What is a Liver?
What is a Liver? The liver is the largest solid organ in the body, and is actually a gland. The liver has a wide variety of critical functions such as manufacturing proteins and metabolizing fats and carbohydrates. The liver also eliminates harmful biochemical waste products from the body (alcohol, drugs, toxins). The liver secretes bile that aids in digestion. Examples of diseases of the liver include cirrhosis, hepatitis, cancer, and fatty liver. Symptoms of liver disease include bleeding, easy bruising, edema, fatigue, and jaundice The liver is an organ in the body that does several important tasks. One task of the liver is to help the body use the nutrients in food for energy. Liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis may change the way your body uses nutrients from food. Nutrients include carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
Some people with liver disease may not get enough nutrients and lose weight because of these changes The liver is generally located in the abdominal-pelvic region below diaphragm. Some of the common diseases of liver include hepatitis A, B, C, E, alcohol damage, fatty liver, cancer, cirrhosis, and damage due to certain drugs. Liver damage can be detected through blood tests, ultrasound, CT scan and biopsy. Liver is the only internal human organ that can regenerate of lost tissues. However, in extreme cases, liver transplantation is the only option. The liver is so important as it is our body's detoxifying engine. A liver cleanse diet will help because if we don't cleanse regularly the toxins will continue to build up making us feel tired and sluggish and may lead to other health issues, Toxins come from variety of sources. They come from the environment, the content of our bowels, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. If you are exposed to chemicals or cigarette smoke, it is your liver's job to clean up the toxins before they do damage. What is Liver Disease? Liver disease can be cause by a variety of things including infection (hepatitis), diseases such as gallstones, high cholesterol or triglycerides, blood flow obstruction to the liver, and toxins (medications and chemicals). Symptoms of liver disease depends upon the cause; however, common symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, upper right abdominal pain, and jaundice. Treatment depends upon the cause of the liver disease. Progressive liver disease or liver disease untreated can lead to the liver failing and toxins poisoning the blood stream leading to serious health problems. If treatment has failed to halt and reverse the symptoms of liver disease, surgeons must perform a liver transplant to stop liver disease being fatal. Learn more about liver transplants and the benefits of living donors. Cirrhosis of the liver refers to a disease in which normal liver cells are replaced by scar tissue caused by alcohol and viral hepatitis B and C. This disease leads to abnormalities in the liver's ability to handle toxins and blood flow, causing internal bleeding, kidney failure, mental confusion, coma, body fluid accumulation, and frequent infections. Symptoms include yellowing of the skin, itching, and fatigue. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to a wide spectrum of liver disease ranging from simple fatty liver (steatosis), to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to cirrhosis (irreversible, advanced scarring of the liver). All of the stages of NAFLD have in common the accumulation of fat (fatty infiltration) in the liver cells (hepatocytes A liver scan may be performed to screen for diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, or cirrhosis. Lesions such as tumors, abscesses, or cysts of the liver or spleen may be seen on a liver scan. A liver scan may be performed to assess the condition of the liver and/or spleen after trauma to the abdomen or when there is unexplained pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Enlargement of the liver or spleen may be seen on a liver scan. A liver biopsy is done by a gastroenterologist, hepatologist, radiologist , or surgeon in a clinic or a hospital. A liver biopsy is often done by a radiologist using ultrasound or a CT scan to help guide the biopsy needle. When cirrhosis of the liver or a cancer is suspected, a liver biopsy may be done during a laparoscopy . A liver transplant is recommended for individuals who have serious liver dysfunction and will not be able to live without having the liver replaced. The most common liver disease for which transplants are done is cirrhosis. Other diseases may include acute hepatic necrosis, biliary atresia, metabolic disease, liver cancers, and autoimmune hepatitis. A liver cleanse supported by a liver cleanse diet will help to optimize the liver's functioning. By cleansing on a regular basis and adopting some of the dietary changes you will improve your long term health improvements. Are You Addicted To A Substance? Treating Substance Abuse With Nutrition What is a liver?
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