According to "Medical Surgical Nursing" the liver performs more than 400 functions, which makes it an extremely vital organ. Destruction of liver tissue eventually results in liver failure. This disease progresses over time and complications may...
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...
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...
Cirrhosis refers to a disease process affecting the liver and is usually the result of chronic damage to the liver. The chronic damage results in liver scarring, and this scarring can disrupt the structure of the liver and its many functions. A...
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...
Habitual alcohol abuse contributes to the majority of liver damage cases commonly referred to as Laennec's cirrhosis of the liver. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, between 60 and 70 percent of cirrhosis cases are caused by...
Diuretics, drugs that remove excess fluid from the body, do not cause liver disease. People with liver disease often take diuretics to treat complications of the disorder. Diuretics can improve or, in some cases, worsen the symptoms and...
The liver has many functions in the body, including filtering the blood, processing food, drugs and toxins, adding proteins to the blood and making bile to help digest food. Cancer can damage liver function, for example, by infiltrating normal...
Deciphering food labels can be a daunting task, especially when you have trouble pronouncing many of the ingredients' names. Despite the confounding language, reading food labels is imperative to ensure you are purchasing a healthy item. There are...
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...
Cirrhosis is irreversible damage to the cells in the liver from scarring. Cirrhosis can be caused by hepatitis C infection, alcoholism or metabolic disorders. Ascites, fluid accumulation in the abdomen and lower extremities, is one of the serious...
Liver problems can arise for many reasons. Sometimes the problem is genetic. The immune system may attack the liver. Cancers can grow in the liver or metastasize to the liver from other organs. Drugs such as alcohol and high doses of Tylenol can...
Your liver is a large organ with responsibility for a number of vital functions, including blood detoxification, conversion of the energy content in food and digestion support. If your liver malfunctions, you can develop a number of serious or...
Cirrhosis is a disease of the liver. In cirrhosis, normal liver cells are replaced by scar tissue, interfering with the normal functions of the liver. Common causes of cirrhosis include viral hepatitis such as hepatitis B, alcoholism, destruction...
A common complaint in patients with liver problems is a sensation of fullness or bloating within the abdomen. This sensation results from increased water retention within the membranous lining of the abdominal tissue known as ascites, according to...
