Early Signs, Symptoms of Liver Disease | Home Remedies for Liver Disease

August 8, 2011 Early Signs of Liver Disease

Liver disease is a serious illness that requires immediate medical attention. The liver is responsible for many critical functions in the body, and in case the organ becomes diseased or injured, you may have to consult a physician as soon as possible. Liver damage can cause significant problems in the body, and this is known as hepatic disease. Since the liver is responsible for detoxifying blood, any damage to the liver can result in the accumulation of toxins in the body. This can, therefore, affect other organs in the body and ultimately lead to a rapid decline in the healthy functioning of the body.

It is important to recognize the early signs of liver disease in order to get treatment for the condition immediately. The first symptom of liver disease is usually jaundice, which is the yellowing of skin and the whites of the eyes. The color of urine also deepens and becomes a dark yellow in color. This is caused due to production of bilirubin. When the old venous blood is not processed properly, the toxins begin to accumulate, and it ultimately leads to the yellowing of skin. There may be some flu like symptoms that accompany the jaundice.

Some of the other early symptoms of liver disease include thirst, constipation, palpitations, abdominal discomfort and distention, urinary problems, nausea, edema, loose stools, fatigue, and cold hands and feet. Your digestion would also become disturbed. You may experience a severe drop in appetite, and eventually experience severe weight loss. The metabolism can also take a serious hit and the fats and proteins may not be metabolized properly. The lack of appetite could result in anemia. You may also experience nausea and vomiting. Heartburn can also result from the complex interaction between the bile acids, histamines and gastric juices.

The color of the stools will also change, and these may become lighter. Since the common causes of liver disease are viral transmission and alcohol abuse, other symptoms relating to these may also be experienced. There may be skin problems, headaches, tinnitus, dizziness, strokes, seizures, depression, redness of the eyes, tension, back pain, ticks and spasms, and loss of flexibility in the ligaments.

Home Remedies for Liver Disease

If you have been diagnosed with liver disease or fibrosis, there are certain things that you can do in order to improve the functioning of your liver. One of the best home remedies for liver disease is to prepare a diet plan that will help you control the damage. For natural treatment of liver disease, avoid consuming some beverages that contain caffeine and tannins. Perform yoga as well as breathing exercises in order to get rid of the toxins that are not being removed from the blood due to the damaged liver. Drink lots of water. This will soothe the heartburns and the bloating, and will also help the kidneys filter the blood and remove the toxins that were not removed by the liver, thus maintaining efficient functioning of the body.

Avoid consuming fried and fatty foods as the lack of bile being produced in the liver may interfere with the metabolism of the fats. Include some garlic in your diet as this can help in the healing of liver damage. Consume green vegetables and lots of fresh fruits, which are essential for the natural repair of the damaged liver tissues. You can also consume carrot juice every day to cleanse your liver. Carrot juice is rich in vitamin A and helps cleanse the liver completely of diseases.

Avoid consuming buffalo’s milk as that contains a lot of fats. Instead, consume pasteurized and skimmed milk obtained from goat or cow. You may have to fast at least one day in the week, but do this only after consultation with your doctor or your dietician. Also, the best diet for liver diseases is one that suits you specifically. Sit with a dietician and your doctor and plan a diet that takes into consideration your specific needs and requirements.

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Ascites Liver Disease, Failure | Causes of Ascites in Abdomen

August 9, 2011 Ascites Liver Disease

Ascites is associated with liver disease and cirrhosis. Though ascites could occur in any kind of liver diseases, the accumulation of this fluid occurs in the later stages of severe liver conditions. When ascites progresses and reaches an advanced stage, it could ultimately lead to accumulation of the fluid and edema in your legs, arms, and other parts of the body.

Ascites liver disease is very common in patients who have chronic liver complaints. Fibrosis of the liver is often present in those who have liver disease. As the liver begins to get scarred, you can get liver cirrhosis. In advanced stages of the liver disease, the abdominal cavity fills with a fluid known as ascites. This fluid can infect other organs and can cause bloating in the stomach. The inner lining of the cavity, due to the excessive amount of fluids, can fold over into the other organs in your body.

The folding in of the inner lining of the abdomen could put some pressure on the blood vessels inside your abdomen. As the veins are pressured, the blood vessels are not able to pass blood to different organs in your body such as spleen, stomach, liver, and intestines. The lack of blood flowing to these organs can cause a decline in their normal functioning.

