The liver is the largest solid organ in the body, and it performs many complex functions. It produces important proteins, aids in digestion, helps blood to clot, and metabolizes cholesterol and glucose. Additionally, it aids in the removal of toxins from the digestive tract and the blood. Accordingly, when the liver becomes diseased from any cause, a number of symptoms result. These include nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fatigue, jaundice and pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Usually, about 75 percent of liver function must be lost before liver function is affected and symptoms appear.

Alcohol abuse is the number one cause of liver disease in the world. Alcohol is toxic to liver cells, and chronic alcohol abuse causes inflammation, or alcoholic hepatitis, and eventual scarring of the liver, or cirrhosis, which causes the liver to fail. However, drugs such as acetaminophen and cholesterol-controlling drugs known as statins may also cause liver disease, especially in people who drink alcohol. Additionally, viral hepatitis causes inflammation of liver cells and may also lead to liver failure.

Parenchymal liver disease affects the actual liver cells directly instead of those of supporting tissue, such as the bile ducts. According to Dictionary.com, the word “parenchymal” is an anatomical term that refers to the “specific tissue of an animal organ.” Many conditions cause this type of liver damage, including cirrhosis, hepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Causes:

The term liver disease is used to describe several conditions that affect the liver’s ability to function normally. It can be caused by chronic inflammation of the liver, which can result from a number of conditions. Liver disease resulting from fat build-up in the liver, called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, is associated with obesity.

Some other possible causes of liver disease are autoimmune diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, a variety of viruses and parasites, and cancers of the liver or bile ducts. Cancers that spread to the liver from elsewhere in the body can also lead to liver disease. It warns against eating mushrooms in the wild, as certain varieties can cause acute liver failure.

Certain medications can cause inflammation that could lead to liver disease as a result of prolonged use. Certain antibiotics and birth control drugs can lead to liver inflammation, so people who take these kinds of medications should talk to their doctors about liver health.

Treatments:

Supportive care is reserved for those with hepatitis A in order to make sure the patient remains hydrated as the body fights infection. Gallstones are often treated with gallbladder removal surgery. Long-term medical care is a treatment option for controlling and lowering the effects of liver disease.

In order to control how much protein is absorbed in patients with cirrhosis and final-stage liver disease, medications are often used. High blood ammonia levels, coma, disorientation and fatigue are common in a liver with cirrhosis, since the organ is unable to properly metabolize waste. Diuretics and a low-sodium diet may be recommended to treat water retention.

To remove fluid built up in the abdominal cavity, a needle and syringe can be used as a drainage method. If the fluid isn’t removed in time, it can result in an infection. If a patient’s liver completely fails, a liver transplant may be the only viable option. Complications of liver failure include weight loss, infection and bleeding.