Liver pain – causes, treatment, home remedies. Liver pain and disease

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Liver pain can be caused by various causes. The most common cause is an inadequate diet rich in fat. The liver is a very important organ of our body. Unfortunately, most of us do not care about its good condition and health. Knowing the underlying cause of your liver pain is important to know when to see your doctor.

Liver – what is this organ?

The liver is located on the upper right side of the abdomen, just below the diaphragm. It is the largest internal organ in the human body and weighs about 1,5 kg for the average adult human. Blood from the digestive system must first filter through the liver before reaching another organ in the body.

The liver is responsible in the human body for, among other things:

1. removing toxins,
2. processing of nutrients from food,
3. helps to regulate the body’s metabolism. 

Conditions that can prevent the liver from performing its functions include:

1. fatty liver,
2. alcohol abuse,
3. virus infection,
4. iron or copper accumulation,
5. toxic damage, 
6. tumor.

The most common cause of liver disease is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (“fatty liver”). Cirrhosis is the end result of many liver conditions. Has been associated with severe scarring of the liver (with the formation of lumps in the liver). Cirrhosis is associated with progressive deterioration in liver function leading to liver failure.

Read: When the liver is sick, the kidneys suffer

Liver – functions

The liver converts carbohydrates into glucose for energy. It also converts glucose into its storageable form (glycogen). When blood sugar levels drop, glycogen is converted back into glucose.

The amino acids from the protein are sent to the liver to produce body proteins such as hormones. The liver makes important proteins in the body such as albumin.

Other functions of the liver include:

1. the liver is involved in the production of blood clotting factors,
2. The bile produced by the liver is stored in the gallbladder and used to help break down dietary fat. Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K need bile to be absorbed by the body.
3. ammonia is a toxic byproduct of protein metabolism. The liver turns ammonia into urea, which is then excreted in the urine.
4. medications and narcotics, including alcohol, are filtered through the liver. They are neutralized or transformed into other forms by special enzymes. 

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Liver pain – general characteristics

The liver is one of the most important organs in the body and has many functions, from breaking down fats to storing iron, so liver pain can be a cause for concern. The good news about the liver is that it’s arguably the most versatile organ in the body, and not just in terms of functionality.

Your liver can be moderately to critically ill – and recover in many situations. However, pain in the liver can indicate serious conditions such as cirrhosis (a condition from which the liver cannot pull back) or liver cancer. However, it often turns out that liver pain indicates the development of serious diseases, such as hepatitis C.

Liver pain – causes

Any type of liver pain will likely be associated with the type of liver disease you have. The most common cause is simply excessive alcohol consumption, which is a nonspecific description of liver irritation and disease. This could describe a fatty liver or high liver enzymes or other liver problems. It could be cirrhosis of the liver, which is scarring of the liver.

Although alcohol is the leading cause of cirrhosis, the condition is an irreversible and fatal liver disease. Thus, when the term “excessive alcohol consumption” is used, it refers to liver disease or minor liver damage that can be easily treated with lifestyle changes.

Some of the most common liver diseases include:

1. excessive alcohol consumption,
2. hepatitis (all types)
3. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),
4. cirrhosis,
5. Reye’s syndrome,
6. liver cancer,
7. hemochromatoza.

Liver pain can also be caused by less common causes, such as a liver abscess or Budd-Chiari syndrome.

To check the condition of your liver, buy the Liver Package – diagnostic tests on Medonet Market now. It includes the following tests:

1. albumin,
2. liver tests (ALT, AST, ALP, BIL, GGTP),
3. HBs antibodies,
4. HCV antibodies.

Liver pain and liver disease

Liver pain and liver disease are two different things, although liver disease can be accompanied by pain (and in most cases it will be). There are many different causes of liver disease, the most common of which is associated with excessive alcohol consumption. One night of heavy drinking is unlikely to cause liver pain.

This is more likely to cause conditions such as headache or nausea. Alcohol-related liver problems are usually the result of excessive consumption over many years. However, not all liver problems are related to ethanol. Some (such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD) are genetic.

You should never ignore liver pain. It’s not something of a mild cause, such as stomach cramps during stomach flu or headache during colds. If you experience significant pain in the liver area, seek medical attention immediately. Many times, symptoms of liver disease do not appear until the disease is advanced, so immediate investigation is imperative.

It’s important to remember that liver pain is often confused with right shoulder pain or back pain. Liver pain can be dull and throbbing or sharp and stinging. If you are unsure, remember that the liver is located directly under the diaphragm at the top of your stomach.

