Headline: Enlarged Liver: Is It a Serious Condition?
Keywords: liver, enlargement, pain, fatty liver, symptoms
Page Description: Liver enlargement occurs due to swelling of liver beyond the normal size. It causes extreme pain in the liver and may occur due to fatty liver. Symptoms vary and may be confused with other medical conditions.
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Liver Enlargement
Liver enlargement is a condition in which size of liver gets increased due to swelling. Hepatomegaly is another name for this enlargement condition. In some cases, spleen also gets enlarged. It may be a result of fatty liver or inflammation. Blood tests, CT scans, live biopsy etc. can help in the diagnosis of this condition and to check whether it is a cancer or fatty liver. There may be a
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Also, the pain may often be confused with the pain in kidney and other organs. It may also be confused with mere abdominal pain or back pain. Enlargement of liver can be one of the symptoms of other life threatening diseases like cancers. There are a number of causes associated with this enlargement condition. Some of the causes are listed as follows:
• Fatty liver
• Excessive consumption of alcohol
• Glycogen storage disease
• Cirrhosis
• Viral hepatitis
• Liver cancer
• Congestive heart failure
• Poor diet
Enlargement of liver is detected during medical test performed by physician. Patient suffering from this enlargement disorder may experience the following symptoms: • Extreme fatigue
• Confusion
• Fever
• Hallucination
• Vomiting blood
• Fainting
If the patient is suffering from these symptoms of liver enlargement, immediate doctor attention is required. These symptoms indicate serious problem in the liver. There may be other symptoms caused due to other types of diseases that may accompany the symptoms of liver enlargement. Other symptoms associated with liver enlargement may include the following:
• Nausea
•
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The Hepatitis B virus is a disease that affects the liver and results in swelling and loss of normal function in the liver. It is estimated that 350 million people are infected with Hepatitis B worldwide, with 50 million new cases diagnosed every year.(1) In the Unit...
There are some more serious symptoms that may not be visible, such as the enlargement of the spleen and the inflammation of the liver. The enlargement of the spleen (see appendix) may not be detected by the doctor, but it is possible. It may cause a pain in the upper left abdominal located under the chest. If the ...
The Hepatitis A Virus affects many different systems within the body. The first being the digestive system and the gastrointestinal system because Hepatitis A causes an acute liver infection. The liver’s job is to process nutrients, filter the blood and toxin from your body, and fight infections. It produces important blood components, proteins, and bile which helps you digest food. The liver also stores glucose and vitamins. The Hepatitis A Virus causes inflammation that interrupts the liver’s ability to perform these vital functions. Having a healthy liver is crucial to your health because it supports many other body systems. For example, one function of the liver is to produce bile which is needed to break down fats. The body stores bile in the gallbladder and then sends it to the beginning section of the small intestine. Bile is then combined with other digestive
There are four phases of Hepatitis B: infection, inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. In the first phase, HBV invades the liver and goes for the nucleus, where it releases contents of DNA and polymerase into the surroundings. It then maneuvers its way to the cell’s components and enzymes. The polymerase sways the liver cells to make segments of the HBV DNA from RNA. The virus makes liver cells create spare parts for other HBV viruses. Replicas are released from liver cell into the bloodstream, destroying host cell and infecting other healthy liver cells. This entire process can take a few hours to occur, but must continue multiple times for serious damage to occur. The second phase is inflammation. Inflammation is caused by lymphocytes trying to get rid of the virus, but they also release harmful chemicals that damage the cells and take part in damaging the liver. The third phase is fibrosis. Fibrosis is scar tissue caused by inflammation and chronic infection. According to Everson and Weinburg, (2002, pg. 64) “Only 5/10% of people develop chronic Hepatitis B from acute Hepa...
A condition called steatosis is the result of fat buildup in the liver and is the earliest stage of alcoholic liver disease. This condition causes the liver difficulty breaking down alcohol, potentially resulting in alcoholic hepatitis. Fibrosis of the liver, which is also related to heavy drinking, causes scar tissue to build up in the liver. Alcohol alters chemicals that the liver needs to break down scar tissue, causing liver dysfunction. If one does not refrain from drinking during the fibrosis season, the scar tissue can build up and create another condition, called cirrhosis.
Hepatitis A is a usually short acting virus that occurs in humans and monkeys. It is caused by the Hepatovirus and the species is Hepatitis A Virus. There are two major ways in which Hepatitis A can be transmitted. One way is from person to person. This transmission occurs when the fecal matter of an infected person gets ingested by another person. Other ways Hepatitis A can be transmitted from person to person are through direct contact with an infected person, such as sexual contact, and sharing of needles for intravenous drug use. Hepatitis A can also be transmitted through coming in contact with contaminated food or water. Also foods that are uncooked or undercooked and have been contaminated with Hepatitis A can transmit the virus. (Bennett,
What is hepatic cirrhosis? According to the medical dictionary hepatic cirrhosis is when scar tissue replaces the liver’s healthy tissue. This disease changes the structure of the liver and blood vessels that nurture it. It reduces the liver’s capability to produce proteins and process hormones, nutrients, medications, and poisons. Cirrhosis is an illness that gets worse over time and possibly can become life threatening. This serious illness is ranked as the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. It is the third most common cause of death for adults between 45 and 65 years of age. It occurs in more than fifty percent of undernourished chronic alcoholics. Unfortunately it kills about 35,000 people per year. In other country’s such as Africa and Asia death from cirrhosis is usually caused by hepatitis B.
Liver is a vital organ and performs several roles; produce proteins that help the blood to clot and removing body wastes; regulates the supply of substances such as glucose throughout the body (Potter et al., 2012). To be able to perform these functions the liver cells must function normally. Alcohol abuse is usually connected to alcoholic liver disease that permanently damaged the liver due to excessive drinking and continued excessive drinking can shorten lifespan. If liver cirrhosis has not yet occurred, the liver can heal once the patient stop drinking alcohol (ABS, 2010).
Annette could not take that as a final answer and told her that she would not just leave it and should get a second opinion and have another test run. The patient went back and requested a more thorough test be completed, she got the results back and everything was clear and her primary care physician assured her she was fine. Initially she would perform the exams as learned in school, but now after finding something abnormal, she now does a more thorough check, especially on patients with a previous history of cancer. This incident solidified her belief in early detection and proper documentation.
Liver cancer is abnormal cell growth on or within the liver. Liver cancer is either starts in the liver (called primary liver cancer) or it spreads to the liver (called metastatic liver cancer). Metastatic liver cancer is more common in United States and Western Europe, while primary liver cancer is common in third world nations. Liver cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. In the United States, it affects twice as many men as women; the average diagnosis age for liver cancer is 67.
Zein, N. N., & Edwards, K. (2009). The Cleveland Clinic guide to liver disorders. New York: Kaplan Pub.
High cholesterol rarely shows any warning signs. Soft, yellowish skin growths called xanthomas, usually in the area near the eyes. Some men develop impotence as the arteries begin to clog up.