Important signs of liver disease, symptoms and treatment. Liver diseases: symptoms and treatment What causes damp liver

The liver is the factory of the human body, the largest gland that produces all the necessary nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals. She is responsible for the production of bile. This substance plays a role in the emulsification of fats entering the body and their absorption.

The organ performs a cleansing function: it works like a filter, retaining poisons, dyes, and harmful additives that enter the body with food and alcohol. Experts speak with surprise about the regenerative abilities of the liver: the organ is able to fully recover, remaining with 10% of its volume.

The liver is quite patient and is designed to last a lifetime. It operates under heavy load (up to 1 million chemical reactions occur in 1 minute). An unhealthy lifestyle and frequent consumption of harmful foods leads to liver diseases.

Symptoms of liver disease

According to statistics, most often men turn to doctors with liver complaints. A person can detect symptoms either independently or by contacting a specialist. Classic signs indicating liver disorders:

• unpleasant taste in the mouth;
• asthenia, fatigue, irritability;
• pain in the abdominal cavity on the right;
• yellowing of the sclera of the eye, tongue, skin;
• formation of star-like bruises on the skin;
• nosebleeds;
• changes in the color of stool and urine;
• nausea, vomiting, flatulence, problems with stool;
• swelling of the limbs.

It is often said that the liver suffers in silence. It has no pain receptors. But with disruption of its functioning and increase in volume, the organ stretches the enveloping capsule and puts pressure on neighboring structures, which causes discomfort.

Jaundice is associated with a disorder of bile formation and an increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood. Hepatic diseases have a bad effect on the quality of blood clotting. This entails the formation of bruises, hematomas, and bleeding. Liver dysfunction also affects the gastrointestinal tract.

Important! Pain will not immediately notify you of a problem, because there are no pain receptors in the organ.

Diseases of organs working in conjunction with the liver will become background signs of disorders. The specialist will identify additional symptoms:

• dysfunction of the gallbladder (Courvoisier's symptom - palpation reveals an enlarged gallbladder);
• disruption of the gastrointestinal tract;
• pressing on the lower corner of the right shoulder blade causes discomfort;
• Pasternatsky's symptom (pain occurs when the lumbar region is tapped).

Important! The liver is patient. It does not give warning “alarm bells”. Symptoms appear only in advanced cases.

Causes of liver diseases

The liver is similar in structure to a sponge. This structure allows filtering and purification of blood from toxic substances. The accumulation of harmful elements is the main factor in liver disorders. The causes of liver disease are classified as so-called. diseases of civilization:

• uncontrolled use of medications;
• poor quality food and water;
• poor nutrition;
• overweight;
• viruses;
• wrong lifestyle;
• liver injuries (chemical, physical, etc.).

25-35% is the number of people who go to the doctor with liver complaints due to alcohol consumption. The human body perceives alcohol as poison. Once inside, alcohol through a series of intermediate stops (stomach, intestines) with the bloodstream undergoes detoxification and purification through the liver.

An overdose of alcoholic beverages causes liver disease. If they are consumed excessively, liver cells (hepatocytes) die.

Important! An adult man can drink no more than 24 g of alcohol per day (60 ml of vodka, 90 ml of wine, 240 ml of beer). This figure is half as much for women.

A specialist hepatologist deals with the liver. What methods does he use to diagnose diseases?

Polyhepatography detects liver disorders in a timely manner and makes it possible to assess the state of metabolism in the organ. This method allows you to compare the results of other studies:

• ultrasonic;
• computer;
• magnetic resonance imaging;
• blood test for alpha-fetoprotein.

Hepatologists collaborate with gastroenterologists, surgeons, and therapists on issues of liver dysfunction. If we are talking about hepatitis, then infectious disease specialists are involved in treatment.

In children

Frequent liver disease in children is associated with Hepatitis A. It is transmitted between children when hygiene standards are violated. It occurs easily with the symptoms of a cold. Hepatitis B causes complications in children. Experts advise conducting medical examinations for a sick child, thereby ensuring round-the-clock supervision.

Hepatitis

Diseases in which viruses multiply exclusively in liver cells (hepatocytes) are called viral hepatitis. Causes inflammation of the organ. Classic symptoms:

• temperature increase;
• dark stool;
• light urine;
• jaundice.

Hepatitis A (Botkin's disease) belongs to the category of “dirty hands” diseases, that is, it is of a contact nature. It occurs when an organ is infected, occurs in an anicteric form, without consequences, and ends quickly. There are no subjective symptoms; they are revealed only during examination. In adulthood it is difficult to tolerate.

Important! A person is able to independently develop immunity against hepatitis A after having had it once.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood. The disease drags on for a long time and leads to serious consequences (cirrhosis, cancer). It is easier in adults than in children. There is a greater chance of becoming infected with this type of hepatitis due to the low infectious dose required to initiate the disease. It is transmitted through household and sexual contact. One carrier of the virus infects the entire family within a year.

Important! A third of the world's population is a carrier of the hepatitis B virus.

Hepatitis C is transmitted, just like hepatitis B, through blood and sexual contact. The infectious dose is higher than that of hepatitis B, that is, it is more difficult to get sick with it. The disease proceeds latently, suddenly manifesting itself with severe complications. Leads to fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The percentage of patients is lower. It has the character of a chronic infection.

Important! It is not transmitted by contact: through kisses, handshakes, hugs, etc.

Hepatitis E is a more severe variant of hepatitis A. It develops against the background of a lack of hygienic conditions and violations of sanitary standards. The disease requires an increased infectious dose.

Important! Hepatitis E is common in Southeast Asia.

Hepatitis D develops only against the background of hepatitis B. The malignant form of the disease is most likely fatal.

