmune Liver Diseases: This arises from when the immune system mistakenly attacks the liver resulting in autoimmune liver diseases. It results in the inflammation of the liver and can be managed using treatment. It could be terminal. However, in the worst cases, a liver transplant could be the only option.
Inheritable Liver Diseases: These are diseases passed down from parent to offspring. There are many of these kinds of hereditary diseases affecting the Liver and one common example is hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes one to become highly prone to other chronic liver diseases.
Liver Cancer: This happens when there is rapid cell multiplication in the cells of the liver, resulting in harmful and irregular growths and tumours. Some of these growths may be very cancerous.
What To Look Out For
Although hepatic diseases come in various forms with their unique effects and causes, there are some very common warning signs when it comes to liver diseases.
Some of the most common symptoms critical to pay attention to in order to prevent chronic liver diseases include:
- Abdominal pain and swelling
- Yellowness of the eyes
- Change in urine or stool colour
- Tiredness
- Nausea/vomiting
- Itchy Skin
- Swelling in the limbs
Some of these and more are the earliest and easy to detect signs of possible hepatic diseases.
However, if there’s anything I think you should know right now it’s that diseases do not always manifest in ways that are easily noticeable. Most of the fatal cases of liver diseases are due to late diagnosis, many at times associated with less prominent initial symptoms.
This is why we strive to provide professional medical services at your fingertips.
You should book an appointment with one of our professionals, to get your liver checked! click here to get started today!
