Liver diseases are important health problems that seriously affect the functioning of many systems in the body. The liver, which has important functions such as protein and fat synthesis, carbohydrate and fat storage, bile and urea production, removal of drugs or other substances from the body, and hormone metabolism, is the largest organ of the body and a secretory gland. Therefore, any disease that disrupts the functioning of this organ, which has important effects on many systems, can cause serious disruptions in the functioning of other body systems. In the case of the disease, which is diagnosed at the initial stage and not controlled with the right treatment attempts, the general body functions of the person deteriorate rapidly and life-threatening health problems occur in the progressive stage. Therefore, it is extremely important to have information about liver-related diseases and the symptoms of these diseases, especially for people in the risk group for liver diseases.
What are Liver Diseases?
Liver diseases are mainly hepatitis, liver disease. failure, liver cysts, infectious liver diseases and liver tumors.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis can be defined as the development of an inflammatory reaction in the liver tissue. The source of this reaction may be a virus, drug or alcohol toxicity, as well as the body's own defense system may perceive liver cells as foreign cells and initiate an inflammatory reaction in these tissues. The most common type of hepatitis is hepatitis of viral origin. In this table, hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses are transmitted to the person in various ways and cause inflammation in the liver tissue. Liver infection that occurs with hepatitis B can heal spontaneously in 95% of patients, but recurs in 5% of patients and becomes chronic and may cause chronic liver failure, also called cirrhosis. However, excessive alcohol use, paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc. painkillers, some cholesterol drugs, some antibiotics such as amoxicillin, fungicides such as phenytoin, azitropine and ketoconazole used in the treatment of epilepsy, some herbal nutritional supplements, fungal infection and some industrial chemical agents such as carbon tetrachloride, vinyl chloride. Otherwise, it causes hepatitis and this picture is called toxic hepatitis. Autoimmune hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that occurs when the body's own immune system cells attack liver cells. Although the factor causing this picture is not known exactly, it can be said that genetic and environmental factors are effective. If it is diagnosed at an early stage and not treated correctly, there is a risk of resulting in liver failure.Acute Liver Failure
Liver damage that occurs within 8 weeks without previous liver disease is called acute liver failure. Some findings showing liver functions in the person change suddenly and various symptoms related to liver dysfunction are seen. If not treated correctly and quickly, liver tissue is rapidly lost and cirrhosis occurs.Chronic Liver Disease
Chronic liver disease, also called cirrhosis, is the most advanced stage of liver diseases caused by problems such as hepatitis and alcoholism. In this picture, extensive fibrosis (callus) develops between liver tissues and liver cells experience loss of function. The most common causes of cirrhosis can be listed as chronic alcoholism problem, chronic viral hepatitis picture (Hepatitis B and C) and fatty liver.Liver Cysts
Cystic diseases of the liver may be congenital or may occur later. Common liver cysts are defined in four different ways: congenital cysts, polycystic liver, biliary cystadenoma, and Caroli's disease. The treatment method in this disease group is usually surgical intervention. After surgical removal of the cyst, liver functions are largely restored.Liver Infections
Non-viral infectious diseases of the liver occur as hydatid cyst, pyogenic liver abscess and amebic liver abscess. The most common liver infection among these is hydatid cyst. The treatment of these diseases, which occur with similar findings, is usually in the form of antibiotics, but early diagnosis is critical for the treatment to be effective.Liver Tumors
Tumor diseases of the liver occur as benign and malignant. knows. When planning the treatment of these tumors caused by various factors, many factors such as the location of the tumor, the type of the tumor, the age of the patient, and additional disease status are taken into account.What are the Symptoms of Liver Diseases?