Cirrhosis

In this disease, liver cells, hepatocytes, die, leaving in their place useless connective tissue. This is the last stage of many liver lesions. Main reasons:

• alcohol;
• virus;
• fat lesion.

The main reason is alcohol abuse, which does not allow the liver to recover. The other half develops cirrhosis from advanced hepatitis. Against the background of classic symptoms, it appears in the later stages.

Liver tissue is destroyed. The organ shrinks, ceasing to process waste from the body.

Important! There are no reliable statistics on liver cirrhosis in Russia. Perhaps many more people die from it than doctors believe.

Liver failure

Applies to any age. With this disease, the liver loses the functionality of its cells. Accompanied by encephalopathy (brain dysfunction). Doctors classify this disease according to the time during which it develops:

• hyperacute (7 days);
• acute (7-21 days);
• subacute (from 21 days to 26 weeks).

Every fifth visit to a specialist leaves the question about the pathogenesis and causes of the disease unanswered. Liver failure can lead to:

• injuries;
• drug lesions;
• chemical damage;
• viral hepatitis.

When faced with this pathology, the liver is affected completely, less often - in isolation. Leads to necrosis, steatosis, and inflammation of the organ.

Important! The disease is accompanied by emotional depression.

The disease is terrible because of the suddenness of its appearance. She is asymptomatic. Pain and discomfort in the upper abdomen appear even when the tumor has grown in size. Patients often end up in the hospital with cancer that is no longer operable.

There is a risk group that includes people with hepatitis B, C, and liver cirrhosis. By undergoing annual examinations, these people will be able to prevent the occurrence of cancer. And if it occurs, get rid of the disease surgically.

Important! Cancer can develop in the liver either initially or as a metastasis from a neighboring organ.

Liver cyst

A liver cyst is characterized by the presence of a fluid-filled cavity in the liver. Experts tend to see in this kind of cavities inside the organ bile ducts that have worked their way, but are not closed, growing along with the body.

Important! More often, women aged 40-50 years experience this disease.

There are no symptoms. Detected by ultrasound. The doctor refers the patient to a specialized clinic to clarify the question of the tumor nature of the cyst. Often it signals more serious illnesses.

The cyst is not inherited, but with the polycystic nature of the disease (formation of a large number of cavities), a tendency to the disease is passed on to children.

Important! A liver cyst never develops into cancer.

The liver has passages that merge into ducts through which bile flows into the gallbladder. It is released at every meal and enters the intestines to dissolve the fats obtained from food.

The nature of the disease is autoimmune, that is, the body itself attacks the ducts, deforming them, inflaming them and causing disruption of the movement of bile. The fluid stagnates, leading to the death of liver tissue.

Symptoms include:

• pain in the right hypochondrium,
• general weakness,
• yellowing of the sclera of the eye and skin,
• change in color of stool and urine.

Important! With cholangitis, the bile ducts narrow and become sclerotic. This can lead to cirrhosis.

Hepatosis

Obesity of liver cells. A common problem among overweight people. Alcohol intoxication aggravates the course of the disease.

The metabolic process occurring in the organ is disrupted. Hepatocytes cease to perform their function and die, leaving behind connective tissue. Pathological changes occur at the cellular level, which leads to organ degradation:

• increase;
• loss of pigmentation;
• cyst formation.

The patient's complaints are associated with mild heaviness, gurgling in the intestinal area, flatulence and slight loosening of the stool. After a biochemical blood test and ultrasound examination, the specialist more accurately determines the degree of liver fibrosis. And fibrogatsroscopy is performed to exclude esophageal varicose veins from the list of causes of the disease.

Important! Missing the disease will lead to death.

Treatment of liver diseases

“There are no healthy people, only under-examined ones.” This saying applies to people with liver diseases. Hiding behind the absence of symptoms, organ disorders often have to be treated in later stages.

Medication

Traditionally, when treating all liver ailments, specialists use hepatoprotector drugs. They are divided by origin:

• vegetable (silymarin, allohol, karsil);
• animals (sirepar, hepatosan);
• synthetic (ACC, ursodeoxycholic acid);
• amino acids (methionine, ademetionine, ornithine);
• phospholipids (essentiale, phosphogliv, essential);
• vitamins (B, E, lipoic acid).

When developing these medicines, doctors adhere to the principles of preserving the natural base, reducing impurities, flavorings, stabilizers and emulsifiers. The drugs restore liver cells, normalize lipid metabolism, and reduce cholesterol levels.

Important! If, instead of drug treatment, you decide to seek help from dietary supplements (dietary supplements), remember that they do not always have the stated effect. Rely on your doctor's advice.

We especially note the following diseases.

Cancer

To combat liver cancer, a group of “targeted” drugs have been developed that have minimal side effects.

Contacting centers for early diagnosis of tumors allows you to minimize surgical intervention. The destruction of small tumor nodes (up to 3 cm) with high-frequency electricity is carried out without surgery. Cancer is a protein formation that will literally be cooked during this procedure. After which the body itself gets rid of the remnants of the malignant tumor.

With transarterial chemoembolization, the tumor is deprived of its blood supply. Through the liver artery, a drug containing an embolus is injected into the vessel supplying the tumor. This tactic minimizes the spread of cancer.

Hepatitis

The success of hepatitis treatment depends on the person’s genotype (I-50%, II and III-80%). The patient is undergoing drug therapy. He is prescribed the drugs interferon (a protein to fight the virus) and riboverine (which enhances the effect of interferon). Antibiotics (neomycin, vancomycin) are used in combination.

Therapy continues for 24 weeks. There are side effects (depression, sleep disturbances, appetite). They are temporary and end with treatment.

Cirrhosis

In advanced cases, a radical method is used - organ transplantation. A new technique is being developed - treatment with stem cells that will replace dead liver tissue.

Cyst

A cyst measuring 4-5 cm does not require surgery. From 5 cm, the cyst must be removed surgically. Drainage is in progress. There is no drug treatment.

