Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. This important organ of your body performs hundreds of tasks related to metabolism, detoxification of waste, and the storage of energy. Your liver helps you digest food, store and convert energy until you need it. It also helps in filtering out toxic substances out of your bloodstream.
Your liver may suffer from various diseases due to a variety of reasons. Some of the common telltale symptoms of liver diseases include:
- Yellow skin or eyes, commonly known as jaundice
- Dark urine
- Swollen ankles or abdomen
- Decreased appetite
- vomiting
- Nausea
- Fatigue
What are common liver diseases?
Common liver diseases include:
Hepatitis
This viral infection of the liver makes it hard for your liver to function at its optimum capacity. There are five types of hepatitis:
Hepatitis A: The condition develops with the consumption of contaminated food or water. It may recover on its own but can take a few weeks to fully clear.
Hepatitis B: This condition can be acute or short-term, or chronic or long-term. It is spread through bodily fluids, such as blood and semen. Early treatment is important to prevent the progression of complications.
Hepatitis C: It is often spread through the contact with blood from someone who is already suffering from Hepatitis C. The condition can lead to permanent liver damage in later stages of not treated.
Hepatitis D: This is a serious form of hepatitis that only develops in patients who are already suffering from Hepatitis B. The condition cannot be contracted of its own.
Hepatitis E: The liver disease is most often caused by drinking contaminated water. Generally, the condition clears of its own within a few weeks without manifesting any worrisome or long-lasting serious complications.
Fatty Liver Disease
Excessive buildup of fat in your liver can result in a condition known as fatty liver disease. There are two types of fatty liver diseases:
Alcoholic fatty liver disease: It is caused due to excessive consumption of alcohol.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: This condition can be caused by other reasons, such as being obese or diabetic.
Autoimmune conditions
This condition occurs when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body, mistaking them as intruders.
Your liver can have the below three major types of autoimmune conditions.
Autoimmune hepatitis: This disease occurs when your immune system attacks your liver, causing inflammation. If left untreated, the condition can lead to cirrhosis or liver failure.
Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC): The condition of the liver develops due to the damage to the bile ducts in your liver, causing the buildup of bile. PBC can eventually lead to cirrhosis or liver failure.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis: This inflammatory liver condition is caused due to the gradual damage to your bile ducts that can be eventually get blocked, resulting in the buildup of bile in your liver.
Liver cancer
Liver cancer develops in your liver. If it develops in some other part of your body and then eventually infects the liver, it is called secondary liver cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer that develops as small spots of cancer in your liver. Liver cancer can also occur due to complications of other liver diseases. If you are suffering from the liver disease and looking for the drugs that you can get at the lowest price, PrudentRx drug list has a detailed list of medications that you can find to get your liver medications at a low price. PrudentRx drug list is very exhaustive where you will get the details of numerous other medications that you require for the treatment of your other health conditions. For further details, you can read PrudentRX FAQs where you may find information about CVS copay optimization and maximize your copay savings. PrudentRx has experts who will help you customize the best health insurance plan that is the best fit for your organization.
