Liver failure happens when the liver is no longer working well to perform its function. The liver is the largest solid organ in the body and is sorted just under your rib cage on the right side of your abdomen.
Liver failure can be acute or chronic.
When it is acute, it come on quickly while chronic liver failure takes time to fail.
When liver failure happens, the large part of the liver gets damaged and can be beyond repair.
The function of the liver is to:
- Breakdown saturated fat and produce cholesterol
- Help the body store sugar
- Produce bike that help digest food.
Common Symptoms of liver failure
- Yellowing of the skin (jaundice)
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling of the body
- Presence of blood in the stool
- Bleeding
- Change in mental status
- Darkening of urine
- Severe skin itching
Just like some other diseases, there are causes of Liver Failure and risk factors.
They are:
- Hepatitis B- it stops the liver from working the way it is supposed to be.
- Long term alcohol consumption
- Herbal supplements
- Shock- Shock can affect the flow of blood to the liver causing failure.
- Over the counter medications – medications by prescription without proper diagnosis.
- Exposure to toxins like industrial chemicals
- Immune system abnormality
- An inherited abnormal gene.
To avoid liver failure, the amount of alcohol taken should be reduced to minimal, alcohol or a cause and a risk factor.
Also, time to time diagnosis will help in knowing your health status.
