0
Fatty liver is usually benign, but carries a 10 to 20% risk of developing cirrhosis. Cirrhosis itself can be due to many reasons, and carries a much worse prognosis.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What are the affects on the liver to drinking extra stong lager daily?
If you limit yourself to a pint a day, not much. More than that will, over time, probably lead to fatty liver and perhaps cirrhosis as well.
Is a person with reoccuring hepatitis A virus more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver?
Compared to the control of "a person with no liver issues whatsover" , the person with Hep A would be slightly more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver. However, since they are aware that they have a liver issue, the liver function and general health of the person are probably being very closely monitored. Hence if their liver function ever does present a significant problem, it will be caught early and given appropriate treatment. (They would be at a far greater risk if they were unaware they had Hep A.)
Does ultrasound detect fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver?
Ultrasound can aid in the detection of fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver, by measuring how ecogenic the liver is (the more it "echo's" the greater the scarring). However any findings still have to be validated by a biopsy, before a diagnoses can be confirmed.
What are the side effects associated with using kava kava?
Mild side effects: numbness in the mouth, headaches, dizziness or skin rashes. Associated with serious side effects in large doses: liver damage, hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver failure. And more . . .
The Stages and Effects of Liver Disease?
In the human body, the liver acts as a filter for the bloodstream, and it's primary role is to remove toxins. The liver also removes fats from blood and then transfers them for storage. When the liver becomes overwhelmed by toxins or fats, it can then lead to liver disease. The term "liver disease" actually encompasses a variety of illnesses and disorders that effect the liver, although people primarily associate liver disease with hepatitis, cirrhosis and fatty liver. Most liver disease builds in stages, starting with fatty liver. From there, a progression occurs to hepatitis, and finally, cirrhosis. Fatty liver disease occurs when too many fat cells have accumulated in the liver, but the condition is typically reversible. Hepatitis, however, is much more serious and is typically brought on by a build up of toxins, although there are a number of viruses which can also cause hepatitis. Symptoms of hepatitis usually include jaundice, muscle pain, dark urine and abdominal pain and pressure. If liver disease progresses to cirrhosis, the chances for survival begin to drop. Cirrhosis occurs when the liver has been accumulated to many scars, and these scars ultimately choke off the bile ducts which help to transfer toxins out of the bloodstream. Once the process of cirrhosis begins, treatment possibilities become limited, and often, the only option for combating cirrhosis is a liver transplant. While the human liver has an amazing regenerative quality, if too much scarring has occurred and too many liver cells have died, it loses its ability to regenerate. One of the primary causes of liver disease is the over-consumption of alcohol over a long period of time. Many people who suffer from alcoholism go on to develop liver disease, and in some cases, this can lead to fatalities. Certain medications, such as acetaminophen, can also lead to liver disease if taken in too large a quantity in a short period of time, or when taken in smaller amounts over long periods of time. If you're concerned about the health of your liver, it's important to have blood tests performed to determine if any damage has occurred. In many cases, liver disease and damage can be reversed if caught early enough.
What treatment doctors recommend for fatty liver infiltration?
Weight loss, control of diabetes, and control of cholesterol can decrease the amount of fat in your liver and is the best thing to treat diffuse fatty infiltration of the liver. Would still recommend medical review of the condition as there will be degrees of severity that can progress from causing minimal issues all the way through to cirrhosis of the liver. With common dietary habits today and the prevalence of fast food, a finding of fatty liver can be quite common unfortunately. Lets hope reversal of the condition is simple!
What is the liver disease caused by drinking heavily over many years?
Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Up to 35 percent of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis. Symptoms may include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and tenderness, fever and jaundice. In its mild form, alcoholic hepatitis can last for years and will cause progressive liver damage. The damage may be reversible if you stop drinking. In its severe form, the disease may occur suddenly, after binge drinking, and it can quickly lead to life-threatening complications.Alcoholic cirrhosis is the most serious type of alcohol-induced liver disease.Cirrhosis refers to the replacement of normal liver tissue with scar tissue. Between 10 and 20 percent of heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis, usually after 10 or more years of drinking. Symptoms of cirrhosis are similar to those of alcoholic hepatitis. The damage from cirrhosis is not reversible, and it is a life-threatening disease. Your condition may stabilize if you stop drinking.Many heavy drinkers will progress from fatty liver to alcoholic hepatitis and finally to alcoholic cirrhosis, though the progression may vary from patient to patient. The risk of developing cirrhosis is particularly high for people who drink heavily and have another chronic liver disease such as viral hepatitis C.source:http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/alcohol/
How enzyme function in the liver would be affected in a person with cirrhosis?