Inflammation of the bile ducts in the liver requires surgical intervention. Endoscopic expansion of the channels occurs to ensure uninterrupted flow of bile.

Hepatosis

In this case, the doctor prescribes a mandatory diet that excludes:

• alcohol;
• coffee;
• carbonated drinks;
• fatty foods;
• fast carbohydrates (bread, sweets);
• spicy and salty foods.

The patient's menu includes dietary meat, bran, vegetables, fruits, cereals, seafood, and delicate dairy products. Therapy is carried out in combination with hepatoprotectors.

Treatment at home

A person is able to independently approach liver treatment. In such cases, we often hear the phrase “liver cleanse.” As you work on this, remember that you are dealing with a capricious organ. What you can do to please him:

• balanced protein diet;
• consumption of vitamins;
• reducing the load on the organ (reducing fatty foods and alcohol).

One of the common detoxification programs involves purchasing and taking “Allohol” herbal tablets. Every day for 10 days, take 1-6 tablets in the morning, at lunch and in the evening before or after meals. Increase the dose of the medicine from 1 to 7, so that on average you take a course of 24 tablets per day. The therapy opens the bile ducts, facilitating liver function.

Important! "Allohol" lowers blood pressure. Stock up on a blood pressure monitor and a cup of coffee.

Cleansing with oils is also aimed at unloading the liver of toxins. This procedure is carried out at any age all year round. This is a long process that creates conditions for self-cleansing of the liver. All you need is vegetable oil. In the morning, rinse your mouth and take a small amount of oil (5 g) orally. Add the oil to your food or consume it separately before each meal. Oil enemas are used. Such a diet will lead to a choleretic effect, which will have a beneficial effect on the liver.

Liver cleansing is effective in combination with gastrointestinal lavage. Use both harsh methods (enemas) and more gentle ones (1 tablespoon of magnesia per glass of boiled water, diluted with the juice of one lemon).

Important! Carry out cleansing under the supervision of a doctor. There is a risk of disrupting the functioning of liver-related systems: gallbladder, intestines, kidneys.

Treatment with folk remedies

Drug therapy for the liver leads to side effects. This fact creates a tendency for hepatitis patients to turn to folk remedies for help.

Exercises

The vagaries of the liver can be calmed by exercise. There is a breathing system aimed at enriching the organ with oxygen. In addition, with this approach it is massaged. So, when breathing diaphragmatically, a person concentrates not on expanding the chest, but on the navel. Make sure your stomach rises as you inhale. Help with your hands, applying reasonable pressure on the liver area and making glancing blows. It is best to perform the exercise while lying on your back.

Important! If there are stones in the bile duct, exercises of this kind are contraindicated.

Products

Persimmon is actively used in the treatment of the liver. Thanks to the fiber and sugars it contains, the organ is protected from toxic overload. The coarse fibers of the berry remove toxic substances from the body.

Dereza vulgare or goji berry removes excess fat from liver cells.

The complex of active flavonoid substances contained in buckwheat prevents blood vessels and liver cells from being destroyed. Therefore, products based on it help against cirrhosis and fibrosis.

Herbs

The following herbs have a beneficial effect on the organ:

• immortelle;
• agrimony;
• chicory;
• yarrow;
• arnica;
• horsetail;
• sage.

Drink infusions of these herbs. Brew like tea. Drink a third of a glass three times a day for a month. The collection has a preventive effect against cholelithiasis, cirrhosis and hepatitis.

Prevention

Regular visits to your doctor can help prevent liver disease. Even if an organ does not hurt, this does not mean that it is healthy. An annual visit to a specialist will identify diseases in the early stages, which will facilitate their subsequent treatment.

Doctors advise taking hepatoprotectors. They are good in both treatment and prevention. Resolute remains a popular drug. It will protect against alcohol damage and lower cholesterol.

Liver health begins with streamlining your lifestyle and diet. A person can reduce the load on the liver in the following ways:

• lose weight;
• reduce fatty foods and alcohol;
• fight a sedentary lifestyle;
• limit uncontrolled use of medications;
• beware of viruses;
• as you age, see a specialist;
• donate blood for biochemical analysis.

Take care of strengthening your immune system: get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B viruses. Get comprehensive vaccinations. At the birth of a child, experts suggest vaccination in the maternity hospital.

Liver cirrhosis is a degenerative disease in which healthy cells in the organ die and are replaced by scars that can completely reduce the functioning of the organ. The liver plays an important role in...

Liver cirrhosis is a serious disease characterized by liver destruction. The tissues of this organ are subject to destructive action, resulting in nodular formations and scars. Causes of cirrhosis...

Liver cirrhosis is a serious disease characterized by damage to this organ. Its tissues are destroyed, and instead of them, specific nodes and scars are formed. The disease has 4 stages...

The liver is a vital organ located under the diaphragm in the abdominal cavity. It performs a huge number of functions, including cleansing the body of toxins and excess hormones and vitamins, participating in metabolism, synthesizing cholesterol, bile acids and other chemicals necessary for our body. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify signs of dangerous liver disease before it causes irreparable harm to health.

In order to recognize the first symptoms in time, it is necessary to have at least a rough idea of ​​the location of the liver. Like other vital organs, it is located in the abdominal cavity, namely in its upper right corner, under the muscular septum of the diaphragm. In shape it is an obtuse triangle with rounded corners, consisting of two lobes. With the first lobe it attaches to the anterior abdominal wall in the area of ​​the right hypochondrium, with the second lobe it tapers to the left costal arch. Painful symptoms appear with liver disease on the right side of the upper abdomen.

