Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). During the final stage of this deadly disease, the patient is likely to experience rapid deteriorating in his cognitive functions. This condition is called hepatic...
Hepatic encephalopathy is a condition characterized by deterioration in brain function caused by a buildup of blood ammonia resulting from severe liver disease. Symptoms include sleepiness, irritability, agitation, apathy, confusion, inability to...
Hepatic encephalopathy is a decline in the functioning of your brain due to the accumulation of toxins in the blood. It is a reversible disorder, if managed properly through diet, laxatives and antibiotics. However, hepatic encephalopathy is a...
Cirrhosis is the final stage of liver disease. The fibrous tissue caused by cirrhosis prevents your liver from functioning properly, including metabolizing and storing nutrients. One of the nutrients affected by cirrhosis is protein. The cirrhotic...
In a 2006 article published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine," researchers noted that 3.9 million people living in the United States had positive blood tests for hepatitis C. Approximately 2.7 million of those people were sick with chronic...
The portal vein transports blood from the intestines to the liver. Increased pressure within this blood vessel is termed portal hypertension. Cirrhosis most commonly causes portal hypertension. Other causes of portal hypertension include a blood...
The end stage of liver disease is characterized by the scarring of healthy liver tissue and the blockage of blood flow through the liver. At the end stage, the liver can no longer efficiently regenerate healthy cells. The normal functions of the...
According to the Merck Manual, ascites is defined as an accumulation of fluid containing protein in the abdominal cavity. The abdomen can swell and become very large, causing shortness of breath and other complications. Diuretics, or medications...
Blood ammonia comes primarily from the bacterial breakdown of unabsorbed dietary protein in the intestine. Intestinal ammonia passes into the bloodstream and travels to the liver, which converts ammonia into urea. Urea subsequently passes from the...
Lactulose is a synthetic sugar that physicians prescribe to treat constipation, a liver disease called hepatic encephalopathy and other conditions. Lactulose is a liquid that you take orally one to four times daily, depending on the condition....
Esophageal hemorrhage occurs when varices (enlarged veins) in the esophagus bleed extensively, according to the online medical library Merck Manuals. Merck Manuals reports that the primary cause of varices is cirrhosis of the liver, which is where...
Cirrhosis is a disorder characterized by damage to the liver tissue due to chronic injury. Liver cells are able to regenerate after they have been damaged, but when the damage is extensive and occurs over an extended period of time, then the liver...
The liver can withstand substantial damage and continue to perform its many functions. A large percentage of people with moderate to severe liver disease experience no symptoms. With overwhelming acute damage or chronic disease, however,...
Cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver. The liver is a large organ in the upper abdomen which has a lot of roles such as detoxification of harmful materials in the body and blood purification. The National Digestive Diseases Information...
A healthy liver has many essential functions such as purifying the blood, manufacturing nutrients and detoxifying harmful substances in the body. Over time, certain conditions such as alcohol abuse, cystic fibrosis and hepatitis B and C can scar...
The liver performs many vital functions, including supporting the metabolism of glucose, manufacturing the blood protein albumin, and breaking down drugs so they can be excreted from the body. Mild damage may go unnoticed. Severe damage impairs...
Liver disease involves a wide spectrum of illnesses and causes. Some common causes of hepatic disease include viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease and cancer. Some symptoms that result from liver disease may impact walking or gait function.
The liver is a highly resilient organ that can repair damaged cells at a high rate of turnover. However, viruses and diseases can damage the liver faster than it can repair itself. This may happen in a very short period of time, known as acute...
Heavy drinking leads to liver damage. Because the liver is so important to keep the body functioning, anything that affects the liver also influences other body systems. Liver disease can have a profound effect on brain function, allowing harmful...
Ammonia is a byproduct of the metabolism of protein. Biochemical reactions in your body rapidly convert ammonia into less harmful molecules under normal conditions. Liver disease can cause ammonia levels to build up in your body. Your brain is...
Ornithine is an amino acid derived from another amino acid called arginine, during the urea cycle. Amino acids are known for being building blocks of protein, however ornithine is not a protein constituent. Your liver produces ornithine when it...
Glutamine is an amino acid that your body makes on its own. Using a glutamine supplement may be helpful when you have certain medical conditions such as surgery, an infection or prolonged stress because your glutamine levels may become depleted....
Liver cancer is diagnosed in stages so that patients, families and physicians understand the gravity of the diagnosis. End stage liver cancer is an inoperable condition, where signs of total liver failure are beginning to manifest. Many symptoms...
Cirrhosis refers to toughening, or fibrosis, of the liver. Many different conditions lead to cirrhosis, including alcohol dependence and hepatitis. The symptoms of cirrhosis are a result of reduced functioning of the liver as well as mechanical...
Liver cirrhosis refers to the end stage of chronic liver disease where continuous damage to normal liver tissue has resulted in the formation of scar tissue. Often individuals with mild to moderate liver cirrhosis exhibit no symptoms. If the...
Alcoholic or Laennec's cirrhosis typically occurs when 80 percent to 90 percent of the liver's normal tissue has been destroyed by the chronic abuse of alcohol. The liver's main functions include storing and metabolizing nutrients, filtering...
Excessive alcohol consumption can cause cirrhosis of the liver. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, liver cirrhosis was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States in 2000. Alcohol has other detrimental...
Liver disease known as cirrhosis commonly occurs in two stages, compensated and decompensated. In first stage of liver damage, the liver still has the ability to function normally or compensate for the damage. When extensive damage occurs and the...
End stage liver disease is an irreversible condition that results from chronic liver disease and signals that liver failure is imminent. Chronic liver diseases including alcohol cirrhosis of the liver, viral hepatitis infections, liver cancers,...