World Liver Day
Try to
listen to what your Liver says! This World Liver Day, educate yourself about various
liver problems in the quest of maintaining a healthy liver.
World liver
day is observed every year on every 19 April, to spread awareness about liver
related diseases. The liver is the second largest and the second most complex
organ in the body, after the brain. The liver performs many crucial functions
related to digestion, immunity, metabolism, and the storage of nutrients within
the body. Without it, the tissues of the body would quickly die from lack of
energy and nutrients. If good care is not taken of, the liver can easily get
damaged.
LIVER DISEASES
Liver
disease refers to any condition that damages the liver and prevents it from
functioning properly.
Most common
types of liver diseases are as follows:
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
It is the accumulation
of liver fat in people who consume little or no alcohol. It develops scars and
ultimately causes cirrhosis, with all the complications of cirrhosis, for
example, liver failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C
It a
condition caused by an infection by a virus that attacks the liver and leads to
inflammation. It is generally spread by blood transfusion, hemodialysis, and needle
sticks. Symptoms of chronic hepatitis include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and
loss of appetite.
Hepatitis B
It is a
serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. It’s easily
preventable by a vaccine. Symptoms of Hepatitis B include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, jaundice, dark
urine, light stools.
Cirrhosis of the liver
Cirrhosis involves loss
of liver cells and permanent scarring of the liver. Viral
hepatitis B and C and, alcohol are common causes of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis
can cause loss of appetite, weakness, easy bruising, itching, yellowing
of the skin (jaundice), and fatigue.
Alcoholic hepatitis
Alcoholic
hepatitis is a syndrome of progressive inflammatory liver injury. It is associated
with continuing heavy intake of ethanol. Symptoms include fever, hepatomegaly, noticeable
impairment of liver function and expression of portal hypertension.
Hepatitis A
It is a
highly contagious type of liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis
A virus can be transmitted to other people by foods prepared by an infected
person, contaminated stools (feces), contaminated water, and close personal
contact (for example, touching hands, sex), with an infected person but not by cough,
sneezing, hugging (without skin contact).
Symptoms of
hepatitis A may include flu-like symptoms such as tiredness, fever, stomach
discomfort, decreased appetite, diarrhea, light-colored stools, dark yellow
urine, and jaundice .
“Liver is one of
largest solid organ in the body with unique ability to regenerate itself. Liver
plays an important role in metabolism of glucose, fat, protein and cholesterol.
It regulates blood glucose and cholesterol. To keep liver happy, take proper
diet, do regular exercise, modify life style, and avoid alcohol. Healthy Liver
keeps you healthy and happy.” Says Dr. Jitendra Agarwal, Sr. Consultant – GI
& Metabolic Surgery
On World Liver
Day, 17 April 2017, make efforts to aware yourself and others about liver
infections, take positive actions to know your status by getting tested, and
finally seek timely treatment to cut needless deaths from the preventable and
treatable infections.
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