Liver Problems 3
LIVER DISEASES AND PREVENTIVE DRUGS
Liver diseases are a major problem worldwide. However, the number of drugs actually used successfully in humans is very less. In this review some of the most promising studied drugs utilized for liver diseases were chosen and analyzed critically from the basic clinical point of view. Some medicines are used to prevent complications of chronic liver disease. Others are used to treat the symptoms of chronic liver disease.
Here are few Drugs suggested for Liver Disease
No treatment will cure cirrhosis or repair scarring in the liver that has already occurred. But treatment can sometimes prevent or delay further liver damage. Treatment involves lifestyle changes, medicines, and regular doctor visits. In some cases, you may need surgery for treatment of complications from cirrhosis. Blood tests, which measure liver enzymes, are done to check liver function before and during chemotherapy treatment. These tests are done to check for liver damage, especially when the drugs used have the potential to affect the liver.
- INTERFERON– It is used to treat hairy cell leukemia and AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma. They are also used to treat laryngeal papillomatosis (growths in the respiratory tract) in children, genital warts, and some kinds of hepatitis.
- LASIX– Loop diuretics are given to help reduce the amount of water in the body. They work by acting on the kidneys to increase the flow of urine. Furosemide is also used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) in those patients who are not helped by other medicines or in those patients who have kidney problems.
- PAXIL– It is used to treat mental depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.
- IMURAN– It belongs to the group of medicines known as immunosuppressive agents. It is used to reduce the body’s natural immunity in patients who receive organ transplants.
- PROZAC– It is used to treat mental depression, obsessive-compulsive symptoms associated with Tourette’s disorder, and in the treatments of obesity and bulimia nervosa. This medication has also been used to treat PMS (premenstrual syndrome).
- ELAVIL–Its heterocyclic drug used to treat spontaneous endogenous depression and is extremely sedating.
- AMANTADINE– It is an antiviral used to prevent or treat certain influenza (flu) infections (type A). It may be given alone or along with flu shots.
- LACTULOSE– It is an oral laxative
- LAMIVUDINE– It is used in the treatment of the infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus
- LIV 52 – It is a herbal medicines for preventing chronic liver diseases. This protective effect of Liv-52 can be attributed to the diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and immunomodulating properties of the component herbs
- PENICILLAMINE – It is a commonly used medicine for Wilson’s disease. This drug chelates or binds with copper and leads to its secretion from the body. Patients on penicillamine are monitored since this drug can sometimes be tough on the kidneys or bone marrow. It can also affect wound healing. It is important to take penicillamine consistently, since patients with Wilson’s disease who stop it have developed liver failure.
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WHAT HAPPENS TO THE LIVER WHEN WE SMOKE
Despite the efforts taken by government organizations to curb smoking in public and showcasing the harmful effects of smoking you still come across a whole bunch of people who continue to smoke.
If you happen to ask a smoker why does he/she smokes the reply will definitely be one of these, ‘I’m stressed and smoking relieves stress for me’, ‘Smoking helps me think’, ‘It’s kind of cool and stylish’ or ‘I’m unable to leave it (addicted in short)’. One may think that smokers are not aware of what it may lead to. But that’s not what really happens. Most smokers are aware that it is injurious to their health and may lead to cancer.
Whether it is started for fun or out of stress, one should always know that nicotine is additive and you might not be able to get rid of it when you want to. Smoking causes a number of health related risks, including liver failure. Here are some health problems caused by smoking to liver.
Oxidative Stress
The chemicals from cigarette which eventually reaches the liver create oxidative stress which means that the liver cells do not get enough oxygen supply. This is because the red blood cells which do this oxygen supply work start losing their capacity to deliver oxygen to the liver.
As a result, the liver cells begin to die. Oxidative stress ages all organs of the body by releasing free radicals which cause great harm to the body. It is as good as scaring the good tissues of the body.
Liver Failure
Liver failure is the continuation of oxidative stress. When one does not stop smoking even after the onset of oxidative stress, then the health of the organ (liver) gets depleted and eventually reaches a stage when the organ fails to perform any of its functions.
The body becomes a toxic substance and the only way for recovery is a liver transplant, which is a high risk procedure to replace damaged liver with a healthy one from a donor. However, even if this procedure ends up successfully, the patient is expected to quit smoking to live longer.