This in turn produces a larger quantity of the abdominal fluids, which complicated the circulatory problems even further. One of the causes of ascites in abdomen is the lowering of a blood protein known as albumin. Albumin is a protein that is present in high quantities in the blood. This protein helps maintain the thickness as well as the volume of the blood.  However, when a person has liver cirrhosis, the amount of albumin in the blood is reduced, and there is a larger amount of fluids that accumulates in the abdomen.

There are specific signs and symptoms of ascites that can be ascertained through a physical evaluation as well as several blood tests. Ascites may be accompanied with jaundice since it is almost always caused due to liver diseases.

Ascites Liver Failure

Ascites liver failure is usually a very serious condition, and it is present in liver cancer or severe cases of liver cirrhosis. Portal hypertension ascites can cause a lot of different symptoms. The increased fluids in the abdomen could cause dilation of veins in the neck as well as the esophagus. The veins on the abdomen also become prominent and may begin to be seen outside the surface of the skin as well. The persistent formation of fluids in the abdomen also often leads to the enlargement of the spleen.

The treatment of ascites requires regular draining of the abdomen to remove this fluid from the body. Usually, when the cirrhosis of liver is not very severe, syringes may be used to remove the fluid from the distended abdomen. The doctor usually makes a physical examination to see which areas are palpable. Since the blood and the excessive fluids in the abdomen can cause a lot of pressure on the abdominal organs, it is important to repeatedly drain this fluid. The removal of this ascites through a syringe is known as paracentesis.

Ascites could also be caused due to other chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, cancer, nephrosis, and tuberculosis. Diuretics may be used to remove the ascites from your body naturally without the use of syringes or other drainage equipment. However, sometimes diuretics do not help this condition, and therefore, you will require surgical removal of the fluids. In case, there is larger amount of fluid in the body, you would need regular sittings with your doctor for performing paracentesis.

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Treatment for Cholestasis - During Pregnancy | Causes of Cholestasis

August 10, 2011 Treatment for Cholestasis

Cholestasis can be described as a condition that many women experience in the late stages of the third trimester. In this condition, the flow of bile from the liver gets blocked because of different reasons. As a result you are likely to experience intense itchiness, especially on your hands and feet if you do suffer from this problem. Cholestasis can cause problems for you as well as your baby, which is why this condition can be quite dangerous and treatment for cholestasis becomes important. Your health care provider may recommend an early delivery if you are diagnosed with cholestasis.

Causes of Cholestasis

Up to 15% of all pregnant women around the world develop cholestasis. Though the exact causes of cholestasis are unknown, health experts believe that the condition is triggered off by pregnancy hormones. It is a well-known fact that pregnancy hormones can have an effect on the functioning of your gallbladder. At times, these hormones can slow down the flow of bile or even stop it completely. When the excess bile enters the bloodstream, it leads to cholestasis.

Symptoms of Cholestasis

One of the first signs of this condition is severe itching in the hands and legs. At times, the itchiness could be severe enough to disrupt your sleep. Given below are some of the other symptoms of cholestasis:

Urine that is darker in colorYellow tinge in the eyes and skinBowel movements that are lighter in color

Do inform your health care provider as soon as you notice any of the symptoms of cholestasis.

Treatment for cholestasis

The treatment for cholestasis has two goals; the first is to prevent any complications and the second is to relieve the itchiness.

In order to prevent any complications, you may be advised to undergo early labor, if you have completed 37 weeks. In case you haven’t crossed the 37th week, your doctor may ask you to go in for ultrasounds tests on a regular basis, to monitor your baby’s heartbeat and movement.

To increase the flow of bile and relieve the itching, your doctor can prescribe certain medicines, like ursodeoxycholic. Anti-itch lotions and creams containing corticosteroids are also very useful in regulating the itchiness. Soaking the affected areas in lukewarm water has also been known to reduce the itching.

Cholestasis of Pregnancy Treatment

Diagnosis of Cholestasis

In order to confirm the diagnosis of cholestasis during pregnancy, your health care provider will need to:

Ask you a few questions about your medical history and perhaps even your family historyPerform a detailed physical examConduct an ultrasound test to check the liver for any abnormalitiesTake a few blood samples and send them to a lab for testing

Once it is confirmed that you are suffering from cholestasis, you may need to go in for a non-stress test, so that the doctor can check how much your baby’s heartbeat increases with movement.

Cholestasis of Pregnancy Treatment

When checking for cholestasis of pregnancy treatment, your doctor may ask you to take a few prescription medicines as well as topical lotions or creams that contain corticosteroids. Alternately, you could also use simple home remedies to relieve the itchiness during pregnancy.

