Liver Diseases

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Liver Diseases

JoAnn Guest

Nov 04, 2003 15:25 PST

 

Liver Diseases

 

 

The liver is the largest organ in the body (not including the skin)

and has the widest variety of functions.

 

It metabolizes carbohydrates, fats and proteins, processes vitamins,

regulates blood clotting mechanisms, and detoxifies the blood by

filtering drugs (including alcohol), hormones, microbes and other

toxins.

 

What diseases affect the liver?

 

Alcoholic Liver Disease

Chronic, heavy alcohol use is the leading cause of illness and death

from liver disease in the United States. More than two million

Americans suffer from alcoholic liver disease.

 

The liver is capable of regenerating and repairing itself, however

long-term alcohol abuse can lead to permanent damage and liver

disease.

 

 

There are three phases to alcoholic liver disease:

 

Fatty liver - a reversible, non-life threatening condition that is

caused from the accumulation of fat in the liver cells. There are

typically no symptoms. The abstinence of alcohol can reverse this

condition, but if excess alcohol use continues, it can lead to a

more

serious liver disorder known as cirrhosis.

 

Alcohol hepatitis – or liver inflammation. Symptoms include jaundice

(yellowing of the skin), fever, elevated white blood cells and an

enlarged, painful liver.

 

Cirrhosis – a progressive disease causing the destruction of liver

cells, leaving nonfunctioning scar tissue. This condition is not

completely reversible, but if drinking ceases, the liver may repair

itself (except for the scarred cells). However, if the person

continues

to drink, cirrhosis can lead to death. Symptoms may be nonexistent

in

mild forms of cirrhosis. In more advanced cases, people experience

jaundice, weight loss, malnutrition, esophageal varices (bleeding of

varicose veins at the lower end of the esophagus), accumulation of

fluid in the abdomen (ascites), and hepatic encephalopathy (a brain

disease caused from a build up of waste products in the bloodstream

that the liver is not able to detoxify).

 

What can I do to prevent liver injury from alcohol?

 

The most effective preventive measure is to avoid alcohol

altogether.

However, if you do drink, keep your alcohol intake " moderate " : no

more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks

per day for men. This limit is based on the differences between men

and women both in weight and the way they metabolize alcohol.)

 

A standard drink in the U.S. is 15 grams of alcohol. This is

equivalent to:

 

5 oz. of wine

 

12 oz. Beer

 

1.5 oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits (whisky, vodka, gin, scotch,

rum or brandy)

 

For those who consume heavy amounts of alcohol, complete abstinence

of alcohol is your best option to prevent further damage to your

liver. Seek professional guidance such as Alcoholics Anonymous to

help you handle your drinking problem.

 

Hepatitis occurs in many forms

 

Hepatitis refers to an inflammation of the liver from any cause.

Viral hepatitis is typically caused by other viral infections, such

as mononucleosis, salmonellosis and malaria, or from a virus that

directly affects the liver. Non-viral hepatitis can result from a

reaction to

alcohol or drugs. Hepatitis can be acute (less than six months) or

chronic. There are also several different forms of hepatitis:

hepatitis

A, B, C, D and E. Each one can cause acute hepatitis, but they

differ in

mode of transmission and incubation period, as well as the degree

and continuation of liver damage. Most cases of acute hepatitis do

not

require treatment. After a few days, symptoms are usually improved

and most people can return to work after the jaundice clears.

 

Viral Hepatitis

Hepatitis A

 

There are from 125,000-to-200,000 cases of Hepatitis A per year in

the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control

(CDC). About 100 people die each year due to rapid and severe onset.

Hepatitis A is spread from oral-fecal transmission, commonly as a

result of

contamination of food or water by someone with hepatitis A (usually

from poor hygiene or lack of sufficient sanitary conditions). Eating

contaminated shellfish can also be the cause. It is rarely

transmitted

by blood or plasma. Hepatitis A is usually a benign disease, and

only

in a few cases does it result in death from liver failure.

 

Hepatitis A has a short incubation period of about 15 to 45 days.

Symptoms that occur in the acute stage of the disease (lasting about

2-to-12 weeks) include jaundice, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea,

abdominal

pain and loss of appetite.

 

Hepatitis B

 

Hepatitis B can produce acute or chronic hepatitis, and progress to

cirrhosis or liver cancer. It can also lead to the development of

hepatitis D. The CDC estimates that there are about 140,000 to

320,000

cases each year in the U.S. and about 1-to-1.25 million carriers of

the disease. Hepatitis B causes about 5,000 to 6,000 deaths per

year. It can be transmitted through blood transfusions,

intravenous drug use, sexual contact, or from an infected pregnant

mother to her fetus.

 

The incubation period is much longer in hepatitis B, ranging from

4-to-26 weeks (with an average of eight weeks), and symptoms can

last

for 4-to-12 weeks. Symptoms are similar to those in hepatitis A:

jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Acute

cases

will resolve in 95-98% of otherwise healthy adults. Only 5-10% of

people infected with hepatitis B will develop chronic hepatitis.

Hepatitis B is less likely than hepatitis C to progress to a chronic

infection.

 

Hepatitis C

 

Hepatitis C affects about 36,000 people each year in the U.S. The

CDC estimates that more than 85% of hepatitis C-infected persons

will

develop chronic hepatitis, with about 8,000 to 10,000 deaths per

year. Hepatitis C is responsible for many cases of cirrhosis (about

15% over a period of 20-to-30 years) and liver cancer; it is also

the leading

indication for liver transplantation. The primary route of

transmission

is from infected blood -- from blood transfusions, hemodialysis, or

by sharing needles with intravenous drug users. Sexual transmission

is

rare.

 

The incubation period for hepatitis C ranges from 15 to 150 days,

with an average of 50 days. Only 25% of infections are symptomatic,

but the most alarming aspect of hepatitis C is its high rate of

persistence and ability to develop into chronic hepatitis. Symptoms

are the same as

those with hepatitis B: jaundice, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting

and fatigue. Chronic hepatitis C is a slowly progressing disease,

destroying liver cells even as infected people remain symptom-free.

Diagnosis

typically results from a patient complaining of fatigue, a tender

liver, or tests showing abnormal liver enzyme levels.

 

Hepatitis D and E

 

Hepatitis D and E are less common forms of hepatitis. Hepatitis D

can be either acute or chronic, and the route of transmission is

similar to hepatitis B: blood transfusions, intravenous drug use,

sexual contact, or from an infected pregnant mother to her fetus.

 

People who develop hepatitis D are those who are also at high risk

for hepatitis B, such as intravenous drug users. Hepatitis E is

similar to hepatitis A and does not cause chronic hepatitis. This

infection occurs mostly in developing countries, such as India,

parts of Africa and Mexico.

 

 

 

 

Nutritional Supplements and Liver Health

 

The following are nutrients, botanicals and other compounds that we

recommend for this specific health condition.

 

 

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) -

 

Milk Thistle seeds contain a bioflavonoid complex known as

silymarin, responsible for the health benefits of the plant.

Milk Thistle extract may protect liver cells by blocking the

entrance of toxins, help to remove toxins from liver cells

and regenerate liver cells.

 

Milk Thistle extract is commonly recommended

to support and maintain liver health.

 

Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) -

The dried berries of this Chinese plant have been found to support

and maintain the liver in general.

 

Maitake (Grifola frondosa) -

This Japanese mushroom has immune enhancing properties.

 

Olive leaf extract -

Recent research conducted in China suggests that this herb supports

the immune system.

 

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Magnesium.html

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