The liver is an organ located to the right of your belly inside the ribcage for protection. It has two lobes; left and right. It is surrounded by the gall bladder, intestines, and pancreas.
What does the Liver Do?
- It primarily helps digestion by filtering the blood coming from the digestive tract and sending it to the rest of the body.
- Another function of the liver is to detoxify chemicals and metabolize drugs.
- It secretes bile.
- It synthesizes proteins that are important for blood clotting.
It is why liver specialists in Delhi or any other city stress the importance of maintaining the health of your liver.
Liver Diseases & Disorders and Their Causes
According to the best liver hospital in Delhi, your whole body gets affected when the liver is affected. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the cause of the liver malfunction and treat it. Let us classify the causes of liver diseases and disorders as such:
- Infections
- Immune system disorders
- Cancer and tumors
- Inherited conditions, and
- Others
- Infections of the Liver
A viral infection called Hepatitis is a major liver infection. The different Hepatitis and their causes are:
- Hepatitis A: This infection is caused due to consumption of food or water contaminated by fecal matter. Its symptoms are mild or nil, and it does not stay for more than six months.
- Hepatitis B: This infection can either be transmitted sexually or by contact with infected body fluids. If it extends beyond six months, you may develop a tumor.
- Hepatitis C: This infection is caused due to contact with contaminated blood, like blood transfusion, sharing needles, etc. It does not show symptoms for up to several years.
Sometimes, there are non-viral factors like heavy drinking, drugs, allergic reactions, or obesity.
- Immune System Disorders
These occur when the immune system is confused due to some drugs or microorganisms, and it attacks your cells instead of foreign bodies.
- Autoimmune hepatitis: It attacks its cells leading to disorders and even fail sometimes. Women are more commonly affected by this disorder.
- Primary biliary cholangitis: It attacks the small tubes called biliary ducts that carry bile, a digestive enzyme. When these ducts are damaged, bile accumulates, leading to scars. Women are more commonly affected.
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis: It causes scars on the surface of bile ducts leading to a build-up of bile. With time, the efficiency of your liver gets decreased, and one day you might need a liver transplant. Men are more likely to develop this.
- Tumor and Cancer
- Liver Cancer: Also called hepatocellular carcinoma, it is the most common type that occurs predominantly in women and African-Americans. It is caused after an episode of cirrhosis or hepatitis. Too much liquor can also lead to liver cancer.
- Bile duct cancer: It is a tumor developed in the ducts running from the liver to the small intestine, carrying bile, a digestive enzyme. Usually, this tumor targets people in their 50s. But this is seen rarely.
- Inheritable Conditions
- Hemochromatosis: It is a condition where the liver stores high levels of iron in the body. The extra iron may build up and lead to serious liver issues, diabetes, etc.
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Deficiency: Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) is a chemical synthesized by the liver to help the lungs prevent infections. However, when the synthesis goes wrong, the wrong chemical build-up can destroy your liver
- Wilson’s disease: It is a condition that leads to copper build-up in the liver. When it goes extreme, your liver gets affected apart from the nervous system, which causes psychiatric problems. It is seen in people between the ages of 6 and 35.
- Hyperoxaluria: This condition occurs because of the presence of a chemical called oxalate in your urine. Sometimes, your liver synthesizes a little more oxalate due to genetic mutations. It may lead to the formation of kidney stones and hence, kidney failure.
- Other Causes
- Cirrhosis: Your liver develops scars that prevent natural functioning and lead to problems like liver cancer.
- Alcohol Abuse: Too much alcohol consumption is prone to affect your liver adversely. It can also lead to severe conditions like cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and long-term cases of hepatitis B and C.
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH nonalcoholic steatohepatitis):This is a condition where fat gets accumulated inside the liver. This may cause inflammation in the liver and hence inhibit its functions.
- Gilbert’s disease: It is an abnormal bilirubin metabolism that is prevalent in the liver. It is an asymptomatic condition and needs no treatment.
The Bottom Line
These are the various causes of liver Diseases. A liver specialist in Delhi provides you with24/7 services and doctors to identify your liver problems before the damage is irreversible.
