Common Causes of Liver Disease
Alcohol Abuse: The over-drinking of alcohol is the first and foremost thing to blame for liver diseases. A person's liver can tolerate a lot, and even in the case of such a hard case, he may still experience an alcohol-related liver disease that can be just a fatty liver, or it can progress through stages of alcoholic hepatitis and finally cirrhosis.
Hepatitis B and C: Generally, the viral infections are the main reasons behind the liver disease, with hepatitis B and hepatitis C being the two most prominent ones.
Both of these viruses attack the liver, causing inflammation, liver damage, and ultimately fibrosis if the infection is chronic.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): The situation is changing rapidly, and that condition is becoming very common; in fact, most cases are found in obese or diabetic patients. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a serious amplification of the condition, can develop from alcohol-free fatty liver.
Autoimmune Hepatitis: In this condition, the patient's body's immune system targets the liver, causing inflammation and damage.
The immune hepatitis can go on as a chronic condition, thus requiring treatment for a period of time that could be extensive.
Genetic Disorders: In the case of some genetically inherited disorders like hemochromatosis and Wilson's disease, the situation may be that the liver becomes diseased. Such diseases may result in the excessive buildup of either iron or copper in the liver, and the organ will gradually be damaged because of it.
Treatments for Liver Disease
Lifestyle Changes: A significant number of people suffering from liver disease can actually get their condition to be reversed or at least improved by changing their lifestyle. Among such changes it is possible to find stopping alcohol intake, eating healthy, doing physical activities regularly, and even keeping a healthy weight.
Medications: The doctor may decide to give you medication only if your liver disease is due to a certain cause and the medication will help to manage the symptoms and also slow down the progression of the disease. An example of this is the use of antiviral drugs to treat hepatitis B and C infections.
Liver Transplant: When the liver is severely damaged beyond the point of recovery, a liver transplant is the only way out. Dr. Bopanna has comprehensive knowledge about the entire procedure of liver transplantation, including assessment of the patient and management of care during pre- and post-transplant surgery.
Complication Management: Liver disorder can lead to several complications, including ascites (swelling in the abdomen due to excess fluid), brain dysfunction (hepatic encephalopathy), and increased blood pressure in the portal vein (portal hypertension).