Cornstarch is an excellent home remedy for relieving itchiness caused by various conditions. Since there are no known serious side effects associated with this remedy, it is considered quite safe for use during pregnancy too. Fill up a bathtub with some cool water and add some cornstarch to it. Sit in the bathtub for around 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing your body off. This remedy reduces the itchiness, but will not address the underlying condition.

Alternately, you may also be asked to soak the affected parts in some plain lukewarm water for a while. In case you do develop cholestasis during pregnancy, your doctor will need to monitor your condition carefully. After the completion of 37 weeks, your doctor may also advise you to go through an early delivery, if the condition poses a threat to your baby.

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Diet, Healthy Foods for Fatty Liver Disease | Causes of Fatty Liver Disease

August 10, 2011 Diet for Fatty Liver Disease

Fat, when visible, is easy to take care of. If you notice your waist getting bigger or your legs and arms getting thicker, you can simply work out and get rid of the fat. However, your organs can have similar problems. A fatty liver, for instance, is a serious medical condition that can lead to severe damage to the liver. While some fat in the liver is normal, a fatty liver is one which has more than 10% fat by weight. In a lot of cases, this disease can cause serious complications and lead to liver failure.

A diet for fatty liver disease is extremely crucial to the effective treatment of this condition. If you are consuming more fat than what is recommended, it can eventually lead to fatty liver, so the first rule of planning a diet for fatty liver is to cut down on the amounts of fat that you consume. Healthy foods for liver disease can help in detoxifying the liver. Fatty liver is usually caused when the fats begin to get stored in the cells around the liver. The foods that you select for treatment of your fatty acid disease are usually very healthy for other diseases and disorders as well. Since good nutrition is ideal for the treatment of fatty liver disease, the foods that you consume for the treatment of this condition improves your overall health and well-being.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease diet should ideally be low in processed and refined foods. Try and avoid white breads, fats such as butter, concentrated sugars, drinks that contain syrups and added sugars, carbonated drinks, white rice and other starchy foods, foods with a high glycemic index, fried foods and other fast foods, foods with high cholesterol such as eggs, and foods that are high in salts and fats.

Some of the foods that you should include in your diet are whole grains and whole grain breads, cinnamon, skimmed milk instead of whole milk, unprocessed foods, beans, high protein foods such as white meats, fish and lean cuts, vegetables with high fiber content such as broccoli, and fruits that are low in sugars. When planning a diet for this condition, also remember that moderation is the key factor.

Treatment for Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease symptoms often go unnoticed. However, if you experience problems due to this condition, your doctor would have to sit down with you and put together a treatment plan. The causes of fatty liver disease usually determine the treatments of this condition. The first step towards the treatment for fatty liver disease is to work out a diet that is healthy for you. Cutting down on fats and including fresh, healthy and fiber rich foods can help you get a meal that is healthy for you and helps you treat this condition.

If you are overweight, you would need to lose some weight. You can start off with some simple exercises. Both aerobic and cardiovascular exercises can help you reach your fitness goals faster. You can also supplement your diet and your exercise regimen with the help of yoga.

A recent study has shown that drinking a glass of wine a day can help treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, if the liver damage has been caused due to alcohol consumption, alcohol should be avoided altogether.

Apart from these remedies, the doctor will also offer you medical treatments in order to address the problems. A controlled diet would still remain the focus of your treatment, so you may need to consult with a dietician to help you plan daily meals. If you have other medical condition such as hypertension or diabetes, you will need to get those conditions treated as well.

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Liver Disease and Alcohol Consumption | Common Causes of Liver Disease

August 10, 2011 Liver Disease and Alcohol Consumption

You are probably aware of the fact that drinking a lot of alcohol has an adverse effect on your health. But are you aware of the interrelation between liver disease and alcohol consumption? Liver disease and alcohol consumption are very closely related to each other. There are three types of liver disease that you can suffer from if your consumption of alcohol is more than what is recommended. These diseases include cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, and alcoholic hepatitis.

Fatty liver disease is the most commonly seen liver disease due to alcohol. It is caused by the excess accumulation of fat cells within the liver. In case you are suffering from this alcohol-induced disorder, your liver will get enlarged, because of which you will experience abdominal discomfort on the right side.

Alcoholic hepatitis could be described as acute inflammation in the liver. This condition leads to liver getting scarred as well as destruction of individual liver-cells. In case you are suffering from this problem, you are likely to notice symptoms like jaundice, fever, a tender liver and spider-veins on the skin.

