The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body. It aids in processing food and medicine, helps rid the body of wastes and toxins and stores glucose until it is needed. Normally, the liver functions throughout life without any major problems. Occasionally, however, it falls victim to a serious disease or disorder.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis means "inflammation of the liver." It may be viral or non-viral. Viral hepatitis may be caused by Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E or G, explains Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology. Other viruses may invade or damage the liver, including cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, varicella zoster and herpes simplex. Non-viral causes of liver inflammation include drugs, toxins and alcohol. Rarely, the immune system or a genetic condition causes hepatitis. Symptoms of hepatitis include excessive tiredness, tenderness in the upper right abdomen, cola-colored urine and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. Recovery is possible in the majority of hepatitis cases, but some cases become chronic, affecting the individual for the rest of his life.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a condition in which the healthy cells of the liver are destroyed, leaving fibrous scar tissue. It can stem from several causes: heavy alcohol use, long-term drug use, hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, heart failure or other chronic conditions. Obese individuals are at increased risk of cirrhosis, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Symptoms include poor appetite, weight loss, nausea and excessive tiredness. The sufferer may have multiple skin areas characterized by a red dot with several spiderlike red extensions on the face, neck, upper chest or upper back. Cirrhosis is usually a progressive disease that worsens over time.
Liver Cancer
The primary type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma. It is more common in men, reports MedlinePlus, a website maintained by the National Institutes of Health. The most common cause of this cancer is cirrhosis, but it can also result from a nutritional deficiency, toxin or injury, explains the text "Medical-Surgical Nursing." Symptoms include yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, pain in the upper right abdomen and expanded abdominal girth for no known reason. In spite of the expanded girth, the individual may be losing weight. He may notice that he bleeds or bruises from a light injury. MedlinePlus indicates that the prognosis associated with hepatocellular carcinoma is often poor.
References
- "Medical-Surgical Nursing"; Donna Ignatavicius, M.S., R.N. and Linda Workman, Ph.D., R.N.; 2002
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
- Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology: Hepatitis
- MedlinePlus: Hepatocellular Carcinoma
