Liver diseases: diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, recovery period and possible consequences

In the article we will consider the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.

It is one of the vital organs, it is responsible for neutralizing and destroying various toxic and toxic substances, and purifying the blood of impurities harmful to the body. In the liver, bile production occurs, which is involved in stimulating the intestines and breaking down fats. Vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for normal functioning, are deposited in the liver cells.

The main difference between this organ from others and the uniqueness of the liver is that it does not have nerve endings, as a result of which, with its diseases, the first symptoms of pathology in the form of pain do not occur. By the time when the main hepatic syndromes accompanying the main diseases develop, the liver tissue in most cases is already seriously affected, as a result of which the pathology is difficult to treat. That is why it is extremely important to know what are the symptoms of liver diseases, and which of them arise in the first place.

How is liver disease diagnosed? Let's figure it out.

Types of liver disease

According to statistics, more than 200 million inhabitants of the planet have one or another liver pathology. Diseases of this organ as a factor of mortality are among the 10 main causes of death, and hepatitis in mortality is comparable to AIDS and tuberculosis. In most cases, such pathologies develop when infected with viral infections or poisoning with some toxic substances, in the list of which ethyl alcohol is in the lead. Chronic organ diseases most often provoke the occurrence of cirrhosis and complete degeneration of liver tissue.

Therefore, timely diagnosis of diseases of the liver and gall bladder is so important.

The main types of liver pathologies

1. Hepatitis of various etiologies: toxic, viral (including alcohol and medication), ischemic. Hepatitis is divided into acute and chronic inflammation of the liver tissue.
2. Cirrhosis, provoked by a systematic or significant effect on the tissues of the organ of toxic substances, as well as cirrhosis as a result of necrotic process, hereditary pathologies or blood diseases.
3. The development of pathological neoplasms in the liver tissues: oncological tumors of the liver cells or those that metastasized into it from other organs, a variety of cystic formations, tissue abscess.
4. Infiltrates of the liver tissue as a result of glycogenosis, amyloidosis, fatty degeneration, the formation of lymphomas, granulomatosis.
5. Functional disorders, which in most cases are accompanied by jaundice: Gilbert's syndrome, gestational cholestasis, Dubin-Johnson and Krigler-Nayyar syndromes.

Pathologies arising from damage to the bile ducts inside the liver tissue: cholangitis, inflammatory processes in the bile ducts, complete or partial obstruction of the ducts in the event of cholelithiasis, with cicatricial changes in the tissue.

Pathologies of the vascular system: vein thrombosis of this organ, congestion and cirrhosis, which develops in heart failure, the formation of arteriovenous fistulas.

Signs of liver disease in women and men are presented below.

General symptoms and signs of liver disease

Violation of the functions of this internal organ causes the presence of similar symptoms in a variety of diseases, since in one way or another there is a lack of production of cholesterol and bile, a decrease in the efficiency of removal of toxic substances from the body, and difficulty in digestion. Similar liver problems have similar symptoms, common signs of decreased body function. The main symptoms of liver disease:

1. Deterioration of general well-being and asthenia. Substances that are released as a result of nitrogen metabolism are quite toxic to the body and can only be neutralized in the tissues of the liver. Reducing the ability to such neutralization causes the patient's general malaise, deterioration of health without obvious reasons, decreased performance, excessive drowsiness, a feeling of weakness, increased fatigue and excessive irritability. These are common signs of liver disease in women.
2. Dyspeptic symptoms. Dyspepsia is a violation of the digestive tract. In certain diseases of the digestive system, dyspeptic symptoms differ in characteristic phenomena (color of feces, severity of vomiting and nausea, etc.), however, with hepatic pathologies, general symptoms are observed. Dyspeptic symptoms can be expressed in disorders of the stool, alternating diarrhea and constipation, bouts of vomiting and nausea, distortion of taste, appetite, as well as a taste of bitterness in the oral cavity in the morning or after eating.
3. Pain in the right hypochondrium. The occurrence of pain under the right rib, a general feeling of heaviness in the abdomen and discomfort are characteristic of edematous and inflammatory edematous processes occurring in the liver. Pain can radiate in the back, right shoulder blade, lower back, clavicle, and the pain can be pulling or acute, depending on the etiology and nature of the pathological process. Hepatic colic is often accompanied by sharp stabbing pains in the right side of the abdomen, and occurs against the background of complete or partial blockage of the intrahepatic bile ducts.
4. Jaundice. What the skin looks like with liver disease, you can see in the photo. This phenomenon is not an independent disease, but is a symptom of acute liver damage, which is characterized by impaired transport of bile or changes in bilirubin metabolism. Jaundice is of mechanical, infectious origin, and can also be associated with hereditary pathologies, syndromes or acquired diseases, injuries and neoplasms in the liver tissue and in the biliary tract. This symptom manifests itself in the form of staining of the skin and sclera of the eyes in a green-yellow tint. In the diagnosis of liver diseases (liver test), that is, in laboratory blood tests, an increase in the level of bilirubin fractions is observed.
   