Cirrhosis refers to the destruction of the normal liver tissues, leaving behind scarred tissues that do not function properly. This disease is accompanied by several serious symptoms and could also lead to liver cancer.

A liver disease from alcohol abuse usually occurs if you consume excess amounts of the harmful substance for years together. Any alcohol that you drink gets absorbed into your bloodstream, after passing through your stomach and your intestines. All the blood in your intestines and stomach goes through the liver, before it circulates through the rest of the body. Therefore, the blood that is in the liver has the highest concentration of alcohol, as compared to the rest of the body. The enzymes or chemicals present in the liver cells metabolize alcohol, by first breaking it down into different chemicals and then into water and carbon dioxide. They are then passed out from the lungs and in the urine. There is only so much alcohol that your liver can process in an hour. If you drink alcohol at a pace faster than what your liver can handle, it is only natural that the levels of alcohol in your blood stream will rise. In order to reduce the risk of any liver disease due to alcohol you need to make sure that you consume no more than one or two units in a day.

Common Causes of Liver Disease

Your liver is a very important organ, which is located on the upper-right side of your abdomen. It performs several important functions like:

Converting the nutrients absorbed from food into blood componentsDetoxifying the substances that may be harmful to the bodyEnabling the immune system to combat infectionsMaintaining the balance of hormonesMaking bile for digestionMetabolizing all the foods and beverages that are consumedProducing enzymes and proteinsRegulating the clotting of bloodRemoving bacteria from the bloodStoring vitamins and minerals

A liver disease could include any condition that damages your liver tissue or causes your liver to get inflamed, thereby affecting liver function adversely. Liver diseases can be categorized by their cause as well as the effect they have on the liver.

Causes of Liver Diseases

There are several different factors that could cause you to suffer from a liver disease. Some of the most common causes of liver diseases include:

Infections or injuries around the liverAlcohol abuseExcess exposure to toxic substances or drugsAutoimmune or genetic defectsCertain medical conditions

Symptoms of Liver Disease

The early symptoms of liver disease like loss of energy and weakness are fairly common. Therefore most liver diseases go undetected in the initial stages. However, as the disease progresses and gets more severe, the symptoms also become more evident. In fact, the symptoms of liver disease may be absent, till the condition reaches an advanced stage. Some of the most common symptoms of liver disease include:

Dark urine, often accompanied by light stoolsDiarrheaAppetite lossVomiting and NauseaAbdominal painPruritusSwelling in the abdominal areaUnexplained weight gain or weight lossJaundice or the skin and eyes turn yellow

Home Remedies for Liver Disease

There are several effective home and natural remedies that can help alleviate the symptoms caused by liver diseases. Given below are some of the most common natural and home remedies for liver disease:

Drinking the juice extracted from two raw oranges once each dayConsuming a mixture made from equal parts of spinach juice and carrot juiceHaving a mixture made from papaya seeds extract and a teaspoon of lime juice

These home remedies for liver disease do not really cure the disease, but can alleviate the discomfort. It is best to consult a doctor and get an approval, before using any of them.

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Primary Biliary Cirrhosis of the Liver - Treatment, Symptoms, Diet, Prognosis

August 10, 2011 Primary Biliary Cirrhosis of the Liver

Primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver refers to a disease that gradually destroys bile ducts present within the liver. Bile is very important to digest the fat as also it is required for the elimination of toxins, cholesterol and the dead red blood cells from the body. In case you are suffering from primary biliary cirrhosis, the bile ducts literally get destroyed, because of which harmful and toxic substances get collected in the liver. This could cause your liver tissue to get scarred irreversibly. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition, but you may be able to slow down the progress of the disease by going through primary biliary cirrhosis treatment as early as possible.

Primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver is quite a serious ailment on its own and as the liver damage worsens, you may develop a number of serious health problems, some of which include:

CirrhosisCognitive impairment or problems with concentration and memoryDeficiency of vitaminsEnlarged veinsLimited sclerodermaLiver cancerOsteoporosis or weakening of the bonesPortal hypertension or increase in pressure within the portal veinsRaynaud’s phenomenonRheumatoid arthritisThyroid disease

Though anyone can suffer from primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver, it is a lot more common in women, than in men. It has also been observed that this disease has the tendency to run in families. The common causes of a liver disease usually include excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse, underlying medical conditions and so on. But the exact cause of primary biliary cirrhosis is still not clear. Health experts believe that it is an autoimmune disease, where your body begins to destroy its own cells, though environmental factors also play a part in it.