Sometimes signs of a diseased liver, if symptoms are not expressed, can be confused with pain in the gallbladder or stomach, since unpleasant sensations tend to radiate (spread) to nearby areas. To unambiguously determine the localization of the pathology, it is necessary to contact a therapist or hepatologist, who, by collecting an anamnesis and using palpation, will accurately determine which organ hurts.

Types of pain

Any pathology begins with mild, dull or aching pain in the right hypochondrium. With the development of tumor formations, a feeling of heaviness may occur. The pain actively radiates to different areas of the abdomen. The development of the pathology is characterized by an increase in pain symptoms. Acute pain in this case indicates purulent or inflammatory processes. They are also accompanied by fever.

Indolent problems may not manifest themselves until liver failure or coma occurs. This is the most dangerous type of pathology, since not all patients respond to other external signs of the disease. It is important to pay attention to the condition of the skin, the color of stool, and general well-being, as this will help with early diagnosis of the disease.

Other unpleasant sensations accompanying liver disease

The manifestation of an unhealthy liver does not end with pain alone. Disruption of such an important organ is accompanied by digestive disorders, heartburn and a feeling of nausea. Patients are often tormented by a persistent feeling of hunger, and chills at night (which are later easily replaced by fever).

The first signs of liver disease, which may indirectly indicate the presence of problems in the functioning of the organ:

The more acute the pathology, the stronger the internal symptoms. With their prolonged development, hepatic coma can occur, characterized by almost complete failure of the liver, impaired blood supply, respiratory function and leading to death without proper medical intervention.

External manifestations of pathology

Not only subjective sensations will help identify the disease. External signs may also indicate pathology. Thus, a decrease in the detoxification function of the liver leads to a change in the color of stool, the smell of sweat becomes stronger, and urine acquires an unhealthy brown tint.

Other signs and indicators of poor liver function:

The patient looks extremely sick. The tongue becomes covered with cracks and a white coating, the person loses weight and suffers from headaches. Particular danger is posed by increased bleeding - one of the causes of possible death. Intestinal dysfunction also occurs, and tachycardia occurs in the cardiovascular system.

Symptoms of individual diseases

Not all liver pathologies are characterized by the symptoms described above. Their intensity and degree of manifestation directly depends on the type of disease. Therefore, it is important to know about the most common diseases and their characteristic symptoms.

For example, cirrhosis of the liver is characterized by the following symptoms:

• proliferation of connective tissue replacing parenchymal tissue;
• increased pressure in the portal vein system;
• dysfunction of liver regeneration;
• sharp pain in the right hypochondrium;
• flatulence;
• weight loss;
• temperature from 37.1 to 38 degrees;
• splenomegaly - an increase in the size of the spleen.

The formation of spider veins (the same ones that are usually observed with varicose veins) on the pubis, a change in the color of the nails. Hormonal imbalance in men leads to gynecomastia. The body is subject to edema and venous collaterals (due to which bleeding often occurs).

What can the disease be confused with?

Non-acute diseases can often be confused with other, similar diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastritis can manifest itself as bitterness in the mouth, and a change in the color of urine may well accompany kidney disease. Therefore, you should remember that only a hepatologist or, at worst, a general practitioner can give you an accurate diagnosis. To make an accurate diagnosis, a liver profile is usually used through blood tests or ultrasound.

What diseases at an early stage resemble liver pathologies?

1. Gastritis or ulcer.
2. Intestinal colitis, irritable bowel syndrome.
3. Gallbladder diseases.
4. Pathologies of the pancreas.
5. Kidney failure and others.

Pronounced liver symptoms occur already at an advanced stage of the disease. At the first signs, you should consult a doctor and differentiate the diagnosis, without waiting for the development of venous bleeding or acute colic.

Liver- an exocrine gland, located in the upper right part of the abdominal cavity under the diaphragm and performs serious functions in the body, the violation of which puts a person’s life at risk. The liver is the only organ that renews damaged cells.

Within a minute, millions of chemical reactions occur in the liver with the synthesis of blood protein, bile acid, neutralization of harmful substances, accumulation of necessary glucose, as well as its breakdown into components.

The structural unit of liver tissue is the hepatic lobule. The number of such lobules is five hundred thousand. A central vein passes through the center of each lobule, from which special plates emerge, consisting of hepatocytes - liver cells. Each lobule also contains blood vessels (hemocapillaries) and bile capillaries.

Liver functions

The liver performs a number of physiological functions:

• metabolic - involved in metabolism:
  • proteins;
  • fats;
  • carbohydrates;
  • hormones;
  • vitamins;
  • microelements.
• secretory - forms and releases bile into the intestinal lumen, substances processed by the liver are released into the blood;
• detoxification - processes or destroys toxic compounds.

The central function of the liver is to neutralize toxins that appear in the body as a result of metabolic processes or enter the body from the outside with food, air, water, and metabolic end products. The liver's job is to break down toxic substances into non-toxic substances for the body.

The liver produces bile, which is necessary for the digestion of fats, but bile accumulates not in the liver, but in the gallbladder. In addition, proteins, hormones and other substances necessary for the functioning of the body are synthesized in the liver. The liver removes excess hormones, vitamins, and microelements.

The liver participates in fat (lipid) metabolism, synthesizing cholesterol, lipids and phospholipids, as well as bile acids and the bile pigment bilirubin.

Liver diseases

Descriptions of liver diseases

Causes of liver diseases

The causes of liver diseases are divided into four groups.

Viruses

Viral diseases include hepatitis types A, B, C, D and others, which provoke acute and chronic inflammatory processes. In 57% of cases, hepatitis develops into cirrhosis of the liver.

Fat metabolism disorder

The fat content in the liver cells increases, causing the gland to enlarge and lose its ability to function normally. This leads to the development of fatty liver disease and subsequently cirrhosis. Disorders of fat metabolism in the liver in Russia affect 27% of the population.

