The liver is the largest glandular organ of the body. It weighs about 3 lb (1.36 kg). It is reddish brown in color and is divided into four lobes of unequal size and shape. The liver lies on the right side of the abdominal cavity beneath the diaphragm. Blood is carried to the liver via two large vessels called the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The heptic artery carries oxygen-rich blood from the aorta (a major vessel in the heart). The portal vein carries blood containing digested food from the small intestine. These blood vessels subdivide in the liver repeatedly, terminating in very small capillaries. Each capillary leads to a lobule. Liver tissue is composed of thousands of lobules, and each lobule is made up of hepatic cells, the basic metabolic cells of the liver.
What is its major function?
The liver has many functions. Some of the functions are: to produce substances that break down fats, convert glucose to glycogen, produce urea (the main substance of urine), make certain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), filter harmful substances from the blood (such as alcohol), storage of vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, D, K and B12) and maintain a proper level or glucose in the blood. The liver is also responsible for producing cholesterol. It produces about 80% of the cholesterol in your body.
Diseases of the Liver
Several diseases states can affect the liver. Some of the diseases are Wilson's Disease, hepatitis (an inflammation of the liver), liver cancer, and cirrhosis (a chronic inflammation that progresses ultimately to organ failure). Alcohol alters the metabolism of the liver, which can have overall detrimental effects if alcohol is taken over long periods of time.
Hemochromatosis can cause liver problems.
Medications that negatively effect the liver
Medications have side effects that may harm your liver. Some of the medications that can damage your liver are: serzone, anti-cancer drugs (tagfur, MTX, and cytoxan), and medications used to treat diabetes.
Serzone is a prescription drug manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb for the treatment of depression.
The possible side effects of Serzone® are: agitation, dizziness, clumsiness or unsteadiness, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, confusion, severe nausea, gastroenteritis, abdominal pain, unusually dark urine, difficult or frequent urination, fainting, skin rash or hives yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice) or a prolonged loss of weight or loss of appetite.
If you or a family member have suffered serious side effects or a fatal injury after taking Serzone®, you or the family member may be eligible to file a claim against the manufacturer. You should contact an attorney that specializes in class action lawsuits immediately.
To help prevent liver damage, let your doctor know about your liver condition when being treated for other conditions. Medications come in many forms and it is best to find out what is in them and what it can do to your liver.
Liver Pain Symptoms
Pain is the primary symptom of liver malfunction, enlargement, inflammation, or other disorders. The pain being sharp and dull in nature accompanied by skin rashes is felt at the upper right abdomen. Other symptoms of liver pain are difficulty in respiration and coughing, nausea and vomiting, dark circles, yellowing of the eyes as in the case of jaundice, brownish blemishes and dark spots over the skin, weight loss, swollen testes, etc. Liver pain may also lead to abdominal pain.
Liver Pain Treatment
The treatment of liver pain rests on the ability of individuals to refrain from certain habits such as drug addiction and alcoholism which is the root cause of most health problems. Treatments available medically are antiviral agents, 3TC, Adefovir, Flagyl, Interferon alpha II b. Along with these, sufficient electrolyte repletion and hydration is necessary for facilitating the treatment of liver pain. Moreover maintaining ones personal hygiene along with good sanitary measures are common follow up measures for the treatment of any disease. Patients are referred to the hospital only if they are unable to eat food and there is a need to compensate the loss by resting on saline treatment.
Liver Pain Home Remedies
Doctors have suggested a number of natural or alternative remedial measures to cure liver pain:-
- The consumption of water is vital for our survival and as such should be drunk in a large volume so as to help the liver to detoxify the body as well as facilitate the excretion of waste products. Doctors recommend the intake of at least eight glasses of water every day.
- The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables helps in the facilitation of the removal of toxins from the body. Whole-food and cereals like brown rice are effective in this matter.
- The deficiency of Vitamin A, B1 and K in the body is also cited as a strong scientific reason for the occurrence of liver pain. Vitamin A facilitates antioxidant activities in the body, Vitamin B1 helps in the production of energy as well as maintains the the level of glucose in the blood and Vitamin K synthesises the proteins.
- There are ways to detoxify the body herbally by the help of the array of herbal or ayurvedic products that may be effective in healing the pain.
- Linseed oil contains fatty acids essential for the proper functioning and maintenance of the liver system.
Prevention of Liver Pain
Some of the preventive measures of liver pain are:
- Instead of suggesting teetotalism, doctors advice not to indulge in the over consumption of alcohol which often leads to alcoholic abuse and causes great damage not only to the liver but also to all other organs of the body.
- Drugs should be taken only after consultation with a physician as any drug containing acetaminophen may be hazardous to the liver and the health at large.
- Similarly the consumption of junk food or those extremely rich in spices may harm the liver to a great extent.
However some conditions such as cirhosis causes acute and permanent damge to the liver, the loss of which finally causes death as it has no substitute to act in its favour.
Therefore one should avoid any act which may cause the malfunctioning or the disfunctioning of the liver as our survival is not possible without such a significant organ. So we need to take care of it so as to live a healthy life.
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