{"id":1950,"date":"2022-02-04T15:57:55","date_gmt":"2022-02-04T15:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/likipfoundation.org\/?page_id=1950"},"modified":"2022-02-24T16:39:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-24T16:39:46","slug":"the-liver","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/likipfoundation.org\/?page_id=1950","title":{"rendered":"THE LIVER"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Where to Find Your Liver<\/strong><\/h5>

The liver is your body\u2019s largest internal organ, weighing between 3 and 5 pounds. Your liver is located on the right side of your upper body, below the lungs, taking up most of the space in your rib cage. The gallbladder, which stores bile made in the liver, is found tucked under your liver. Your liver is made up of two separate sections, or lobes: the larger right lobe and the smaller left lobe. These two lobes are separated by tissue which anchors your liver in place.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Your Liver Does<\/strong><\/h5>

Your liver\u2019s biggest role is to filter your blood all day, every day. A healthy liver gets its color, a deep reddish brown, because it is so drenched in blood. At any given moment, your liver contains about a pint of blood, or 13% of the body\u2019s total blood supply. Your liver filters more than a liter of blood every minute which is about 22 gallons of blood per hour and more than 250 gallons of blood in a 24-hour time period. There are two sources that supply your liver with all that blood: the\u00a0hepatic <\/strong><\/p>

artery<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0hepatic portal vein<\/strong>. The hepatic artery brings oxygen-rich blood to your liver. Blood coming from your digestive system enters the liver through the hepatic portal vein carrying nutrients, medications, or toxins.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

The Parts of Your Liver<\/strong><\/h5>

As was mentioned earlier, the liver has two lobes. Each lobe is made up of smaller sections called\u00a0lobules<\/strong>\u00a0which are clusters of liver cells. The portal vein and the hepatic artery enter the liver sending one large trunk to the left lobe and one large trunk to the right lobe, gradually dividing into smaller branches creating a network of vessels bringing blood to each lobule. Once the cells in the lobule process the blood,\u00a0ducts<\/strong>\u00a0(small tubes) transport bile from the cell while filtered blood empties into veins at the center of each lobule. Veins lead out of the lobules merging into larger veins eventually flowing into the hepatic veins; blood then leaves the liver through the\u00a0inferior vena cava<\/strong>, the largest vein in the body. Ducts transport bile out of the lobule flowing into larger right and left hepatic ducts. These two larger ducts come together to form the common hepatic duct. The\u00a0common hepatic duct<\/strong>\u00a0drains the bile to the\u00a0gallbladder<\/strong>\u00a0where it is stored and brings\u00a0bile<\/strong>\u00a0to the first part of the small intestine.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How Your Liver Works<\/strong><\/h5>

Unlike the lungs or heart, we cannot feel<\/p>

our liver working. Many people don\u2019t think about their liver unless or until there is something wrong with it. Your liver is an incredibly hard-working organ with more than 500 different vital functions. Only your brain has more functions than the liver. Many of the liver\u2019s functions are related to your\u00a0metabolism<\/strong>. These metabolic functions allow you to convert food to energy, break down food to basic building blocks needed by your body and eliminate waste.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

The liver\u2026<\/p>

Produces bile<\/p>

Bile is a yellow-green acidic liquid that helps carry away waste and break down fats in the small intestine during digestion<\/p>

Produces proteins for\u00a0blood plasma<\/strong><\/p>

Blood plasma is a fluid which transports blood components (red and white blood cells and platelets), nutrients, hormones, proteins, and waste products<\/p>

Produces\u00a0cholesterol<\/strong>and special proteins to help carry fats through the body<\/p>

Converts unused\u00a0glucose<\/strong>into\u00a0glycogen<\/strong>\u00a0for storage<\/p>

When needed, glycogen can be converted back to glucose for energy<\/p>

Balances blood sugar and makesglucose as needed<\/p>

Regulates levels of\u00a0amino acids<\/strong>in blood<\/p>

Amino acids form the building blocks of proteins<\/p>

Stores iron processed from\u00a0hemoglobin<\/strong><\/p>

Hemoglobin is the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen<\/p>

Converts poisonous ammonia, made during digestion, to urea<\/p>

Processes drugs and other poisonous substances to your body<\/p>

Regulates blood clotting (or our ability to stop bleeding)<\/p>

Fights infections by making immune factors and removing bacteria from the bloodstream<\/p>