Alcohol

Alcohol abuse has a detrimental effect on liver cells, which over time becomes the cause of cirrhosis. Relatively safe daily dose of alcoholic drinks:

• for women per day:
  • less than 30 ml of vodka (cognac, whiskey);
  • 150 ml wine;
  • 250 ml beer.
• for men per day:
  • 60 ml of vodka (cognac, whiskey);
  • 300 ml wine;
  • 500 ml beer.

Medications

Uncontrolled use of medications leads to changes in liver tissue and disruption of the normal functioning of the organ.

These are roundworms, causative agents of leptospirosis, alveococci and echinococci, which lead to acute liver diseases, and then gradually become chronic if treated incorrectly or untimely. Sometimes a cystic change in the liver occurs.

Poor nutrition

If a person consumes a lot of smoked, fried, fatty foods and foods with spices for a long time: this leads to impaired excretion of bile, which causes cholangitis and the formation of stones in the liver.

A separate group includes other, less common causes due to the destruction of liver cells. These include:

• poisoning by vapors of heavy metals and chemical compounds;
• stress;
• abdominal injuries;
• diseases of the abdominal organs;
• ionizing radiation and carcinogens;
• genetic predisposition.

Under the influence of these factors, changes begin in the liver, which ultimately lead to dysfunction of the organ.

Common symptoms of liver disease

As a rule, liver diseases appear gradually, without specific symptoms.

The first signs of liver disease

• increased fatigue and weakness;
• pain or heaviness in the right hypochondrium;
• bitterness in the mouth, heartburn, nausea and vomiting.

Jaundice

Liver diseases are characterized by the appearance of a yellow tint to the skin. At the beginning, patients notice a characteristic yellowness of the sclera, and then the skin. This happens due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood. More often, jaundice accompanies hepatitis and cirrhosis. At the same time, a darkening of the color of the urine is noted. As for feces, it becomes lighter, up to complete discoloration.

Other symptoms characteristic of liver disease

• spider veins;
• hair loss;
• insomnia;
• increased temperature and fever; memory impairment;
• enlarged skin veins in the abdominal area;
• fatty plaques on the eyelids;
• skin itching;
• raspberry tongue.

When to see a doctor

A doctor's consultation is required for the following conditions:

• unexplained fatigue, weakness and weight loss;
• jaundice or yellow skin;
• fever, vomiting and abdominal pain for a long time.

Diagnosis of liver diseases

An invasive way to study the liver is that liver tissue or cells are taken for examination, as a result of which the nature of the pathology becomes clear. The non-invasive method involves taking laboratory blood tests, the results of which are processed on a computer.

The following medical tests help determine the condition of the liver:

Treatment of liver diseases

Each liver disease has its own specific course of treatment. If the disease is viral in nature, antiviral and immunomodulatory medications are prescribed. In case of a chronic disease caused by an incorrect lifestyle, they change their daily routine, adhere to a special diet and refuse to drink alcoholic beverages.

Hepatoprotectors are prescribed to protect the liver and restore organ tissue, choleretic agents, which are combined with antispasmodics to normalize the outflow of bile.

In patients with cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease, medications are required to control the amount of protein in the diet. A cirrhotic liver is unable to metabolize waste products, resulting in elevated blood ammonia levels and hepatic encephalopathy (lethargy, confusion, coma). Diuretics are then used to minimize water retention.

In patients with large amounts of ascitic fluid in the abdominal cavity, the excess fluid requires periodic removal with a needle and syringe. Using a local anesthetic, a needle is inserted through the abdominal wall and the doctor drains the fluid. .

Surgeries are performed to treat portal hypertension and minimize the risk of bleeding. Patients with gallstones sometimes have surgery to remove the gallbladder.

Liver transplantation is the final option for patients whose liver function cannot be restored.

Folk remedies for treating liver diseases

Hepatoprotector plants are used in the treatment of liver diseases with folk remedies.

The use of folk remedies must be agreed with the attending physician.

Milk thistle

The main herb for treating the liver is milk thistle, which normalizes liver function, protects against the effects of toxins, and restores liver cells. It is better to use seed powder or meal, which remains after squeezing the oil. Milk thistle seeds have a laxative effect, so it is not suitable for people with digestive disorders.

People over 40 years of age are required to undergo liver treatment with milk thistle. Take once a year for 3-4 weeks 1 tsp. per day with a glass of water.

After a course of such treatment, dark circles under the eyes, which arise due to insufficient liver function, disappear. Milk thistle is used in the treatment of cirrhosis, hepatitis, jaundice, and fatty liver hepatosis.

Cinquefoil erecta (galangal)

The tincture is made as follows: 50 g of dry galangal roots, pour 0.5 liters of vodka, leave for 3 weeks. For liver diseases and hepatitis, drink 30 drops 3 times a day 20 minutes before meals, diluted in 50 g of water.

Pumpkin

Take a pumpkin, cut off the top, remove the core and seeds. Fill the resulting container halfway with honey. Leave for a while until the juice appears. Drink this juice half a glass 3 times a day.

Cut off the top, remove the seeds, fill with honey, close with a lid-top, cover the cut with dough. Keep the pumpkin in a dark place for 10 days at room temperature. On the 11th day, start treatment: take the resulting juice, 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day 40 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is 1 month.

Pumpkin juice will also help restore and cleanse the liver of toxins. Grate the pumpkin and squeeze out the juice, take 100 g of fresh juice 3 times a day 1 hour before meals. The course of liver treatment with pumpkin is 3-4 months.

Oats

Wash 1 glass of oats, boil 1 liter of milk and pour oats into it, bring to a boil, keep on low heat, avoiding boiling for 10-15 minutes. Then wrap the broth and let it brew for 2 hours. Strain and drink this milk throughout the day. The course of liver treatment is 20 days, then a 10-day break and a new course.