Other signs of liver pathologies

Other signs of diseases of this internal organ are associated with a violation of its functionality and insufficient neutralization of toxic substances. In this case, the following symptoms may develop:

• mild to unbearable itching of the skin;
• minor hemorrhages under the skin, which are expressed in the form of spider veins, minor bruises that occur with light exposure or without it as a result of changes in blood coagulation;
• the formation of fatty subcutaneous plaques ("wen");
• redness of the skin on the palms;
• change in the shade of the tongue to brilliant, raspberry, etc.

These are the main signs of liver disease.

The treatment of the disease is important to start in a timely manner.

Liver disease syndromes

A syndrome is a combination of symptoms characteristic of a particular pathology. Sometimes it fully corresponds to it, however, in most cases, the clinical picture is represented by several syndromes in varying degrees of intensity. As for liver diseases, several syndromes can be distinguished here:

1. Mesenchymal-inflammatory, the symptoms of which include hyperthermia, soreness of the lymph nodes and their swelling, joint pain, vascular lesions of the skin and lungs, spleen edema.
2. Cytolytic syndrome. Cytolysis is the process of death of liver cells under the influence of damage to their membranes during viral infectious pathologies, toxic effects, starvation, etc. In this case, the patient has a picture of a cytolytic syndrome, which is determined in laboratory studies based on indicators of transaminase, bilirubin, iron levels, relations AsAT and AlAT. This syndrome has predictive and diagnostic value in cirrhosis, hepatitis, and oncological formations.
3. Cholestasis. This phenomenon is observed in violation of the outflow of bile from the hepatic or biliary tract. Stagnation of bile in these ways is expressed in a change in the color of the skin (jaundice), itching, the formation of plaques on the surface of the upper eyelids, severe pigmentation, lightening feces and darkening of urine.
4. Portal hypertension. The development of this syndrome leads to a change in blood flow in the hepatic veins, as a result of which the outflow of blood is disrupted and the pressure inside the liver rises. The cause of this phenomenon can be mechanical damage, tumors, cirrhosis, vascular pathologies, chronic forms of hepatitis, toxic damage, parasitic invasion of the liver tissue.
5. Hepatic cell failure. Substitution of connective tissue for hepatocytes or their degeneration is expressed by this syndrome. The clinical picture in this case consists of weight loss, hyperthermia, jaundice, redness of the palms, subcutaneous hemorrhage.

We continue to consider the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.

Hepatitis

This category of hepatic pathologies is an inflammation of an organ in acute or chronic form.

Among hepatitis, various forms stand out, both in the type of pathological process and in its etiology.

According to the form of the clinical course, the following are distinguished:

1. Acute hepatitis, which is usually of a viral or toxic origin (in case of poisoning). The onset of the disease is similar to the flu, but there are characteristic changes in the blood picture and yellowness of the skin. Such hepatitis go into a chronic form or cause complications.
2. Chronic hepatitis, which develops as a result of prolonged exposure to the liver of toxic substances (alcohol, drugs), and can also be a consequence of an acute form of pathology. For a long period, it proceeds without pronounced symptoms; if untreated, it can result in a transition to cancer or cirrhosis of the liver.

For etiological reasons, the following are distinguished:

• infectious (viral) hepatitis;
• secondary hepatitis against a background of herpes infection, mumps, rubella, etc .;
• hepatitis of parasitic or bacterial etiology, as well as autoimmune and toxic varieties of the disease.

Cirrhosis of the liver

This pathology is chronic in nature and is characterized by a cardinal restructuring of the tissue structures of this organ and vascular bed, a decrease in the number of hepatocytes, excessive proliferation of connective tissues and the subsequent development of liver failure.

This disease for a long time does not show any symptoms, or has minimal atypical manifestations in the form of excessive fatigue, mood swings. Often there are digestive disorders in the form of dyspeptic disorders, intolerance to fatty foods and alcohol. Severe stages of this disease occur with serious changes in liver function and life-threatening complications. This is, first of all, portal hypertension, which leads to the expansion of the vessels of the esophagus.

Liver cirrhosis in most cases is the result of untreated hepatitis, hereditary pathologies and severe toxic poisoning.

Liver fibrosis

This pathology is an overgrowth of connective liver tissue, which occurs as a result of damage to hepatocytes when exposed to toxic substances, the development of viral hepatitis and other adverse factors.

Initial pathological changes are asymptomatic, but are often determined during laboratory studies, which show an increased activity of liver enzymes. At this stage, the liver increases in size, the level of various blood cells decreases, which causes the development of anemia and thrombocytopenia.

