World Liver Day 2022 - Keep Your Liver Healthy | MediGence

Overview

The liver, as we all know, is our body's second-largest and most complex organ. Our liver is essential for digestion as well as the removal of impurities from our bodies. It is also responsible for hundreds of additional functions, such as fighting infections and diseases, managing blood sugar, eliminating harmful pollutants from the body, maintaining cholesterol levels, improving blood clotting, and releasing bile. As a result of poor lifestyle choices or risk factors, you may begin to harm your liver. This damage to the liver can lead to liver disease, which can worsen over time. It has the potential to harm the liver, causing scarring (cirrhosis), which can lead to liver failure, which is a life-threatening condition. Early intervention, on the other hand, may allow the liver to heal.

According to several statistics collectively

• Liver problems impact more than 50 million individuals globally, with the adult population accounting for the majority.
• The incidence of liver disease has been steadily increasing over time.
• According to the World Gastroenterology Organization, liver diseases are the world's 12th leading cause of mortality.

In a nutshell, pay attention to what your Liver is trying to tell you! Learn about the various forms of liver problems and how to maintain your liver healthy on this World Liver Day.

Types of Liver Conditions

The following are some of the most prevalent liver diseases:

1. Hepatitis infections-

Your liver may become inflamed as a response to an infection, which can be harmful. Viral hepatitis is the most common cause, and it includes

• Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver. The majority of people contract it by eating or drinking feces-tainted food or beverages. It's possible that you aren't feeling any symptoms at all. After 6 months, it usually goes away on its own with no long-term consequences.

• Hepatitis B: It is transmitted from one person to another by unprotected sexual activity or drug use sharing needles, etc. If it lasts more than 6 months, it raises your chance of liver cancer and other diseases.

• Hepatitis C: It is caused by contaminated blood invading your body. If you use sharing needles for drugs or have HIV, you may contract it. If you work in health care, you're more than likely to contract it from an infected needle that you unintentionally inject yourself with. Symptoms may take several years to show. Hepatitis C is an issue for baby boomers for unknown reasons, and they should be tested for it.

2. Fatty Liver

Steatosis (fatty liver disease) is a frequent condition caused by fat accumulation in the liver. A healthy liver has a very small amount of fat, which can be easily avoidable. When fat accounts for 5% to 10% of your liver's weight, it becomes a big concern. Excessive calorie consumption causes fat to build in the liver. Excess fat develops when the liver fails to adequately digest and break down fats. Fatty liver is more likely to develop in those who have other health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, or high triglycerides.

3. Liver Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is an advanced stage of liver scarring (fibrosis), which can be caused by a range of diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. When your liver is affected, whether, by disease, too much alcohol, or something else, it tries to heal itself. Cirrhosis has been associated with ascites (abdominal fluid build-up), hepatic encephalopathy, the risk of variceal bleeding, and other infections. Scar tissue forms cirrhosis, making the liver's function more difficult (decompensated cirrhosis). Cirrhosis, in its later stages, can be potentially lethal, and it results in irreversible liver damage. If liver cirrhosis is detected early and the cause is addressed, further damage can be reduced and, in rare cases, reversed. The global prevalence of cirrhosis from autopsy studies ranges from 4.5% to 9.5% of the general population. Cirrhosis' prevalence is likely to be underestimated, given about a third of patients are asymptomatic.

4. Cancers & Tumors

• Liver Cancer: Women are more likely than men to develop liver cancer, and African-Americans are more likely than whites to develop it. Your doctor may diagnose it as hepatocellular cancer. It's more likely to occur if you have hepatitis or drink excessively.

• The tubes that transfer bile, a digestive fluid, from your liver to your small intestine are affected by bile duct cancer. This cancer primarily affects people over the age of 50, however, it is rather uncommon.

• A liver cell adenoma is a benign tumor that is not cancerous. It's uncommon, but women who take birth control pills for a long time are more likely than others to acquire it. The tumor has the potential to become cancerous in the future.

5. Wilson Disease

Wilson's disease is a genetic condition in which the body accumulates too much copper. The brain and liver are frequently implicated in the symptoms. If you simply have one faulty gene, you won't get sick, but you'll be a carrier and can pass the gene on to your children. An oversized liver causes nausea, weakness, abdominal fluid build-up, leg edema, yellowish skin, and itching. WD is believed to afflict one out of every 30,000 people worldwide, with a higher prevalence in Asian countries, such as India.

6. Hyperoxaluria

It happens when your urine contains too much of a substance called oxalate. In this condition, your liver produces too little oxalate due to an inherited abnormality. This can lead to kidney stones and even kidney failure. If your kidneys fail, you could develop oxalosis, a condition in which oxalate deposits in other organs, causing additional complications.

7. Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis is an iron overload condition in which the body retains excessive iron. Hemochromatosis can lead to iron overload, a deposition of iron in the body that can harm your liver, heart, pancreas, endocrine glands, and joints if left untreated. A mutation in a gene that alters the amount of iron your body absorbs from your diet causes hereditary hemochromatosis. These mutations are passed down through generations.

How to Keep Your Liver Healthy? | Do's and Don'ts

Surviving without a liver is impossible. It's a delicate organ that can be easily harmed if it's not taken care of properly. The best way to battle liver disease is to avoid it if possible. Here are some tried-and-true liver-health remedies:

How Can MediGence Help You in Consulting a Doctor?

Conversations about the disease can help to dispel the stigma around it and inspire more people to seek help and treatment. When people are suffering or ill, it's very natural that they start looking for a simple and convenient way to get quality treatment at an affordable cost, especially in poor communities or countries/regions where healthcare is not reachable or there is a lack of proper accessibility.

MediGence is a digital healthcare platform, which intends to make global healthcare more accessible to everyone. We assist you in obtaining high-quality care by bringing you in touch with the best medical specialists and institutions at your convenience. We value & understand the need for specialized care, especially when you are suffering with a critical illness. MediGence allows you to connect virtually with highly qualified, experienced and certified Hepatologists worldwide, who can assess your health, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. Describing more about our uniquely crafted services-

• You can connect with the top-notch 4500+ specialists for the first line of treatment via ‘Video consult’ i.e. telemedicine service by MediGence,

• Revalidate your current line of treatment, reconfirm your diagnosis & receive a new line of treatment (if required) via our second opinion service.

• You can explore multiple treatment options in 20+ countries, under the medical travel service of MediGence

• Avail the quality treatment with our pre-bundled packages, which are available with discounted prices & unmatched additional benefits. You have the liberty to Book your treatment package now and travel anytime you want.

• Our post-operative and telerehabilitation services are available to give you overall assistance for improving your quality of life

• Further then, you can make the right healthcare decision with MediGence and avail the best treatment abroad.

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This WORLD LIVER DAY, pledge to make the right healthcare decision for your LIVER!