Common Characteristics of Liver Diseases

What are the common symptoms of liver disease?
When a liver disease (hepatic or liver disease) is diagnosed, the doctor sees the patient's symptoms and perform a physical exam. In addition, the doctor may order a liver biopsy, tests of liver function, ultrasound, computed tomography (a CT) and either a study of magnetic resonance imaging (the acronym is MRI) .

Here are some common symptoms of liver disease, followed by a brief description are listed:

• Jaundice.
• Cholestasis.
• Enlarged liver.
• Portal hypertension.
• Esophageal varices.
• Ascites.
• Liver encephalopathy.
• Liver failure.    

What is jaundice?

Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes due to bilirubin (bile pigmentation) in the bloodstream. Urine is usually dark because of the bilirubin excreted through the kidneys. High levels of bilirubin may be attributed to inflammation, or other abnormalities of the liver cells, or blockage of the bile ducts. Sometimes jaundice is caused by the breakdown of a large number of red blood cells, which can occur in newborns. Jaundice is usually the first sign, and sometimes the only, of a liver disease.

What is cholestasis?

Cholestasis is reduced or stopped bile flow. "Chole" refers to bile and "stasis" means "keeping at the same level." Bile flow may be blocked inside the liver, outside the liver or in both places. Symptoms may include:

• Jaundice: yellowing of the skin and eyes.
• Dark urine.
• Colored stools.
• Bone loss.
• Bleeding easy.
• Itching.
• Small blood vessels visible in the form of spider in the skin.
• Enlarged spleen.
• Ascites fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity.
• Chills.
• Pain in the biliary tract or pancreas.
• Enlarged gallbladder.
• Other causes of cholestasis include the following:
• 
  
• Hepatitis.
• Liver disease induced by alcohol.
• Primary biliary cirrhosis.
• Effects of drugs.
• Hormonal changes during pregnancy.
• A stone in the bile duct.
• Narrowing of the bile duct.
• Bile duct cancer.
• Pancreatic cancer.
• Inflammation of the pancreas.

What is liver enlargement?

Liver enlargement is usually an indicator of liver disease, but usually no symptoms associated with a slightly enlarged liver (hepatomegaly). Symptoms of a grossly enlarged liver include abdominal discomfort or "feeling full."

What is portal hypertension?

Portal hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the portal vein that brings blood to the liver from the intestine. Portal hypertension may be due to increased portal pressure blood vessels or resistance to blood flow through the liver. Portal hypertension can lead to the growth of new blood vessels (called collateral) blood flow connecting the intestine to the general circulation, bypassing the liver. When this occurs, the substances which are normally removed by the liver into the general circulation. Symptoms of portal hypertension may include:

• Ascites - fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity.
• Bleeding from varicose veins at the lower end of the esophagus and the stomach lining.

What are esophageal varices?

Esophageal varices are dilated blood vessels in the walls of the lower esophagus who have a tendency to bleed. They can occur in individuals with severe liver disease. A diseased liver can cause portal hypertension, which is the increase in blood pressure in the portal vein. The portal vein is one that supplies blood to the liver. Over time, this pressure causes the growth of blood vessels, called collateral blood vessels. These vessels act as channels to divert blood pressure. The extra pressure in these vessels causes them to dilate and become tortuous. These vessels can eventually reach the lower esophagus and stomach and prone to rupture. The rupture can lead to significant loss of blood through vomiting or by passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of esophageal varices may include:

• Vomiting blood painlessly.
• Anemia - low red blood cell count.

What is ascites?

Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity caused by leakage of fluid from the surface of the liver and intestine. Ascites due to liver disease usually accompanies other features of liver disease and portal hypertension. Symptoms of ascites may include a distended abdominal cavity, causing discomfort and shortness of breath. Other causes of ascites may include the following:

• Cirrhosis of the liver (especially cirrhosis caused by alcoholism).
• Alcoholic hepatitis.
• Chronic hepatitis.
• Obstruction of the hepatic vein.

Ascites can also be caused by non-hepatic disorders.

What is liver encephalopathy?

Liver encephalopathy is the deterioration of brain function due to the accumulation in the blood of toxic substances that are normally removed by the liver. Encephalopathy is also called portal-systemic encephalopathy, liver encephalopathy, or hepatic coma. Symptoms may include:

• Impaired consciousness.
• Changes in logical thinking, personality and behavior.
• Mood changes.
• Lack of common sense.
• Drowsiness.
• Confusion.
• Speech and slow motion.
• Disorientation.
• Unconsciousness.
• Coma.

What is liver failure?

Liver failure is severe deterioration of liver function. Liver failure occurs when a large portion of the liver is damaged due to any type of liver disorder. Symptoms may include:

• Jaundice: yellowing of the skin and eyes.
• Tendency to bruise or bleed easily.
• Ascites fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity.
• Altered brain function.
• Poor general health.
• Fatigue.
• Weakness.
• Nausea.
• Loss of appetite.

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Eight symptoms of a liver problem

The liver is an essential organ of our body. It is the largest, and in it reside endless basic functions essential to our health and proper functioning of our body. It is important to know any symptoms that prompted the existence of a problem.

