The liver is the second largest organ in your body. It detoxifies your body and plays a significant role in digestion. Liver disease is several conditions that affect and can damage your liver. Untreated liver disease Katy can lead to liver failure. Some forms of liver disease rarely cause symptoms. For those that cause symptoms, jaundice; yellowing of your skin, and the whites of your eyes are the most common. Other symptoms of liver disease include belly pain, changes in urine and stool color, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, bruising easily, and arms or legs swelling. There are various types of liver disease, including:
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. When the inflammation results from a virus, it is called viral hepatitis. There are five types of hepatitis, which include:
Hepatitis A: This hepatitis is typically spread through contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A symptoms can clear without treatment, but recovery may take a few weeks.
Hepatitis B: This form of viral hepatitis can be acute or chronic. There is no cure for Hepatitis B, but treatments can help manage it.
Hepatitis C: You can get hepatitis C by coming into contact with an infected person’s blood. It does not cause symptoms in the early stages but can damage your liver permanently in later stages.
Hepatitis D: This is a severe form of hepatitis and only develops in individuals with hepatitis B.
Hepatitis E: This type of hepatitis is caused by drinking contaminated water. It clears independently within a few weeks without lasting complications.
Fatty liver disease
Fat can build up in your liver leading to fatty liver disease. There are two types of fatty liver disease; alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Alcoholic fatty liver disease results from heavy alcohol consumption, while non-alcoholic is caused by other aspects that experts are still trying to understand. If you do not manage your fatty liver disease, it can lead to cirrhosis and liver damage.
Autoimmune conditions
Your immune system can mistakenly attack your liver, causing autoimmune liver diseases. These conditions include primary biliary cirrhosis, which results from damage of liver bile ducts, and primary sclerosing cholangitis, an inflammation problem that damages your bile ducts gradually.
Genetic conditions
Certain genetic conditions you inherit from one of your parents can affect your liver. These diseases include Wilson’s disease, hemochromatosis, and alpha-1 antitrypsin.
Drug-induced liver disease
Prolonged use of certain drugs and supplements can affect your liver. In most cases, you can reverse the drug-induced liver disease by stopping the medication. Continuous use of such drugs can lead to chronic liver damage.
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is liver scarring that results from other liver issues such as alcohol use disorder. Your doctor can treat the early stages of cirrhosis by addressing the underlying cause. If you do not manage cirrhosis, it can lead to further complications and become life-threatening.
Liver failure
Liver failure occurs when a significant part of your liver is damaged and cannot function appropriately. It is a severe condition that needs ongoing management.
Liver disease is several conditions that affect and can damage your liver. These conditions include hepatitis, fatty liver disease, drug-induced liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver failure. Schedule an appointment at Imperial Digestive Health Specialists for liver disease treatment to prevent severe complications.
