The liver is the largest internal organ and one of the most important organs that help to maintain the physical health of a person. Without proper care and health, the liver can start to fail which then leads to acute consequences on the well-being of a person, especially to people over the age of 60.
This article will discuss several liver issues, their symptoms, causes, and the appropriate course of treatment for older patients.
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A liver problem, or a liver disease, is a condition that damages the liver and impairs its ability to operate properly. The liver performs a variety of functions in the body, including aiding in food digestion, eliminating waste items, and producing clotting factors, which maintain healthy blood flow.
The liver is capable of filtering toxins from the blood, but if the toxins are many in number it can overwhelm the liver and can lead to loss of function. Although the liver can have many different issues, it is typically a chronic condition that develops over time and can eventually cause a progressive loss of function.
Liver problems come in several forms. Some are inherited (you are born with them), while others are brought on by viruses, diseases, or poisons like alcohol or drugs. Let’s examine a few different forms of liver disease.
Hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver. The liver’s reaction to harm or poison is inflammation. However, the inflammation also persists as long as the damage or poisoning does. In addition, there are other varieties of hepatitis, three of which are viral in nature.
Through close contact, injectable medication use, and sharing of food and beverages, it can spread from one person to another. It typically has no symptoms and goes away on its own in six months without causing any long-term damage.
It increases the likelihood of developing liver cancer and other illnesses if it persists for more than six months. Parents can give birth to a child who has hepatitis B if they have it.
This virus enters the bloodstream through contaminated blood. It could take years for symptoms to manifest.
Autoimmune hepatitis is not caused by hepatitis A, B, or C; rather, it is an immune system reaction. The human immune system starts to harm the liver cells for unknown reasons.
The bile ducts, which are tiny tubes in the liver, are attacked by primary biliary cholangitis. The bile backs up in your liver and leaves scarring when the ducts are damaged. Usually occurs in women.
The bile ducts become scarred by primary sclerosing cholangitis, which might eventually obstruct them. Eventually it may be required to have a liver transplant if it results in liver cancer. Usually occurs in men.
If the person drinks too much alcohol or has hepatitis, the likelihood increases.
Although rare, this type of cancer primarily affects those over the age of 50.
It represents a tumour free of cancer. Although it’s rare, women who use birth control pills for an extended period of time are more susceptible to contracting it than other people.
As the liver slowly loses its way of proper functioning, the symptoms will become more evident than before. Though it’s quite hard to notice the symptoms early on, it is recommended to get to a clinic to diagnose it as soon as possible as it might worsen if not done before. Here are a few symptoms that can help diagnose a liver problem:
Once such symptoms arise, it is best to get treatment promptly as it can affect the blood flow, hormones and nutritional condition of the person.
Liver problems have a number of causes, that includes diseases that can be caused by other factors. Now let’s explore the various reasons behind liver problems:
Other factors such as infections like Hepatitis and toxins like alcohol or drugs can also lead to liver disease.
As the human body ages, changes occur physically and internally as well. Considering the liver organ, its size shrinks down along with reduction of blood flow and ability to regenerate. A very common occurrence of a liver problem in elderly is a fatty liver.
Fatty liver disease is linked to ageing, and senior patients are more susceptible to the disease because of a number of associated conditions, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and obesity. It is to be kept in mind to keep the liver healthy along with monitoring other health conditions and factors that can potentially cause liver problems especially to people over the age of 60.
It is mentioned that elderly are highly prone to liver problems when compared to the rest of the population. Not only can the liver cause problems to the body, it can also influence other health issues to arise which can take a heavy toll on the physical and mental health of the elderly people.
There are quite a few risk factors that can lead to liver problems:
It is advised to steer clear of any such risk factors to avoid further liver damage in the future.
‘Prevention is better than cure.’ It is true in all contexts and must be taken seriously to prevent a disease from developing. Home remedies and healthy lifestyle practices can help prevent the progression of a liver disease while also improving the overall mental and physical well-being.
By adopting specific lifestyle changes and home remedies, we may take charge of our own health and manage and prevent the progression of liver disease.
Liver problems can affect a person throughout the majority of their life if they are not diagnosed and treated properly. The liver is a vital organ that requires care to be healthy because it has the power to alter one’s perspective on life. A person can live a better, healthier life by having their liver issues tested for and addressed through prevention or treatment.
With proper lifestyle changes and medications, there is a high chance of success in treating liver problems.
Various factors have a hand in liver damage but alcohol, drugs, obesity and viruses have a higher chance of damaging it.
Testing liver function is usually done by blood tests. If an anomaly is found, an ultrasound or a CT scan is directed.