Eryngium flatifolia

To prepare a tincture for liver treatment, take 30 g of dry herb and pour 500 ml of vodka, leave for 2 weeks, shake, strain. Take 1 tbsp for 1 month. l. three times a day 30 minutes before meals.

The grass is half fallen

The treatment recipe is as follows: 1 tbsp. l. pour 1 cup of boiling water over the herbs and leave for 15 minutes in a water bath. Drink 100 g through a straw 30 minutes before meals, warm.

Dandelion jam

Collect 400 dandelion flowers, wash and soak for a day. Then drain the water and rinse the flowers again. Cut 2 lemons along with the zest, mix with the flowers and pour 500 ml of boiling water over it. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Then cool, strain, squeeze. Add 1 kg of sugar to the broth and cook until the jam becomes thick and resembles honey.

Take 2 tsp. 3 times a day before meals. The syrup is dissolved in a glass of warm water. After taking the syrup, pain sometimes appears in the liver or in the gall bladder area and lasts for 0.5-1.5 hours - this is normal.

Dandelion syrup: the flowers are placed in a jar, sprinkled with honey or sugar, compacted, soon syrup appears on top, which needs to be strained and put in the refrigerator. Take 1 tsp for pain in the liver and gall bladder, for colic. 4 times a day. Pain in the liver disappears after 10-15 minutes.

Honey and currants

Mix 1 kg of honey and 1 kg of currants. Take 1 tsp. 30 minutes before meals.

cucumbers

If your liver hurts, this recipe will help: chop 100 g of overripe cucumbers, boil them in 0.5 liters of water for 20 minutes, cool, strain. Drink the decoction 3 times a day, half a glass, half an hour before meals.

Carrots and raisins

1 kg of seedless raisins, preferably lighter ones, and 1 kg of bright-colored carrots, put through a meat grinder. Place in a pan, add 1.5 liters of water, make a mark on the outside of the pan according to the water level. Add another 1 liter of water and boil over low heat until the mark is reached. Cool and strain. Store in the refrigerator, warm up to 37-40 degrees before use.

Drink during the week as follows: 1st day. On an empty stomach, drink 1 glass of broth, lie down on a hot heating pad for 2 hours. 2nd – 7th days. Drink half a glass of the decoction in the morning on an empty stomach, no longer need to lie down and warm it, and have breakfast after 30 minutes.

Cinnamon with honey

For a diseased liver, this recipe helps: mix 0.5 liters of honey with 2 tbsp. l. ground cinnamon, stir. Take 1-2 tbsp before meals. l. 4-5 times a day.

Collection of herbs

Take 2 tbsp. l. rosehip and hawthorn fruits, pour 1.5 liters of water. Boil for 10 minutes. Then add optional 1 tsp. three types of herbs:

• corn silk;
• birch leaves;
• strawberry leaves;
• agrimony;
• horsetail;
• woodlice.

Boil for another 3 minutes. Leave for 5 hours, strain. Drink 1 glass in the morning and evening with 1 tsp. honey

Immortelle

Immortelle is used in official and folk medicine as a liver remedy with bile-forming and bile-excreting properties. This herb is an effective remedy for treating the liver, bile ducts, and pancreas.

To prepare a remedy for treating the liver you need 1 tbsp. l. pour immortelle flowers with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 15 minutes and drink 50 ml 3 times a day. You cannot use immortelle for a month in a row or increase the dose - the plant accumulates in the body and has a toxic effect in large doses.

After a week's rest, the course of treatment with immortelle is repeated. Often, when treated with immortelle, roundworms came out of the patient’s intestines - immortelle also has an anthelmintic effect. This plant increases blood pressure and is therefore not recommended for people with hypertension.

Oat decoction

Rinse 3 cups of unpeeled oats and add 9 cups of water. After boiling, simmer for 3 hours, leave, strain. Drink this portion 2 days, 100 g, 30 minutes before meals.

Yarrow and tansy syrup

Pour 2 cups of tansy flowers, 2 cups of yarrow flowers with 2 liters of cold water, leave for a day, and put on fire. As soon as the water starts making noise, remove it. After 3-5 hours, repeat again. Then strain and for each liter of broth add 600 g of sugar and 2 tbsp. l. honey Stir, bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes. Take 25 g in the morning on an empty stomach and 25 g in the evening before bed. 1 liter of syrup is enough for 21 days. Then a 7-day break and a new course of treatment.

Chinese folk remedy for liver treatment

Take equal parts of birch buds, birch leaves, echinacea, immortelle, and anise fruits. Grind in a coffee grinder. Take 1/2 tsp powder. 2-3 times a day 15 minutes before meals, with a glass of water.

Lemon and soda

If your liver hurts, this remedy quickly helps: squeeze the juice of one lemon into a glass, add 0.5 tsp. soda, drink quickly. Helps relieve pain very quickly. This same folk remedy helps cure jaundice. It must be taken for three days in a row on an empty stomach.

Diet and nutrition for liver diseases

When treating liver diseases, dietary changes are required. Under no circumstances should you overeat or eat “on the go”; exclude “snacks”. You need to eat food five times a day, without skipping. For liver diseases, a special diet number 5 is prescribed.

Restrictions

• consumption of alcohol, spicy, sweet, smoked, fatty;
• peppers, onions, garlic and spices that irritate the gastrointestinal tract;
• lamb, pork and other fatty meats, fatty fish and offal;
• baking;
• salt;
• chocolate;
• butter.

• weak coffee;
• compotes;
• rosehip decoction;
• jelly;
• still mineral water.

Liver cleansing

Tubage is a washing procedure that leads to cleansing of the gallbladder, bile ducts and liver, as well as the kidneys. Tubage is used when it is necessary to cleanse the body of accumulated toxins and stagnant bile. For tubes you will need to purchase mineral water without gas.

