The liver helps fight diseases within the body's immune system, the National Institutes of Health reports. It detoxifies substances, produces enzymes that help in the digestion of food and stores energy to maintain health. When it becomes infected with viruses, the constant strain, healing processes and scarring eventually cause damage and result in chronic and acute liver problems.
Fatty Liver
Fatty liver, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver, develops when fats accumulate in the liver, according to the Mayo Clinic, usually in chronically overweight or obese people. The fat accumulations can lead to cirrhosis, which can permanently reduce the liver's capacity to function. Proper medical follow-up as well as lifestyle changes need to occur to change and reverse this liver problem.
Alcoholic Liver Disease
When a person drinks alcoholic beverages over a long period, alcoholic liver disease may occur. The liver attempts to detoxify the person's body but, as more alcohol continues to enter the system, the liver becomes overwhelmed and inflammation occurs. This can result in long-term damage, such as scarring, when this process takes place continually.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis, a viral infection that can occur in three forms, can cause major problems in the liver. All three versions--hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C--can infect a person, primarily via sexual contact and sharing needles for illicit drug use. It also may come from water and food contaminated with feces or with the virus itself. The symptoms include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The A virus typically causes the fewest problems and occurs as the least serious of the three. The National Institutes of Health reports that the body most often will rid itself of this virus. Hepatitis B can cause more severe and permanent damage to the liver and it can become chronic, meaning the symptoms continue long-term. Hepatitis C, the National Institutes of Health reports, classifies as the most serious form of the infection. Both hepatitis B and C can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure.
Liver Cancer
Although classified as uncommon in the United States, liver cancer occurs as a common form of the disease throughout the world, MayoClinic.com reports. This kind of cancer originates in the liver, and the organization states the reported cases of it in the United States are on the rise. It may induce such symptoms as an appetite loss, jaundice, an enlargement of the liver, fatigue, pain in the abdomen and weight loss, among others.
