Know About the Symptoms of Liver Diseases

Liver is body’s chemical workshop. It is responsible for over 25% of basal metabolism of the body. So, it is very important to take care of our liver. Some changes in the diet can make that happen. Nothing happens spontaneously. Regular care of your food and health is very necessary to keep you fit and fine.

Functions of Liver

Intermediary metabolism: Gluconeogenesis, conversion of glucose into fatty acids, ketone body formation.

Synthetic: Plasma albumin, alpha globulin, lipoprotein, transferring

Excretory: Cholesterol and other steroids, including steroid hormones and other toxins

Storage: Glycogen, vitamins A, D, B12 and iron

It is also helpful in providing immunity and blood cell formation.

Agents Responsible for Liver Disease.

1. Dietary deficiencies: Liver can become fatty due to many reasons, namely low protein intake and reduced capacity to secrete lipoproteins, high consumption of fat, diabetes, obesity and also starvation. These disorders are easily reversible by proper diet management.

2. Infective agents: virus can cause infection and damage to the liver. Hepatitis A and E virus are infectious and is spread through faecal-oral route. After liver damage the patient suffers from jaundice and enlarged liver. So liver diseases are infectious, other family members should take care.

3. Hepatitis B, C, D and Gviruses are spread through blood transfusion of infected blood. Some liver diseases are yellow fever and amoebiasis.

4. Toxic Agents: Alcohol: In malnourished patients consumption of alcohol produces acute liver damage and jaundice that resembles viral hepatitis. Alcohol is also known to have direct action on the lipid metabolism in liver by

(i) enhancing fatty acid synthesis

(ii) decreasing fatty acid oxidation

(iii)producing stimulation to triglyceride formation

5. Drugs and chemicals: Every drug that is consumed reaches the liver and its chemical nature is altered before being eliminated from the body. Drugs like paracetamol, INH, oestrogen may damage the liver. Workers in the chemical industry like organic hydrocarbons may develop liver damage. Excess storage of iron, copper, galactose and glycogen may accumulate in the liver and in time lead to cirrhosis.

6. Cirrhosis:It is the necrosis or death of cells of liver. It occurs at a later stage of liver disease.

Various types of liver diseases:

Infective Hepatitis

Cirrhosis of Liver

Hepatic coma

Cholecystitis and Cholelithiasis

The question arising after reading this article is that what regular diet management is to be done. Toxins and alcohol should be is recommended to avoid consuming medicines frequently, on every small disorder or discomfort, as antibiotics on longer run cause damage to both liver as well as kidney.

Diet: Sufficient carbohydrates to meet the tissue energy needs, so that, the tissue protein is not broken down for energy. Protein in sufficient amount and less amount of fat should be taken. Vitamins, minerals and water along with proper electrolytes like fruit juices should be included in the diet.