The procedure for cleansing the liver must be agreed with your doctor.

Early in the morning, place a heating pad under your right side and in this position drink half a liter of mineral water. The mechanism of tubage is simple - under the influence of heat, the bile ducts expand, and the accumulations leave the body painlessly through the intestines.

When carrying out these procedures, relaxation is possible, so use the tubes once every 7 days on a day off for four weeks in a row. In the future, repeat the procedures every 3-4 months.

To facilitate liver function, in addition to tubages, absorbents are used:

• Activated carbon;
• polyphepane;
• enterosgel.

It is necessary to take into account that when taking activated carbon and other medications, the latter are removed from the body along with toxins. Therefore, it is recommended to drink activated charcoal two hours before taking other life-saving medications or two hours after taking them.

Contraindications for liver cleansing

Stones and biliary dyskinesia.

Prevention of liver diseases

Prevention of liver diseases consists of following the rules of a healthy lifestyle. The stronger the patient’s immunity, the more the body will resist unfavorable factors.

Questions and answers on the topic "Liver diseases"

Question:How does liver disease affect childbirth?

Answer: If liver diseases are not detected in a timely manner, a pregnant woman may experience serious complications - fetal malnutrition, late toxicosis, problems during labor. If a pregnant woman is nevertheless diagnosed with liver pathology, she must be hospitalized. Most often this happens in the early stages or two weeks before birth. In some situations, with severe liver disease, it is necessary to terminate the pregnancy.

The liver is an important human organ, which is entrusted with rather difficult work in several directions.

• Firstly, the liver produces bile, which is then collected in the intrahepatic ducts, the common bile duct, and accumulates in the gallbladder for some time, after which it is released into the duodenum. Bile helps break down fats. In addition, bile acids have a laxative effect and stimulate intestinal motility.
• Secondly, the liver is a laboratory in which many poisons and toxic substances are neutralized. Blood passing through the liver is purified by ammonia, phenols, acetone, ethanol, and ketone bodies. This is where some of the vitamins and hormones are destroyed.
• Thirdly, the liver plays the role of a warehouse for vitamin B12, A and D, glycogen, iron, copper and cobalt.

Cholesterol and fatty acids are also synthesized in the liver (see). A certain volume of blood can be deposited in this organ, which, if necessary, is additionally released into the vascular bed.

The smallest structural unit of the liver is the hepatic lobule, which is prism-shaped and about 2 mm in size. It is composed of hepatic beams (a series of double liver cells), between which intralobular bile ducts pass. In the center of the lobule there is a vein and capillary. Interlobular vessels and bile ducts pass between the lobules.

Today, approximately 200 million people in the world suffer from liver diseases, which are among the ten most common causes of death. The liver is most often affected by viruses and toxic substances. The most popular outcome of chronic liver pathologies is. But liver cancer is relatively rare, while metastases of oncology of other organs affect the liver 30 times more often than liver cancer itself.

Only a doctor can decide which symptoms of liver disease require the most attention. Therefore, at the first suspicion of liver disorders, it is worth contacting a specialist.

List of liver diseases

• Hepatitis: acute or chronic inflammation of the liver - viral, drug-induced, toxic, due to lack of blood supply (ischemic).
• Cirrhosis: alcoholic, biliary, postnecrotic, with hemochromatosis, rare types (against the background of Wilson-Konovalov disease, cystic fibrosis, galactosemia).
• Liver neoplasms: hepatocellular cancer, liver metastases, cysts (echinococcosis, polycystic disease), abscess.
• Infiltrative liver lesions: amyloidosis, glycogenosis, fatty liver, lymphoma, granulomatosis (sarcoidosis, tuberculosis).
• Functional disorders with jaundice:, cholestasis of pregnancy, Crigler-Nayjar syndrome, Dubin-Johnson syndrome.
• Lesions of the intrahepatic bile ducts: blockage of the bile duct (stone, scar), inflammation of the bile duct (cholangitis).
• Vascular pathologies: congestive liver in heart failure and cardiac cirrhosis of the liver, thrombosis of the hepatic veins, arteriovenous fistulas.

General signs of liver pathologies

Asthenic manifestations

These are the first symptoms of liver disease. Weakness, lethargy, fatigue, decreased performance, drowsiness are a consequence of impaired neutralization of nitrogen metabolism products in the liver.

Pain in the liver area

Jaundice

This is the coloring of the skin, white of the eyes and mucous membranes (tongue frenulum) in different shades of yellow. This manifestation is directly related to disruption of bile transport or bilirubin metabolism. The normal level of bilirubin in blood biochemistry: total from 8.5 to 20.5 µmol per liter, indirect (bound) up to 15.4 µmol per liter, direct (unbound) - 2 -5.1 µmol/l.

• Jaundice caused by damage to liver cells is called parenchymal jaundice and is characteristic of hepatitis, Dubin-Johnson syndrome and other functional disorders. The cause of this type of jaundice is a violation of the conversion of direct (toxic) bilirubin into indirect. Jaundice has a lemon tint. In parallel with this, due to a violation of the exchange of bile pigments, urine becomes the color of beer, and feces - light clay. In a biochemical blood test, total and direct bilirubin will increase.
• Cholestatic jaundice is characteristic of obstruction of the bile ducts both inside and outside the liver. In this case, stagnation of bile provokes a yellow coloration of the skin with a greenish tint. mucous membranes and sclera. Biochemistry will show high total bilirubin and increased indirect (bound) bilirubin.
• Hemolytic jaundice is called jaundice, in which the level of direct bilirubin in the blood increases. For Krieger-Najjar syndrome.

Other symptoms

Other manifestations of liver diseases are associated with the toxic effects of products that are not completely neutralized by the diseased organ.

