Liver and its function

Liver is the largest internal organ in the body. It is also considered the biggest gland. Liver plays a vital role in metabolism and many other functions like glucose storage as glycogen, protein synthesis and detoxification of drugs, toxins and waste products from metabolism. Bile which plays a vital role in digestion is also produced by the liver. Many other high-volume biochemical reactions are also performed and regulated by it. “Hepar” is the Greek word for liver and many medical terms that start with hepato or hepatic are related to liver.

What is liver disease?

Any such disease as affects liver and its function is considered a liver disease. Liver disease often causes serious complications like jaundice, fluid retention, liver failure etc. Cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty liver and some liver cancers are other types of liver diseases.

The real causes behind some types of liver diseases, particularly, those which present at the time of birth are not known. Some other kinds like hemochromatosis are because of inherited genes from parents. Hepatitis C and alcoholism are some common causes of cirrhosis in the United States.

continue reading Liver, Liver diseases, some signs, symptoms and treatment

There are many skin conditions one may experience throughout life. However, some of these conditions can be the cause of a more serious health ailment. If you have ever had a child, or are familiar with infant care, than you are well-versed in the condition referred to as Jaundice, which is a common state among newborn children. Neonatal Jaundice is caused by the infants’ liver not being completely developed. While this condition causes the infant to have a yellow tint to their skin and eyes, it usually disappears within two weeks because this is the amount of time it takes for a newborn child’s liver to begin processing the bilirubin. Even though we are familiar with Neonatal Jaundice, when it comes to this disease within adults, many people are not so familiar with it.

When an adult suffers from Jaundice, there are many different reasons why their skin and eyes are turning yellow. One of the main causes for this ailment is liver disease, which spans far beyond having Cirrhosis of the Liver. You can obtain liver disease by being infected with Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, G, X as well as having overall liver failure. All of these conditions can cause Jaundice and when gone untreated, the condition only furthers. Even though you can obtain Jaundice through a wide variety of physical ailments, what exactly is this condition? And why does it affect your body in the known manner?

continue reading Jaundice