Liver is one of the most important body organ because it performs a vital function, which is helping our body get rid of toxins. So, it is very important that your liver remains in a healthy condition. In this article, we have highlighted some of the most common liver diseases. Prior knowledge of these diseases can be very helpful in their prevention.
1. Hepatitis A virus
This virus is basically contained in the faeces of the infected person and gets transferred from one person to another through contaminated water and food. The symptoms for this disease are usually mild and generally don’t leave long term effects. However, in some cases it may lead to severe illness which is followed by liver failure.
2. Hepatitis B virus
This virus is highly contagious and is found in the body fluids of the infected person such as blood. It is easily transferred from mother to baby or even during sex from one person to another. Sharing non-sterile needles for drug use, acupuncture and tattoos is another way through which this virus spreads. This infection is considered to be very dangerous as it can lead to liver diseases and liver cancer.
3. Hepatitis C virus
Although, people suffering from it may not show any symptom at all, still, the long term effects of the condition are lethal which may include liver damage and cancer. The way this virus is transferred form one person to another is very much similar to that of hepatitis B as this virus is also mostly passed on through infected blood. Till date, no vaccine is known to exist which can prevent hepatitis C, but treatments, which have been found to be effective in most of the cases, are available.
4. Autoimmune hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis is a medical condition in which the body’s own immune system attacks the liver. The person suffering from it feels tired and remains unwell showing early symptoms. This disease can affect anyone but for women in the age group 15-25 while, men and women over 50 are most vulnerable to it.
5. Wilson’s disease
Copper is the driving factor behind this diseases. This element is very essential for us as it helps our bodies to repair cells, but excess of it can be very dangerous as it becomes poisonous. Our liver is responsible for controlling the amount of copper in our body, however, the liver of a person suffering from Wilson’s disease is not able to regulate the amount, thus the level of copper builds up which eventually leads to a damage of brain, liver and other organs.
6. Primary sclerosing cholangitis
In case of this disease, the flow of bile gets obstructed because of the inflammation of the bile ducts. Thus, it results in a stagnant pool of bile which later gets infected resulting in pain, fever and jaundice. The reasons behind this disease are still not very much clear but the people with inflammatory bowel disease are at most risk.
7. Gallstones and gall bladder disease
Gall stones and other gall bladder diseases are very common and anyone is at the risk of developing them. However, middle-aged and overweight women, people who have lost weight recently and women who got pregnant recently are more vulnerable towards it.
8. Alcoholic liver disease
The function of the liver is to filter toxins such as alcohol, out of the blood. Fat is generated inside the liver because of the alcohol that is metabolized in it. Thus, your liver becomes fatty if you drink more than the recommended quantity of alcohol. This fat makes the liver cells bloated and so they stop working properly. And with the passage of time, this fat reaches a level from where it starts harming your body. In some cases, it may even happen if large amount of alcohol is consumed in a small span of time. Alcoholic liver disease can lead to serious scarring known as cirrhosis.
9. Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases
It is not necessary that fatty liver diseases occur only because of alcohol, there are several non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases which are equally dangerous. Such diseases are mostly found in people who are overweight or have diabetes. Here also, inflammation and scarring occurs which finally leads to cirrhosis.
10. Haemochromatosis
Because of a genetic defect in the mechanism that regulates iron absorption, the level of iron in our body increases. This condition, when there is too much iron in the body, is known as haemochromatosis. The excess iron gets stored in the liver and can cause cirrhosis.
11. Primary biliary cirrhosis
The bile ducts of a person suffering from this disease, get destroyed. The flow of bile juice stops because of this damage and thus bile start accumulating inside the liver. If it is left unattended for a long time then it will eventually turn into scarring and cirrhosis. Researches and studies conducted on it show that primary biliary cirrhosis falls into the category of autoimmune diseases.
12. Obstetric cholestasis
This is a very common disease among pregnant women and can be identified easily if you are facing intense itching. Proper attention must be given to it as it poses risk even to the baby.
13. Cancer of the liver
Liver cancer is of two types, first one is the primary liver cancer which starts in the liver while the one which spreads from another part of the body to the liver constitutes the second type, also known as secondary liver cancer. People suffering from cirrhosis are at a greater risk of developing primary liver cancer.