Liver Cancer
It is common knowledge that smoking leads to lung cancer. But with smoking, the chances of getting liver cancer are high and this is not something that commercials mention. It is widely accepted through research that smoking leads to almost a quarter of the liver cancers in the world. Because of the harmful chemicals in cigarettes the liver gets damaged as explained in the process above and fails to pump out the toxins in the body. This results in liver diseases and liver failure. People with liver disease who continuously abuse smoking worsen the situation leading to death of more liver cells and multiplication of tumors leading to liver cancer.
Hemochromatosis
This is a rare disease where a metal like iron or some other metals present in the powder form in cigarette deposits in the liver. This causes scars in liver that is irreparable and eventually lead to other liver diseases.
Most often such iron deposits and diseases thereof would require a liver transplant.
Smoking though might not seem to be affecting liver, sure does have a deeper connection with the liver and its functions leading to serious diseases. It is always better to be afar from nicotine to lead a disease free happy life.
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CAUSES OF LIVER PROBLEMS
It is normal for one to give more care what they see, such as your skin, hair and so on and not what makes them look this pretty, the backstage organs such as the liver, kidneys and so on. Liver is one of the back stage workers and plays a very important role in the function of your body.
It performs more than 500 functions. Liver helps to process nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals from the food and helps to get rid of toxins and microbes. It also plays a major role in clotting of blood. It plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s metabolic balance.
Certain unhealthy lifestyle practices and habits may cause liver diseases which can be overcome if you know how they are caused and what you need to do to stop it.
Causes of Liver Diseases
Hepatitis
The liver is infected by Viruses and Parasites which causes inflammation in the liver and reduces its routine function. This viral hepatitis is caused by Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.
- Hepatitis A and E are caused by intake of contaminated food with virus.
- Hepatitis B, C and D spreads through blood or semen, body fluids and also it is sexually transmitted.
Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are the main causes for liver cancer. Hepatitis can also be caused by excessive alcohol consumption, allergic reactions, drugs particularly paracetomol and other drugs used to treat cancer and obesity.
Cirrhosis
A healthy tissue is replaced with scarred tissue which is a slowly progressing disease reduces the liver function is called Cirrhosis. Due to cirrhosis the blood which passes through liver is blocked. It also reduces the processing of nutrients, hormones, naturally produced toxins, production of proteins etc.
Cirrhosis is mostly caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, overloaded iron or bile duct disease, obesity and diabetes. Other causes of this disease include prolonged exposure to the environmental toxins, parasitic infections and reactions to drugs.
The National Institutes of Health had announced that this Cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of the death by disease in the world.
Overuse of Medications
Undue use of over the counter medication will lead to many problems. One of the most badly affected organs due to overuse of medications is Liver. Certain prescription drugs also contain harmful chemicals and may cause liver damage. These medicines include corticosteroids which are used for treating inflammation, antidepressants, mood stabilizers and pain killers.
Some herbal medications also damage the liver. Since liver is the major detoxifying organ it is subjected to variety of drugs and chemicals. Over the counter medications like paracetamol can cause liver failure.
Never choose self medication, medical prescription from a practitioner is safer. Before using the medicines one should see the side effects.
Alcohol Consumption and Smoking
Excessive alcohol consumption leads to liver failure. Liver absorbs the alcohol and converts it to a less toxin form. However when the amount of alcohol exceed the capacity of liver, it remains unattended to.
More absorption of alcohol leads to fatty liver, cirrhosis and inflammation of the liver and is called as alcoholic hepatitis. Though smoking does not harm the liver directly but the harmful chemicals from the cigarette smoke will increase the oxidative stress and cause irreversible damage to the liver.
Obesity and Diabetes
Obesity is one of the major problems for many diseases. Due to excess amount of fat in the body the liver also gets surrounded by these fats. This accumulation of fats in the liver leads to fatty liver disease. Obesity also leads to cirrhosis of liver and liver failure.
Diabetes is also plays a major role in increasing liver disease by 50 percent. When you are infected by diabetes the insulin level will increase in the blood which tends to abdominal weight gain. This leads to more fat storage in the liver which causes fatty liver disease.
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