• Against this background, insomnia and memory impairment may occur.
• Other symptoms on the skin: spider veins, small hemorrhages in the skin - the result of a clotting disorder.
• Also, a number of liver diseases are characterized by:
  • red palms (plantar erythema)
  • fatty plaques on eyelids
  • raspberry lacquered tongue due to vitamin B12 deficiency.

Liver syndromes

When describing liver diseases, it is customary to combine many of their manifestations into groups (syndromes). From them, like from a construction set, you can put together a picture of certain liver ailments.

Cytolytic syndrome

It develops as a result of damage to liver cells (hepatocytes), primarily their walls and membranes of cellular structures. This leads to an increase in the penetration of various substances into hepatocytes, which can result in cell death. Viral, drug, toxic damage, and starvation can lead to cytolysis. Hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver tumors are accompanied by cytolytic syndrome.

Laboratory criteria for this syndrome are increased blood transaminases:

• ALT, AST (more than 31 g/l for women and 41 g/l for men) (LDH (more than 250 U/l)
• bilirubin (due to direct)
• increased iron in the blood serum (26 µmol/l in women and 28.3 µmol/l in men).

The activity of cytolysis is described by the De Ritis coefficient (the ratio of ALT to AST). Its norm is 1.2-1.4. If the coefficient is more than 1.4, there is severe damage to the liver cells (chronic hepatitis with high activity, tumor or cirrhosis).

Mesenchymal inflammatory syndrome

Mesenchymal inflammatory syndrome provides insight into the activity of hepatic immune inflammation. Clinical manifestations of the syndrome include fever, joint pain, enlarged lymph nodes and their soreness, enlarged spleen, vascular damage to the skin and lungs.

Laboratory values ​​change as follows:

• total blood protein decreases (below 65 g/l)
• serum gammaglobulins increase (>20%)
• thymol test exceeds 4 units
• nonspecific markers of inflammation (seromucoid >0.24 units, C-reactive protein >6 mg/l)
• Specific antibodies to DNA, as well as immunoglobulin fractions, increase in the blood.
  • In this case, an increase in Ig A is characteristic of alcoholic liver damage
  • Ig M – for primary biliary cirrhosis
  • Ig G – for active chronic hepatitis
• in a finger prick blood test, the ESR accelerates (above 20 mm/hour in women and above 10 mm/hour in men).

Cholestasis syndrome

It indicates stagnation of bile in intrahepatic (primary) or extrahepatic (secondary) bile ducts. The syndrome manifests itself as jaundice with a greenish tint, itchy skin, the formation of flat yellow plaques on the eyelids (xanthelasma), darkening of urine, lightening of stool, and skin pigmentation. In blood biochemistry, alkaline phosphatase (>830 nmol/l), gammaglutamine transpeptidase (GGTP), cholesterol (above 5.8 mmol/l), bilirubin (due to indirect) increases. The amount of bile pigments (urobilinogen) increases in the urine, and stercobilin decreases or disappears in the feces.

Portal hypertension syndrome

• The initial stage is manifested by appetite disorders, bloating, pain in the epigastrium and right hypochondrium, and unstable stool.
• Moderate hypertension results in an enlarged spleen and initial manifestations of esophageal varicose veins.
• Severe causes accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity (ascites), swelling, and bruising on the skin.
• Complications are aggravated by bleeding from the esophagus and stomach, disturbances in the functioning of the stomach, intestines, and kidneys.

Hepatocellular failure syndrome

It is characterized by degeneration or replacement of liver cells by connective tissue, and a decline in all liver functions. In the clinic of this syndrome the following appear:

• temperature increase
• weight loss
• jaundice
• bruises on the skin
• red palms
• lacquered raspberry tongue
• spider veins on the chest and abdomen.
• due to changes in the exchange of sex hormones in women, excess hair growth, menstrual irregularities, atrophy of the mammary glands, and involution of the uterus appear
• men suffer from gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, libido disorders

Protein in the blood decreases due to a drop in albumin, prothrombin (PTI<90%), падают факторы свертываемости, холестерин, растут билирубин (за счет прямого), АлАТ, АсАТ, печеночные ферменты.

Acute and chronic liver failure

As a rule, this term refers to major liver failure, in which, in addition to liver cell failure (hepatocellular failure syndrome), there is also damage to the central nervous system by ammonia and phenols, which is called hepatic encephalopathy. In this case, sleep disturbances (insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day), memory, hand tremors, and imprecise movements are noted.

The causes of acute liver failure are liver damage due to poisoning (by toadstool toxin), viral and autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson-Konovalov disease, acute fatty liver disease in pregnant women. Chronic liver failure is the outcome of cirrhosis or tumor, as well as vascular pathologies of the liver. It is divided into four stages.

• Compensated deficiency- manifested by sleep rhythm disturbances, unstable mood, and decreased physical activity. Fever, jaundice, and spontaneous hemorrhages into the skin are noted.
• Severe or decompensated deficiency manifested by an increase in all manifestations of the first stage. There is inadequacy, sometimes aggression, followed by drowsiness and disorientation, slow speech, and pronounced. A liver odor appears from the mouth.
• Terminal or dystrophic phase- drowsiness, depression of consciousness, difficulty waking up, which is accompanied by anxiety or confusion. The patient’s contact with others is disrupted, but pain sensitivity remains.
• Hepatic coma - loss of consciousness, individual movements and reaction to pain, which disappear as the coma develops. Divergent strabismus, lack of pupillary reaction to light, convulsions. Possible death.

About the activity of some enzymes

Enzymes determined in a biochemical blood test can tell you in which direction to look for liver diseases. Thus, gammaglutamine transpeptidase (GGTP) is very characteristically increased in steatohepatitis. ALT – for chronic viral hepatitis, and AST – for alcoholic lesions.

The following changes are characteristic of alkaline phosphatase.

Manifestations of liver diseases