Removes\u00a0bilirubin<\/strong>from\u00a0red blood cells<\/strong>The liver removes harmful substances from our body often by breaking them down to smaller byproducts. These byproducts leave the liver through bile or blood \u2013 byproducts in bile are removed from the body through feces while those in the blood are filtered out by the kidneys and removed through urine. This is why Hepatitis or liver disease can devastate a person\u2019s health.<\/p>

HEPATITIS <\/strong><\/h5>

What is the meaning of hepatitis?<\/p>

HEPATITIS Is a combination of two words \u201cHEPA” and \u201cTITIS”. It is derived from the Greek word h\u00eapar (\u1f27\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1), meaning “liver”, and -itis (-\u1fd6\u03c4\u03b9\u03c2), meaning “inflammation”<\/strong>.<\/p>

So Hepatitis simply means Inflammation (swelling) of the liver. It is usually the first stage of liver disease. Inflammation is generally a sign that the body is trying to fight an infection or heal an injury.\u00a0 When liver disease is present, inflammation continues over time.\u00a0 This leads to scarring of the liver. Many people with hepatitis have no symptoms; however, some may feel tired or have abdominal (belly area) discomfort. others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice<\/a>),\u00a0poor appetite<\/a>,\u00a0vomiting<\/a>,\u00a0tiredness<\/a>,\u00a0abdominal pain<\/a>, and\u00a0diarrhea<\/a>. Hepatitis is\u00a0acute<\/em><\/a>\u00a0if it resolves within six months, and\u00a0chronic<\/em><\/a>\u00a0if it lasts longer than six months. Hepatitis is often diagnosed through blood and imaging tests. If the liver disease\u00a0 is diagnosed and treated successfully at this stage, the inflammation may go away. Chronic hepatitis may progress to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis<\/a>),\u00a0liver failure<\/a>, and\u00a0liver cancer<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

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What causes Hepatitis? <\/strong><\/h5>

The 8 major causes include (1)\u00a0heavy alcohol use<\/a>,\u00a0 (2) toxins and chemicals,\u00a0(3) medications, (4) Food and drinks<\/p>

\u00a0(5) sedentary lifestyle and Bad eating habits, (6) autoimmune diseases, (7) genetic factors and (8) Infections (bacterial , parasites, viral)<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

(1) EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL INTAKE (ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS) <\/strong><\/h5>

What is Alcoholic Hepatitis?<\/p>

Excessive alcohol consumption is a significant cause of hepatitis and is the most common cause of liver cirrhosis. Alcoholic hepatitis is\u00a0caused by drinking too much alcohol<\/strong>. The liver breaks down alcohol and \u00a0When\u00a0alcohol<\/a>\u00a0gets processed in the liver, it produces highly toxic chemicals. These chemicals can injure the liver cells. if, over time, you drink more alcohol than the liver can process, it can become seriously damaged. This ranges in order of severity and reversibility from\u00a0alcoholic steatosis<\/a>\u00a0(least severe, most reversible),\u00a0alcoholic hepatitis<\/a>, cirrhosis, and liver cancer (most severe, least reversible). Alcoholic hepatitis usually develops over years-long exposure to alcohol, occurring in 10 to 20% of alcoholics.\u00a0The most important risk factors for the development of alcoholic hepatitis are quantity and duration of alcohol intake.\u00a0Long-term alcohol intake in excess of 80 grams of alcohol a day in men and 40 grams a day in women is associated with development of alcoholic hepatitis (1 beer or 4 ounces of wine is equivalent to 12g of alcohol). <\/sup>Alcoholic hepatitis can vary from asymptomatic hepatomegaly (enlarged liver) to symptoms of acute or chronic hepatitis to liver failure.<\/p>

What are possible risk factors for alcoholic hepatitis?<\/strong><\/h5>

Risk factors include:<\/p>