We must remember that the liver has basically three functions: to purify our blood by removing toxins and cells that are no longer useful, help synthesize carbohydrates and lipids, also allowing prevent bleeding. It also meets the fabulous storage function. Thanks to the liver store vitamin A, D, K and E, basic for energy.

Indicators of a liver problem:

1. Nausea
It is the first and most obvious symptom of a liver problem. We can feel bad after eating or even have a heaviness in the gut, nausea, dizziness ... and the occurrence of vomiting. But you should not alarm you, sometimes they can be caused by many other things and not just to a liver problem. But if it is a regular event, please go to your doctor.

2. Pain in the upper abdomen
The pain of the liver is placed in the upper abdomen, just below the ribs can also reach back and have even bloating. You may feel burning and even fever, but before any symptoms, visit your doctor. It may be due to inflammation and biliary colic.

3. Jaundice
Jaundice appears as discoloration of the skin, a characteristic yellowish in our face and body. This is because excess bilirubin (bile) in the body and in the blood, liver our problem. They are one of the initial symptoms, primarily associated with an infectious hepatitis.

4. Fatigue and weakness
When we suffer a problem in the liver is common to feel tired, exhausted and without much appetite. Sometimes we can associate them with others and do not give importance, since it is common to have one or more days of weakness. But they are when continued, when usual this state of appetite and exhaustion, we consult with our doctor.


5. Fever
Sometimes, usually appears a pain in the abdomen, we feel swollen, heavy and tired. Given these states should care much our temperature, if we fever is synonymous with inflammation and infection. Do not neglect.

6. light-colored stools
Track your stool when you go to the bathroom. If they have a light color may be due to a liver problem. We may also suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, associated in turn to possible liver problems.

7. Itching in the body
This is due to the accumulation of bile under the skin. The body bites us and we feel uncomfortable because blood reacts to all this accumulation of toxins that the liver ceased to debug.

8. Bleeding and bruising
A symptom also less usual, but also associated liver problems. Bleeding often through the nose, or bruising leaving us without knowing how it is linked to a protein deficiency due to a malfunction of the liver. Must be taken into account.

* All symptoms listed herein are due to a liver problem, but your doctor who will determine if it is due to fatty liver disease, an inflammation of a hepatitis..etc, as the descriptive tables are often very similar and only medical tests, tell us what type of liver disease suffer.

How I can take care of my liver?
alcachofaUnos correct lifestyle and diet, can help prevent many diseases associated with hígado.Sabiendo this, it is recommended that you follow the following tips:

• Consume fruits and vegetables daily, especially those that help cleanse the liver, apples, kiwi, grapes, cherries, spinach, artichokes, asparagus and radishes ...
• Avoid fried foods, frozen foods, and high intakes of protein and carbohydrates.
• Avoid sugary drinks with gas and alcohol.
• Consume antioxidants: oranges, lemons, blueberries, tomatoes ...
• Take care medicine consumption are great enemies of the liver.

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Clinical examination of the liver and biliary system

Examination of the liver

1. The normal liver, the laegest organ in the body, weighs about 1.5kg . The upper border is at the level of the 5th rib, the lower border lies under the costal margin on the right. The lower edge is usually palpable in deep inspiration when the live moves downwards. The upper border is defined  by heavy percussion. Light percussion together with palpation will identify the lower border. An estimate of liver size can be obtained from the verticallength of dullness to percussion in the right mid clavicular line (usually 12-15cm). It is reduced in cirrhosis and fulminat  hepatitis  and  is  important in monitoring progress. Routine examination of the liver must include auscultation for friction rubs. These may be due to a recent liver biopsy or to a tumour. Arterial bruits may be related to acute alcoholic hepatitis or to primary liver cell cancer. Venous hums can be due to portal hypertension. The spleen is rarely palpable in health.

2. Isotope scan of the liver. An intravenous injection of the gamma emitting isotope tech-netium is taken up by the reticulo-endothelial cels of the liver. The normal scan shows a uniform distribution of the isotope throughout the liver; no isotope uptake is seen in the spleen. Filling defects larger than about 2cm will be shown. In special circumstances other isotopes are employed. Gallium citrate is taken up by primary liver cel cancers and granulocytes in the walls of abscesses. These lesions give filling defects with a technetium scan.

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Preface Liver Disease Symptoms

Recent advances in hepatology have made it even more essential to be familiar with the clinical sings and pathology of Liver Disease.The correct managment of patients is becoming increasingly dependent on a precise diagnosis. Our aim in this Atlas has been to compile an up-to-date and comprehensive collection of the physical signs, pathology and investi-gations of liver disease. This format has permitted the collection of a much larger number of high quality colour photographs than is normally possible in standard textbooke. However the Atlas should be used as a companion to the standard texbooks on the subject. For this reason the legends to the pictures have been ruthlessly pruned to keep them short; the pictures should speak for themselves. The book begins with a general chapter on the examination of the liver and the signs of liver disease. Subsequent chapters deal with the major groups of diseases affecting the liver, with their special signs.

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