If 75 percent of your liver was taken away, and if you have the remaining 25 per cent intact, it can grow back to a full-sized liver in just 8-15 days. It is the only organ with this remarkable feature. Did you know that your liver performs about 500 diverse functions? It is a perfect example of a multi-tasker.
It is the second-largest organ next to the skin. From fighting infections to the production of hormones and proteins to aid in blood clotting, and energy storage, your liver handles every job adeptly. Located beneath the ribs on the right side of your body, it also plays an important role in eliminating harmful toxins from your blood. These are only a few amazing facts that make this an extremely crucial part of your body.
Learning about Liver Diseases
According to the American Liver Foundation, the liver disease affects millions of lives every year. There are numerous diseases, which can hurt this hardworking organ and hinder it from running smoothly. Some of the liver diseases are liver cancer, primary biliary cirrhosis, liver damage caused due to drug overdose, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Gilbert syndrome, jaundice in new-borns, and many more.
Facts That You May Find Surprising about Liver Disease
Even though you might know enough about this important organ, there is a list of facts related to a liver disease that might amaze you.
- Liver problems are dangerous: The liver is the second most frequently transplanted vital organ, after the Kidney. This shows that liver diseases are extremely severe in nature and if left untreated, can cause irreversible damage.
- Contracting liver ailments: You can be born with a liver condition or a virus can be the cause or it can be due to genetics. It can develop from exposure to different types of toxins or even due to unknown reasons.
- Can happen at any age: There is no such thing that liver disease occurs only after a certain age. It can affect at any age – from newborn to aged people.
- Hard to detect: You might be suffering from a serious liver ailment, but you might not notice it due to the absence of symptoms or because the symptoms might be vague. Often, an underlying liver disease might show minor symptoms such as fatigue, dark coloured urine, nausea, loss of appetite, which tend to get ignored. But these could get worse with time.
- Working brain needs a working brain: It is surprising, but it is true. Liver damage can cause serious harm to your brain activity. When your liver function is affected, it is unable to filter the toxin material, which goes back to your brain and causes a condition like dementia. Also, if the ammonia and plasma levels go out of control, you can suffer from a condition called hepatic encephalopathy that is coma.
- Social and emotional health: Have your family and friends been telling you that your speech is sounding slurred, or they are noticing changes in your behavior? Do you feel your breath is not smelling right? These can all be due to long term liver disease. It can not only damage your social and emotional wellness, but affect your mobility also.
- Failed liver transplant: It is considered that a liver transplant surgery is an answer to a failed liver. However, you might be suffering from a liver disease that might attack a freshly transplanted liver and not let it work aptly.
- Restricting your liver’s regeneration: Although your liver can regenerate a liver disease can stop this natural process too. This is the right time to consult a liver specialist doctor to investigate the exact cause.
- Hepatitis: Multiple types of hepatitis include A, B, C, D, E, and others. Hepatitis A and B can lead to severe inflammation and long-term liver damage; in fact, the latter is more contagious than HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). Also, hepatitis C is widespread, but unfortunately, most are unaware that they are infected. Vaccination can prevent hepatitis A and B but not C.
- Harmful health supplements: You thought that the health supplements you take are good but surprisingly, they might not benefit you. Several of these have been found to cause substantial damage to your liver. So, the next time before you shop for these health supplements, give it a thought.
- Exposure to toxins: Indeed, your liver clears away the toxins from the blood, however, too much exposure to toxic materials can be burdening. There are some ways with which you can avoid this overexposure. Remember to wash the fruits and vegetables to get rid of the pesticides on them or be careful about the chemicals you use in your household or the garden.
Taking care of your Liver
There can be innumerable temptations to indulge into, but remember to nurture this organ’s health for its long life. Even if the symptoms are mild, it is crucial that you get help from a liver specialist doctor at the right time. Share the minutest discomfort with your doctor that you experience or watch for any new changes in your health. Stay strong and get emotional support from your friends and family.
You can also join a support group to connect with other people suffering from similar health issues. Also, you can create a page on your social media platform where you can circulate posts related to liver disease. Doing this can get you connected to more such individuals, collate more information through the comments. You can write a blog sharing your experiences as a patient of liver condition. Additionally, there is an exhaustive amount of information available in the resource centre of different healthcare websites.
Conclusion
As a leading treatment venue with extraordinary treatment services, be assured that you will find the best liver hospital for liver transplant surgery along with other options for liver treatment and procedures. Each liver specialist doctor here is experienced to handle even the most complicated liver condition. These medical professionals are immensely skilled in exposure and experience and leave no stone unturned to keep things better for you.
You can refer to the website for all the relevant details about liver disease, its progression, and ways to treat it.