Chronic Liver Disease – Symptoms & Causes

Know these Risk Factors of Chronic Liver Ailments

In our body liver performs a multitude of functions such as metabolizing and storage of fats and carbohydrates, producing proteins, detoxification and regulating chemical levels in the blood. You must seek immediate doctor’s attention if you show symptoms such as jaundice, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, blood in the stool, etc. since that could be signs of liver disease.

Chronic liver ailments require dedicated medical care involving diagnostic tests, medications and sometimes liver transplant surgery. Keeping in view the huge medical expenses which are likely to occur, buying medical insurance is of utmost importance.

Factors that may increase your risk of chronic liver disease include:

Alcohol Consumption

One of the widely known causes, heavy drinking can lead to chronic liver disease. Liver Cirrhosis is a health condition resulting from long-term harm caused to the liver such as alcohol abuse. A blood test or a liver biopsy is the commonly recommended test to identify the problem. The associated problems include enlarged blood vessels, kidney failure, type-2 diabetes, and cancer.

Hepatitis

The Hepatitis C virus along with Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B is known to be the next bigger cause of chronic ailments associated with the liver. Vaccination is the foremost thing to be recommended by doctors. Liver transplantation could be necessary in certain cases. It is difficult to cure chronic liver ailments. Thus, suitable precaution is the only way to arrest the problem before it worsens.

Obesity

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a condition where excess fat deposits in the liver cells. Generally, there is some amount of fat in the liver. Obesity or other factors such as malnourishment or excess cholesterol levels are crucial factors responsible for this disease. The symptoms often include a swollen belly, enlarged blood vessels below the skin, jaundice, etc.

Other Risk Factors

• Experts are of the view that liver disease could also be caused due to genetic reasons. Liver disease may be passed on from one generation to another.
• Metastatic cancer is one case that causes secondary cancer of the liver. Cancer originates in another organ of the body such as lungs, breast, stomach, pancreas or the large intestine. Then it spreads to the liver.
• Abnormalities such as blood clots causing increased pressure in the blood vessels of the liver are a key factor in the development of cirrhosis.
• Poor functioning of the heart may also lead to swelling and inflammation in the liver. In fact, inflammation can also be caused due to exposure to certain chemicals.

The Treatment for Chronic Liver Disease

The treatment for the chronic liver disease will depend on the underlying causes and the extent of damage to the liver. In the case of cirrhosis, the aim is to slow down the progress of the scar tissue in the liver. The patient may need to get hospitalized if they have severe liver damage.

The treatment of chronic liver disease includes:

• Taking a healthy diet with low sodium
• Preventing the consumption of alcohol
• Controlling health issues that may occur because of cirrhosis. It is advisable to consult your doctor before taking medicines.

Other treatments of chronic liver disease are also available. They are as follows

• If the virus results in liver failure, the hospital can help in the treatment of chronic liver disease to cure the symptoms until the virus is running its course. In this case, the liver will recover on its own.
• In advanced cases of chronic liver disease, when the liver does not function, a liver transplant is the only option. 

>>Read: Healthy Liver: Tips to Keep your Liver Away From Deadly Infections

Signs of Chronic Liver Disease

The signs of chronic liver disease do not occur until liver damage is severe. In case if it happens, it has the following signs:

• Tiredness
• Decreased appetite
• Itching in the skin
• Swelling in different parts of the leg like feet and ankle
• Bleeding
• Reduction in weight

If you notice any of these signs of chronic liver disease, then consult a doctor immediately.

Furthermore, preventive care is equally important. Following a low-fat healthy diet plan, abstaining from alcohol intake, proper hygiene to avoid infections and vaccination are some recommended steps when it comes to keeping liver diseases at bay.

Prevent the adverse effects of a liver ailment and choose a Critical Mediclaim Insurance from Care Health Insurance, today in order to safeguard your finances.

>>Click Here to Know Why You Should Opt for a Critical Illness Insurance Cover 

Disclaimer: Underwriting of claims for liver diseases subject to policy terms and conditions.