All these diseases that cause liver disease are called liver disease and the symptoms that occur in cases where the liver loses its function can be listed as follows:
Jaundice
When the liver function is disrupted, bile production does not occur and as a result, some substances that are excreted from the body through bile begin to accumulate. Bilirubin is one of them and when it exceeds certain values in the body, it leads to jaundice. Jaundice, which first starts in the white part of the eye, then becomes visible on the skin and spreads to the whole body.Swelling and Pain in the Abdomen
Another common symptom in liver diseases is the accumulation of fluid called “acid” in the abdominal cavity. While this accumulated fluid initially causes a tense appearance in the abdomen, it may cause serious swelling and pain in the future. As a result of disruptions in liver functions, the production of some blood cells such as albumin decreases, and as a result, problems with blood circulation occur. The most common symptom of this condition is edema in the lower part of the body. Edema that occurs especially in the ankles and does not regress may indicate liver diseases.Common Itching in the Skin
Bilirubin, which cannot be excreted with bile, also accumulates in the skin, and this causes severe itching on the skin surface of the person.Dark Colored Urine
The bilirubin, which is normally digested through bile and passed into the intestine and excreted together with the feces, passes into the urine and is excreted from the body in this way, since bile cannot be produced in patients with liver disease. For this reason, the urine color of liver patients is darker than normal and has a tea-like appearance.Pale Stool Color
The bilirubin substance was added to the digestive tract via bile and could not be excreted with feces� The color of the stool becomes pale compared to normal. This makes it harder for the blood to clot and leads to easier bleeding. One of the most common symptoms of this condition is blood in the stool.Chronic Fatigue
Severe disruptions in the functioning of the body systems impair both the digestion and energy metabolism of the person, and a picture of chronic fatigue occurs. Long-term fatigue is one of the most common findings together with liver disorders.Nausea, Loss of Appetite and Vomiting
Many enzymes produced in the liver are extremely important for maintaining both digestion and energy metabolism in the body. Disruptions in the production of these enzymes affect the digestive function and therefore the energy metabolism from start to finish. Nutritional problems such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, which are seen as a result of this, are among the symptoms of liver disease. is common. However, this does not indicate a liver disease and is called transient jaundice of the newborn. Under normal conditions, this jaundice, which regresses within 2-3 days, tends to disappear completely when the baby receives enough breast milk. However, in the presence of another underlying health problem, the level of bilirubin in the blood does not decrease and the baby's jaundice continues. Prolonged jaundice is one of the symptoms of liver disease. If the baby's eyes and skin have a yellow appearance, if the baby is sluggish and reluctant to suckle, if the stool color is pale, then bilirubin elevation and possible liver disease should come to mind. When such a picture is encountered, it is necessary to apply to the nearest health institution.Which Department deals with Liver Diseases?
Although the liver is an organ that has great effects on many systems of the body, it is originally located in the digestive system. gets. Thanks to the enzymes it secretes and substances such as bile it produces, it supports the digestive function and at the same time, the carbohydrates obtained as a result of digestion. It stores substances such as drat and oil. For this reason, liver diseases are included in the field of gastroenterology, like other digestive system diseases. The field of gastroenterology is the department that deals with the treatment of all diseases related to the digestive tract, starting from the mouth, including the esophagus, stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas. Therefore, people with the above-mentioned symptoms should apply to the field of gastroenterology. However, for liver diseases in infants, a pediatrician may need to be examined first.
Which Analysis Determines Liver Diseases?
Tests showing the functions of the liver are called Liver Function Tests in the medical field. For these tests, which include a group of biochemistry parameters, a certain amount of blood is taken from the patient and the values of substances such as ALT, AST, Bilirubin, Albumin, ALP, GGT, LDH, PTT and 5'-nucleotidase in this blood are measured. Thanks to this test, it is possible to diagnose many liver-related diseases and it can be preferred to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments applied.
How is Nutrition in Liver Diseases?
The liver is one of the organs that can easily renew itself in terms of structure. As a result of behaviors such as excessive alcohol consumption, cellular damage can develop, and rapid recovery can be seen thanks to alcohol detox and liver-supportive eating habits. In this direction, it is possible to support the treatment of existing liver disease or increase organ resistance against possible liver disease by consuming foods that are defined as liver-friendly. prevents its development. However, thanks to its fiber, magnesium, folate and vitamin C contents, it is effective on liver problems as well as in the prevention of cancer diseases. Pumpkin, broccoli, cabbage, celery, cauliflower, parsley, garlic, basil, mint, onion, carrot, blackberry, linden, Foods such as grapes, figs, apples, oranges and lemons are low in fat, extremely low in cholesterol, and high in fiber. Therefore, it has very beneficial effects on both the liver and other organs.
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