Hepatitis
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. At least six forms of hepatitis are now recognized. They are referred to as hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, and G. They vary considerably in severity. Some forms are acute (sudden and brief) and others are chronic (long-lasting). Some forms have little or no long-lasting effects. Others can become life-threatening diseases.
The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. It regulates the amount of many chemicals that occur in the blood. It removes substances from the blood that are or may become toxic. A toxin is a poison. The liver changes these substances into less harmful forms. It then converts them into a form that will dissolve in water. In this form, the substances are eliminated from the body. If the liver is damaged, toxic substances may build up in the bloodstream. In the worst cases, these substances can cause serious illness and even death.
The liver is located in the upper right hand side of the abdomen, mostly behind or beneath the rib cage. The liver of an adult normally weighs close to three pounds. The liver performs the following vital functions for the body:
- The liver helps purify the blood by changing harmful chemicals into harmless substances. The source of these chemicals can be external, such as medications or alcohol, or internal, such as ammonia or bilirubin. Typically, these harmful substances are broken down into smaller substances that are excreted from the body into the urine or stool.
- The liver produces many important compounds, especially proteins, that are necessary for health. It produces albumin, the building block protein of the body, as well as the proteins that help blood to clot properly.
- The liver stores many of the sugars, fats and vitamins until they are needed elsewhere in the body.
- The liver transforms smaller building block type substances into larger more complicated compounds needed elsewhere in the body. One of these types of functions is the building up and breaking down of cholesterol. When the liver is inflamed, it does not perform these functions for the body as efficiently, which brings about many of the symptoms associated with hepatitis.
Symptoms:
Perhaps the most noticeable symptom is jaundice. Jaundice causes a yellowing of the skin. Other symptoms associated with hepatitis include fatigue, general achiness, nausea, mild fever, and loss of appetite. Many have no symptoms at all. As infection spreads in the liver, the organ becomes enlarged. It may cause pain in the abdomen.
In cases where symptoms last for at least six months, the patient is said to have chronic hepatitis. Symptoms may continue to get worse. But the worst damage that occurs is cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis leads to liver cancer in somewhat less than 10 percent of all cases.
Source-MedicineNet.com
Click Here to Improve Your Total Health