What are the causes of chronic liver disease?

Liver diseases can be painful and in some cases, fatal. It is therefore crucial to understand what causes chronic liver diseases. Chronic liver diseases occur when there is damage to your liver over time, resulting in serious health conditions like cirrhosis, fibrosis, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of things, it’s important to mention that while some of these reasons may make me sound smart because I used complex terminologies, they don’t necessarily apply in every case.

Alcoholic Liver Disease

Heavy drinking over a prolonged period naturally puts a lot of pressure on the organ responsible for metabolism – the liver. The alcohol consumed breaks down into several compounds which can produce free radicals that have been linked with oxidative stress injuries to cells (fancy right?) causing inflammation and scarring overtime leading ultimately leads to alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Early Symptoms:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite.

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

This condition occurs due to factors unrelated to alcohol consumption; usually genetic predisposition combined with an unhealthy lifestyle (what isn’t caused by our genes nowadays?).
People who live sedentary lifestyles coupled with poor nutritional intake often develop this disease where fats accumulate instead of being processed and transported out as usual.

Obesity

Obese people have more fat cells distribute throughout their body system exposing them more likely contracted NAFLD than those who maintain healthy Body Mass Index ratios.

Insulin resistance & Diabetes Mellitus II

Some studies suggest people suffering from type 2 diabetes are at higher risk levels for NAFLD due mainly to hyperinsulinemia since insulin stimulates lipid synthesis through a mechanism involving excess delivery sucrose components frequently found in Western diets.

Other Risk Factors:

The following also pose increased health complications that could lead to NAFDL

Polycystic ovary syndrome High cholesterol levels Hypothyroidism Sleep apnea syndrome systematic use of corticosteroids

Viral Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a general term for inflammation of the liver. viruses responsible are:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C

Hepatitis A

transmits through contaminated water and food (it’s quite rare in developed countries since most people have been vaccinated), its symptoms are normally mild with chances of spontaneous recovery.

Symptoms include:

  • Abdominal pain
  • fever
  • Malaise

Hepatitis B

transmission vessels range from mother-child across infected needles to unprotected sexual contact; neonatal infection is highest amongst them all. While some people may clear it on their own, those who don’t have higher risks of chronic liver disease developing at advanced stages,

ProTip: Vaccination prevents HBV contraction.

Hepatitis C

It has been associated with several health complications over time ranging from Acute hepatitisC attributable acute injury can cause hepatic cells as specifically via HCV-genomes expression considering possible inflammatorily activated monocytes seen increasing peripheral cytokines like IL6 or TNF-alpha among others.

Diagnosis Techniques:

1.Blood tests

  • detect antibodies in serum indicative of viral best recognised represents Alt elevations.

2.Imaging studies such as:

 -Ultrasound,

 -CT scan

 & MRIs

All these will assist medical practitioners comprehensively diagnose patients’ conditions & projected severity + progression rate affecting different variables along collective data coordination whether surgery, medication or alternative treatments : start right away.

Autoimmune hepatitis/Autoimmune Disorders

Our immune system plays a vital role in fighting infections and diseases in our bodies. Unfortunately, it sometimes acts like an overenthusiastic groupie who just wants to go out there stage dive without the gloves on, (are you picturing this????).

Activating various substances including white blood cells that act normally by attacking its own healthy tissues as a result of confusion or misinformation about what is seen as normal.

The effects of these actions can lead to autoimmune disorders with different symptoms reflecting specific organs damage

  • Primary biliary cirrhosis
  • Autoimmune hepatitis.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis

Yes Hemochromatosis!!!! Our liver’s job is basically acting like an HVAC system for metabolism-related activities; however, too much iron interferes with enzyme functions producing excessive oxidation stress leading injury accumulation advanced fibrosis and even Cirrhosis levels due negative impacts cellular functionality conversely affecting whole body negatively overall.

Risks posed:

1.Being Caucasian

2.Presence family history

3.Heredity

4.Gender-bias (higher rates occur among men).

Most common treatment includes phlebotomy routine which eliminates excess blood subsequently reducing extracellular Fe deposits.

Blockage Of Bile Ducts

Our liver makes bile to help digest fats from food hence when there are obstructions preventing flow through can pose adverse complications ending up causing inflammation & further scarring formation compromising proper digestion nutritional values absorption capacities appearing Over time.

Causes:

Gallstones usually move their way gallbladder towards releasing pancreas duodenum generating lots fluids&reactions/ Obstructing responsible ducts get challenged constriction impact rate continuity disrupt biochemical balance cycling effects downstream not hepatic structural defects.

Welp that’s all folks! That was enlightening right?

It’s important we remember that lifestyle changes are also crucial in treating chronic illness. We should nurture ourselves -mind,body&soul- with the right kind of information necessary so we can make educated choices that yield healthier outcomes.

That’s me, signing out till next time!!

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