The enzyme function would not be as effecient, causing the liver to produce more enzymes.
What is cirrhotic hepatitis?
Cirrhotic hepatitis is more commonly known as cirrhosis of the liver. This occurs usually in alcoholics, and leads to loss of liver production.
What causes postnecrotic cirrhosis?
1. Alcohol is a very common cause of cirrhosis2. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to a wide spectrum of liver diseases that, like alcoholic liver disease, ranges from simple steatosis, to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to cirrhosis. All stages of NAFLD have in common the accumulation of fat in liver cells. The term nonalcoholic is used because NAFLD occurs in individuals who do not consume excessive amounts of alcohol, yet.3. Chronic viral hepatitis is a condition where hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infects the liver for years. Most patients with viral hepatitis will not develop chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis.4. Autoimmune hepatitis is a liver disease caused by an abnormality of the immune system that is found more commonly in women. The abnormal immune activity in autoimmune hepatitis causes progressive inflammation and destruction of liver cells (hepatocytes), leading ultimately to cirrhosis.5. Infants can be born without bile ducts (biliary atresia) and ultimately develop cirrhosis. Other infants are born lacking vital enzymes for controlling sugars that leads to the accumulation of sugars and cirrhosis.
What does increased echo texture of the liver mean?
An increased echotexture of the liver could mean several different things. A doctor is the only one who can diagnose what it means in a certain case. It would be caused by cirrhosis, or hepatitis, or fatty infiltration just to name a few things it could mean.
What are the stages of liver disease?
There are many myths regarding the stages of cirrhosis of the liver. Many people believe that cirrhosis only occurs in heavy drinkers, while others think they are safe from the disease simply because they avoid alcohol. The reality, however, is that liver cirrhosis can afflict any person for a number of reasons. Knowing the stages of liver cirrhosis can help you understand the disease and take preventative measures to protect yourself from it.What is Cirrhosis?Cirrhosis is a disease in which the liver loses the ability to function due to fibrous scar tissue and nodules replacing the healthy tissue within the organ. It is a chronic illness that can afflict anyone. Heavy drinkers are at a higher risk of developing liver cirrhosis, but anyone with hepatitis B or C, fatty liver disease or cystic fibrosis is also at risk.Educating yourself about the stages and symptoms of liver cirrhosis can help you protect yourself from the disease. Early stagesIn the early stages of liver cirrhosis, severe symptoms are not always present. A patient sometimes complains of itching, fatigue, jaundice and changes in the shape of their fingernails. During these early stages, many doctors are simply forced to treat the symptoms as they arise. If the disease is caught during these early stages, there is a more positive prognosis. If the disease progresses, more severe symptoms may occur. The size of the liver may increase, the spleen may enlarge and the body can sometimes form ascites. This happens when fluid accumulates in body cavities (such as the stomach) and causes a bloated appearance.Late stagesThe late stages of liver cirrhosis have a much more negative prognosis than the early stages. In these stages, the liver is most likely beyond repair and is not curable through medication alone. Often, patients who are in the late stages of liver cirrhosis suffer from complications such as hepatic encephalopathy, in which the liver cannot filter ammonia out of the bloodstream. An excess of ammonia in the bloodstream can affect a person's cerebral functioning and cause him or her to suffer from forgetfulness, unresponsiveness and changes in sleeping habits. The final stage of cirrhosis, sometimes called end-stage cirrhosis, requires a liver transplant. If the transplant is not performed, there is usually not much more the doctors can do for the patient.Cirrhosis of the liver is a severe disease; understanding the stages and realizing that anyone is at risk, not just heavy drinkers, can help you watch out for the symptoms in yourself or those close to you. While the prognosis is not always positive, it is much easier to spot the symptoms of this disease if you understand it, and know what to look for.