Gradually, this pathological violation in the liver tissue goes to the next stage - the development of cirrhosis, as evidenced by an increase in the size of the spleen, hemorrhage from the veins of the esophagus.

What is the treatment for liver and gall bladder disease?

Therapy is often belated, as there is a gradual increase in symptoms, they do not cause much concern for a long time. In the traditional treatment, medicines, physiotherapy, diet, and sometimes surgery are used.

Drug therapy is carried out strictly under the supervision of a specialist. Depending on the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed hepatoprotectors, antibiotics, antiviral, antimicrobial, anthelmintic drugs, B vitamins and some organic acids.

The most universal drugs are hepatoprotectors. They can not eliminate the cause of the pathology, but they are able to restore the liver, protect it from damage to its cells. They are either based on ursodeoxycholic acid (Ursosan, Livodex, Exhol), ademethionine (Heptor, Heptral), phospholipids (Resalyut Pro, Essential Forte N), ornithine (Hepa Merz "), as well as natural components (" Gepabene "," Sibektan ").

Physiotherapy is used to restore the organ after ailments (galvanic-mud procedures, UHF, microwave, galvanic current to the collar zone are more effective).

Treatment through surgery is performed for severe liver diseases. Eliminate complex abscesses, cysts, and repair tissue after injuries. Partial or complete removal of the liver and transplantation may be necessary for cirrhosis, oncology, and venous obstruction.

Diagnosis of liver disease

The list of diagnostic measures to determine liver pathologies includes:

• Collection of medical history and complaints of the patient.
• Palpation and percussion of the liver, examination.
• Laboratory study of pigment exchange.
• Blood chemistry. Laboratory blood testing in the diagnosis of liver diseases takes a leading place.
• Determination of urine bilirubin level.
• Determination of the quality of carbohydrate metabolism.
• Study of the blood coagulation system.
• The study of protein metabolism.
• Determination of the level of bile acids in the composition of bile.
• Determination of cholinesterase.

Instrumental methods for diagnosing liver diseases include:

• Ultrasound
• CT scan.
• MRI
• radioisotope scanning.
• liver biopsy.

How is the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?

In general, NAFLD is asymptomatic, therefore, the disease is detected by chance during a biochemical study of cytolysis syndrome. Complaints are generally not presented. Asthenovegetative syndrome (weakness, fatigue) and discomfort in the right hypochondrium may be observed. Itchy skin, dyspeptic syndrome, jaundice and portal hypertension are manifested in the advanced stage of NAFLD.

Through laboratory studies, the following changes are identified:

• the activity of alanine (ALT) and aspartic (AST) aminotransferases is increased by no more than four to five times, the AST / ALT index is not more than two, more often the activity is greater in ALT;
• activity is also increased by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and g-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP);
• the presence of hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia;
• hyperglycemia (NTG or type 2 diabetes);
• hypoalbuminemia, high bilirubin, the presence of thrombocytopenia, prothrombin time is increased in patients at a far advanced stage of the disease.

What else is diagnosed with liver disease? A liver test can now be taken at any medical facility.

Differential diagnosis is often carried out - external manifestations of the disease are determined, the general condition of the patient is assessed, feces, urine are examined. Laparoscopy is also carried out according to strict indications, such as jaundice, ascites, cancer, tuberculous peritonitis, fibrosis.

The consequences of liver disease and recovery after them

After the liver pathology has been cured, people return to their normal lifestyle, in particular, to bad habits, poor nutrition, etc. This is very dangerous, because the disease can recur. In most cases, exacerbation leads to:

• high physical activity;
• hypothermia;
• emotional upheaval;
• exposure to direct sunlight;
• malnutrition;
• excessive drinking.

The liver after the disease is weakened, so the first six months, patients are recommended:

1. Continue to follow the diet prescribed during the disease. In the recovery period, the diet is expanded, however, alcohol and some foods (fatty foods, smoked meats, spicy foods) remain prohibited.
2. Examine the liver regularly. The patient is shown to do this every six months.
3. Avoid viral and colds.
4. Active lifestyle.
5. Strengthening immunity.

In addition, a person who has had one of the diseases of the liver needs to restore its function. To this end, it is recommended to undergo treatment with hepatoprotectors - drugs that restore hepatocytes.

Among them:

• Gepabene;
• "Essential";
• Heptor.

For these purposes, vitamin complexes are also used. At the moment, pharmaceuticals offer medicines that help protect the liver:

• Vita-Spectrum;
• Gepar;
• The Cheetah;
• "Legalon."

Subject to the rules of therapy, after curing a disease of this organ, no negative consequences, as a rule, arise. However, it is necessary to follow a diet and all the recommendations of a doctor.

With untimely diagnosis of liver diseases and the absence of treatment, the consequences can be extremely unfavorable. Pathologies such as hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis of the liver without adequate therapy lead to death.

We examined the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases.