Causes of Liver Damage

The liver, as we know, is an important organ which is required for survival. This organ is located in the upper right hand side part of the abdomen and behind the rib cage. The functions of the liver are really important for the digestion of the food and, if the liver stops working properly, then there's no way to compensate for that. It secretes a substance called the bile which helps in the digestion of the fat that comes along with the digested food. It also neutralizes the toxins that enter our body through the food we consume, and thus purifies the blood. The liver is also the first place or source from where the fetus, during its first trimester, draws red blood cells and it also plays an important role in the synthesis of amino acids. Besides this, there are several other functions of the liver which prove that without the liver, our body would have been a meeting point of several health problems.

But, sometimes, due to various reasons, this liver can be subjected to various diseases; inflammation of the cells of the liver, obstruction of the free flow of bile, damaging of the liver tissues, tumor, cancer and so on are some of the important liver diseases that people usually suffer from. So what could be the causes of liver damage? Given below are some of the common liver damage causes.

Common Causes

You have some idea about what are the various issues that can affect the largest organ in our body, the liver. Now let us see what are the various liver damage causes from the list given here below.

Hepatitis
This is one of the most important reason of liver failure. Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and G are the common virus which damages the liver. The main symptoms of this problem are jaundice, malaise and anorexia. This usually leads to the inflammation of the liver and also the tissues of the liver. What happens due to this is that the liver starts facing problems in filtering food. This cause of liver damage is highly infectious, specially the one which spreads due to the virus Hepatitis C.

Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is another medical condition that damages the liver. It kills the cells of the liver and the dead tissues or cells then forms scar tissues. The new tissues that are formed remains beneath the scar tissue. This has a negative impact on the liver cells and the blood, which means that the liver can now no longer cleanse the blood of its toxins. Blood also cannot flow freely through the liver and the cells of the liver. Digestion is also affected because the secretion of bile from the liver is affected. The bile can no longer secrete the toxins out of the body from the intestine, hence, there is a problem in digestion.

Overdose of Drugs
Sometimes certain medications or drugs can either temporarily, or permanently, damage the liver. This can happen if the person takes an overdose of the drug. Prescribed medicines, taken as per the doctor's instructions, will not affect the liver, but if taken more than that, problems may arise. Certain medications, however, might affect the liver, even while taken in small amounts, but that's only a temporary issue and the functioning of the liver returns to normal when the medication is stopped.

Wilson's Disease
This is another cause where there is accumulation of copper in the body. The first symptom of this problem is damage to the liver. This is an inherited disorder which reduces the capabilities of our body to metabolize copper and it can also lead to cirrhosis.

Abnormality in Flow of Blood and Bile
Formation of blood clots in the hepatic vein prevents the free flow of blood from and into the liver. What happens next is that the pressure in the portal vein increases and this leads to liver damage. Gallstones can obstruct the flow of bile from the liver, to the gallbladder and then to the intestine. If there is some sort of obstruction in the bile duct, then this again can prevent the bile to flow freely.

Consumption of Alcohol
Consumption of excess alcohol can also lead to liver inflammation, because it damages the tissues of the liver. A person, who consumes excess alcohol quite frequently, is often found with a liver that does not function properly.

When a person suffers from liver damage, there are certain damage signs that are observed. You can read more about the early symptoms of liver failure, so that the problem is detected quickly and treatment can be started off immediately, because, as you already know that the liver plays an important role in the body and any damage to it can prove to be fatal. Knowing the causes and symptoms will help you prevent any further damage to the liver.