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Liver pain – liver abscess

As with other areas of the body, an abscess may form in the liver. A liver abscess, which is filled with fluid (a purulent pocket), may contain parasites, bacteria, or some other type of infection. Imaging tests would be performed to diagnose a liver abscess, possibly after blood tests.

Most often, liver disease is first noticed by high levels of liver enzymes found during blood counts or other types of laboratory tests. If the cause of the high enzyme levels is not known (a marker for most types of liver disease), your doctor will likely order a CT scan, ultrasound or MRI for further investigation, which will detect an abscess. As with other parts of the body, most abscesses would be treated with antibiotics.

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Liver pain – Buddha-Chiari syndrome

Buddha-Chiari syndrome is a rare liver disease that is completely unrelated to alcohol consumption. In fact, this syndrome is more associated with people whose blood clots more easily. Pregnant women and those with chronic inflammatory disease are at higher risk, but it remains a rare disease.

In Buddha-Chiari syndrome, blood flow to the liver is cut off by blood clots, which causes blood to return to the liver. If it is not detected, it can even cause scarring and cirrhosis of the liver. However, if discovered, blood-thinning medications can help alleviate the problem.

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Liver pain – hepatitis

Hepatitis is often associated with sexually transmitted disease (STD), but there are many types of hepatitis, all of which cause inflammation of the liver.

Hepatitis C is often transmitted through needles or body fluids. Hepatitis A can be transmitted through contaminated food, while hepatitis B can be transmitted through body fluids. There are also less common types such as hepatitis D or E.

Depending on the type, hepatitis can be acute and short-term, or it can be a long-term disease that requires treatment and lifelong medical care. If you are experiencing any liver pain or any other type of liver related symptoms such as jaundice, it is good for your doctor to check the types of hepatitis.

See: Viral hepatitis can be cured. What do we need to know about the disease?

Liver pain – cirrhosis of the liver

Cirrhosis is a scarring of the liver. Most often it is caused by excessive alcohol consumption, although it can sometimes be caused by other liver diseases. Instead of creating healthy liver tissue, over time all healthy tissue is eventually scarred and the liver is unable to function properly.

Many other liver diseases are reversible (e.g. fatty liver) or manageable (e.g. hepatitis). However, cirrhosis of the liver is not. Once the liver is brought to this stage, all it can be controlled is symptoms. Cirrhosis, usually without error, leads to liver failure.

Liver pain – treatment

Liver pain is dangerous when other symptoms also appear. See your doctor if your pain symptoms are joined by fatigue, fever, weakness, weight loss and loss of appetite. It is absolutely necessary to see a doctor when red spots appear on the skin of the torso or the skin and eyes turn yellow.

Acute and sudden pain in the liver requires consultation when chills and nausea appear. These symptoms suggest an attack of biliary colic that requires urgent medical attention.

Don’t wait – make an appointment with a gastroenterologist now, who will be able to see you on the haloDoctor platform within 10 minutes.

Liver pain – home remedies

Treatment of liver pain at home is mainly pain prevention. To avoid liver pain, eat more often and in smaller amounts. You should also eat more slowly and chew your food thoroughly. The liver can then produce the right amount of bile on time.

Also drink plenty of warm water. In some cases, liver pain can be relieved by rehydration. Drinking warm water can help your liver function better by helping to remove toxins more efficiently. Drinking more water is especially helpful if the liver pain is caused by drinking alcohol, as the pain in the liver from drinking alcohol is often caused by dehydration.

Take the strain off the liver. If you have pain in your liver, you can often relieve some of it by rearranging your body. Lying down or stretching your body may remove some physical pressure on the liver, which in turn will reduce pain.

Avoid fatty, fried, and rich foods. These foods can make your liver pain worse because they make your liver work harder than it should. One of the functions of the liver is to process fat, so adding more to this process can inflame the organ even more.

Reduce the amount of sugar you eat. Too much sugar can affect the liver or make some liver conditions worse, such as fatty liver. When trying to heal your liver or reduce pain, avoid foods that contain sugar or other refined carbohydrates. These include carbonated drinks, processed foods and ready-made sauces.

1. You can buy tea supporting the work of the liver at Medonet Market.

Liver pain – liver diet

A liver diet will help us avoid liver pain. It should be rich in vegetables and fruits. However, bloating cabbage and beans should be avoided. It is worth being careful with garlic as it can irritate the liver.

To avoid liver pain, add herbs to your food. They have a diastolic effect, accelerate digestion and improve the functioning of the stomach. Liver pain is caused by spicy spices and mustards. Animal fats should also be avoided.

Adequate diet should be strengthened with supplements. Natural liver supplements are available on Medonet Market. Properly selected products will strengthen and regenerate the liver, reducing the risk of its diseases.

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