The document discusses various liver problems including cancer, cysts, hepatitis, and fibrosis. Liver cancer begins in the liver cells and is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Symptoms of liver problems include weight loss, abdominal pain, and jaundice. Liver cysts are fluid-filled sacs in the liver that are usually benign, though large cysts can cause pain or infection. Hepatitis is liver inflammation that can be caused by viruses and results in jaundice, fatigue, and abdominal pain. Fibrosis occurs when scar tissue replaces healthy liver cells, preventing the liver from functioning properly and causing symptoms like abdominal pain and jaundice.
2. Liver Problems
Your liver is an organ
about the size of a football that sits
just under your rib cage on the
right side of your abdomen.
Without your liver, you couldn't
digest food and absorb nutrients,
get rid of toxic substances from
your body or stay alive.
Liver problems include a wide
range of diseases that can affect
the liver such as: Cancer, Cysts,
Hepatitis and Fibrosis.
3. Cancer
Liver cancer is
cancer that begins in the
cells of your liver. It is one
of the most common
forms of cancer in the
world.
4. Symptoms
Most people don't have signs and symptoms in the early
stages of primary liver cancer. When signs and symptoms do
appear, they may include:
• Losing weight without trying
• Loss of appetite
• Upper abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• General weakness and fatigue
• An enlarged liver
• Abdominal swelling
• Yellow discoloration of your skin
and the whites of your eyes
• White, chalky stools
5. Cysts
A Liver Cyst is a thin-walled
"bubble" or cavity in the liver that may be
empty or contain fluid.
Occasionally, Cysts may become
large or infected. Treatment depends on
the underlying cause. Most often, no
specific treatment is needed. The most
important thing to remember about liver
cysts is that they are usually benign.
6. Symptoms
Usually, liver cysts do
not cause any symptoms.
Occasionally, if they become
very large, they can cause liver
enlargement, abdominal pain,
bile duct infection, or
obstruction of the bile ducts,
causing the cyst itself to
become infected.
7. Hepatitis
Hepatitis is the Greek term for liver
inflammation. It is characterized by the
destruction of a number of liver cells and the
presence of inflammatory cells in the liver
tissue.
Hepatitis can be caused by viruses
that primarily attack the liver cells, such as
hepatitis A and B. Patients with glandular
fever can also suffer from an attack of
hepatitis.
8. • Abdominal pain or distention
• Breast development in males
• Dark urine and pale or clay-colored stools
• Fatigue
• Fever, usually low-grade
• General itching
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss
Hepatitis may start and
get better quickly (acute
hepatitis), or cause long-term
disease (chronic hepatitis). In
some instances, it may lead to
liver damage, liver failure, or
even liver cancer. The symptoms
of hepatitis include:
Symptoms
9. Fibrosis
Liver fibrosis occurs when
healthy liver cells are replaced by an
excess of fibrous tissue (connective
tissue composed mostly of fibers).
The fibrous tissue is
incapable of carrying out normal
liver functions. Thus, if it replaces a
significant amount of healthy tissue,
the effects are felt throughout the
body.
10. • Abdominal pain
• Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the
abdominal cavity (ascites)
• Bleeding from engorged veins in the
esophagus or intestines
• Dark, cola-colored urine
• Easy bruising
• Exhaustion
• Fatigue
• Itchy hands and feet
• Lack of appetite
• Loss of interest in sex
• Nausea
• Small, spider-like blood vessels under the skin
• Swelling of legs and feet from retained fluid
(edema)
• Tenderness and enlargement of the liver
• Weakness
• Weight loss
• Yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice)
Symptoms