For several years now researchers have believed that primary biliary cirrhosis occurs due to infections caused by bacterial, viral and parasites. This could be because there have been many reports of women suffering from urinary tract infections caused by the Escherichia coli bacteria, prior to developing primary biliary cirrhosis. However, there are no conventional infections that have been persistently liked to the condition as yet.

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Symptoms

Some people remain completely symptom-free for several years after developing primary biliary cirrhosis. However, it is more common for people to notice primary biliary cirrhosis symptoms right from the early stages of this condition. As the condition progresses, the symptoms become more severe. Given below are some of the early primary biliary cirrhosis symptoms:

Fatigue, weakness and extreme tirednessItchiness, mainly around the lower back, arms and legsDryness in the mouth and eyes

During the later stages, the destruction of the bile ducts usually leads to other signs and symptoms, such as:

Jaundice or yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyesHyperpigmentationEdema (swollen feet) and ascites (abdominal swelling)Deposits of cholesterolDigestive problems like steatorrhea and diarrheaPrimary Biliary Cirrhosis Diet

In case you are suffering from primary biliary cirrhosis, it is important for you to follow a healthy and highly nutritious diet, as your body needs all the nutrients that it can get. Therefore your primary biliary cirrhosis diet should include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cereals, seeds, legumes and other healthy foods. Some of the other dietary recommendations that can help the patient include:

Following ad low-sodium dietIncreasing the intake of Vitamin D and calciumEliminating alcohol from your dietAvoiding foods like raw shellfish or oysters

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Prognosis

The levels of bilirubin in the body need to be taken into account for an accurate primary biliary cirrhosis prognosis. People suffering from this condition have a survival period of anywhere between a 1

Causes of Cirrhosis of the Liver | Diet for Cirrhosis of the Liver

August 10, 2011 Causes of Cirrhosis of the Liver

Liver cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver begins to deteriorate and ceases normal functioning. A chronic injury or disease could cause the liver to cease performing the functions that are critical to the health of a body. In this condition, the healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, leading to a blockage in the blood flow through the organ. This causes the liver to have the inability to control and prevent infections, make coagulating factors, process hormones and drugs, remove toxins from the blood, and produce bile, which is important for the absorption of fats.

Cirrhosis of liver is a common condition that may occur due to ageing. However, there are many other causes of this health condition as well. Heavy alcohol consumption is by far the most common cause of liver cirrhosis. Another common cause of this condition is chronic hepatitis. Obesity is becoming a common cause of the cirrhosis of liver. When combined with other factors, such as chronic alcohol abuse, obesity could cause more severe damage to the liver.

Some of the most common causes of cirrhosis of the liver include

Trauma to the liver: When there is a physical injury to the abdomen where the liver is located, it could cause scarring of the liver. The short-term damage to the organ may not have long lasting impact on the liver. It usually takes years of injuries to cause cirrhosis of the liver.Alcohol related cirrhosis: For those who have been consuming a lot of alcohol, cirrhosis of liver is a real threat. Social and occasional drinking may not cause cirrhosis; it is only persistent regular drinking that slowly damages the liver. For men and women, consuming 3 to 4 drinks on a daily basis can damage the liver completely and permanently.Chronic hepatitis C: This is a liver disease that is transmitted from one infected person to another through blood transmission. This disease causes inflammation in the liver and over a period of time it causes cirrhosis.Hepatitis B and D: Other infective conditions, hepatitis B and D are spread through sexual contact and through the transmission of infected blood. This is a viral infection that may be prevented by the use of vaccines.Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: This is a condition in which fat accumulates in the fat cells around the liver. This condition is associated with diabetes and obesity.Autoimmune hepatitis: This is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and damage to your liver. This is a genetic condition, and females are more prone to developing it. The diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver is usually caused when you have other symptoms related to autoimmune disorders.Diet for Cirrhosis of the Liver

The diet for cirrhosis of the liver is carefully planned to nourish the liver and nurse it back to health. Certain foods that are ideal for the treatment of this condition include fresh fruits and vegetables, which are low in simple carbohydrates and simple sugars.Fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K are ideal for your health. You should also avoid consuming refined foods, alcohol, and other high fat foods. Since people with liver cirrhosis are prone to ingestion and digestive problems, it is ideal if you could cut down the consumption of high fat foods.

The best foods for the liver are those that are high in vitamin A. Almost all treatments for cirrhosis are based on a good diet and repair of the damaged liver cells. In most cirrhosis cases, the liver is damaged beyond repair, so you would need to get a liver transplant. Since the production of bile is affected when your liver is damaged, you should avoid consuming fats at all.

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