Liver is the vital organ of your body that performs multiple functions.
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Dr. Abhishek YadavLiver is the vital organ of your body that performs multiple functions. Your body uses the nutrients and energy that your liver produces during the processing of everything you eat and drink. It assists your body in combating infections and removes hazardous substances from your blood, such as alcohol.
Your liver may be harmed by viruses or toxic chemicals. Liver failure, also called hepatic failure, can occur when there is widespread damage to your liver. The liver may finally stop working properly in people who have severe liver damage. Liver failure is a serious concern that requires immediate treatment.
Liver failure is of two main types, including acute (sudden) and chronic (long-standing. Out of these two, acute liver failure is more life-threatening where a liver that was once healthy fails in a matter of days or weeks. Transient impairment of the liver's synthesizing and detoxification capacity causes jaundice, coagulopathy, encephalopathy, and multiple organ failure. There are several different reasons why this liver failure occurs. ALF can have a high fatality rate of 40% to 50%.
Early diagnosis and identification of the underlying cause are critical to the initial management of patients with acute liver failure. Intensive care, treating the specific cause if possible, and identifying potential liver transplant candidates at earliest are the management modalities for such liver failure. For patients with irreversible liver failure, liver transplantation continues to be the only proven therapeutic intervention that improves survival chances.
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Liver FailureTypically, there are four stages of liver damage: inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease (ESLD) or liver failure. When your liver isn't functioning well enough to carry out its activities, such as producing bile and eliminating your body of toxins, the condition is called liver failure.
It is a potentially fatal condition that needs to be treated promptly. Liver failure typically develops gradually over a long period of time. It's the end-stage of a number of liver conditions. However, acute liver failure is a less common condition that manifests rapidly (in a few hours or days) and can be initially challenging to diagnose. When significant portions of the liver are irreparably damaged and no longer functional, ultimately liver failure occurs.
CONTACT USFollowing are the main types of liver failure:
This type of liver failure develops rapidly. Loss of liver function may occur in a matter of a few days or weeks. It could occur unexpectedly and without any warning signs. Overdosing on drugs, which can happen from taking too much acetaminophen (Tylenol), or mushroom poisoning are common causes of acute liver failure.
Compared to acute liver failure, chronic liver failure progresses more slowly. It may take several months or even years before you start showing any signs. Cirrhosis, which happens when healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue, frequently leads to chronic liver failure. According to research, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcohol abuse, and hepatitis C infection are the main causes of cirrhosis. Your liver becomes inflamed when you have chronic liver failure. Over time, this inflammation leads to the formation of scar tissue. Your liver gradually loses its normal range of function as scar tissue gradually takes the place of healthy tissue.
Liver failure can be caused by a wide range of illnesses, such as hemochromatosis, excessive alcohol intake, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatitis B and C. Cirrhosis often leads to chronic liver failure. The scarring of your liver caused by recurrent or persistent injury, such as heavy alcohol consumption over an extended period of time or a persistent hepatitis infection, is known as cirrhosis. Your liver loses its ability to function as healthy liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue.
Following are the main causes of acute liver failure:
It can take years for liver failure to manifest. In its early stages, liver failure can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms frequently resemble those of other illnesses. As your failing liver continues to weaken, your symptoms will get worse. Long-term liver failure, or chronic liver failure, can result in:
The severity of symptoms increases as liver failure progresses. End-stage liver failure symptoms could include:
Acute liver failure patients may exhibit the following signs and symptoms:
Hepatologists are specialists who typically treat liver disease and liver failure. Whether liver failure is acute or chronic will determine how it is treated. Treatment for chronic liver failure involves dietary and lifestyle modifications, such as:
Treatment for acute liver failure may include:
With treatment, liver failure often improves in many patients. Most patients who require a transplant return to their regular activities in about six months. Individuals who receive liver transplant require continuous medical care for the rest of their lives, including medication for preventing their bodies from rejecting the new organ.
When liver damage or disease is still in its early stages, it is treatable with the right care and lifestyle modifications. The later stages, however, sometimes necessitate a liver transplant as they are irreversible. Whether acute or chronic, liver failure can be a life-threatening emergency requiring immediate medical attention.
Individuals with liver disease are frequently followed up throughout their lives to make sure the illness is not getting worse or damaging their livers further. Consult a liver specialist doctor in Pune if you encounter any symptoms associated with poor liver health or are worried about certain liver diseases.
A: With treatment, liver failure is often curable. Most patients return to their regular activities after six months, if a transplant is done.
A: Yes, it's a medical emergency. An acute liver failure can be reversed depending on the underlying cause. However, in many cases, the only treatment available is liver transplant.
A: Although there are numerous indicators of liver failure, not everyone will encounter any or all of them. The most typical symptoms include fatigue, nausea, jaundice, and right side abdominal pain.
A: Fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, right side pain just below the ribs, and diarrhea are all signs of acute liver failure.
A: Fatty liver disease is unlikely to result in abrupt death in its early stages. If there is a death, it is probably the result of another underlying illness. Liver failure brought on by untreated fatty liver disease that progresses to cirrhosis can eventually result in death.
