A terrible disease - liver cirrhosis. How can I check the liver?

Liver cirrhosis is a serious disease in which hepatic cells - hepatocytes are affected - and proliferation inside the connective tissue. The liver can not perform its basic function - neutralization of harmful substances in the body, they accumulate. Violated and the synthetic function of the liver: decreases the production of proteins, for example, albumin, as well as a violation of the synthesis of many elements that affect blood clotting.

Cirrhosis of the liver, the causes of the appearance

Hepatitis B and C viruses lead to the development of viral liver cirrhosis. Distinguish the early form of the disease, which is regarded as the immediate outcome of viral hepatitis, and the late form that appears due to a prolonged (chronic) course of hepatitis. Liver cirrhosis can be an outcome and autoimmune hepatitis.

Another cause of cirrhosis is stagnation in the bile duct. When narrowing large bile ducts, for example, when they are squeezed with a tumor or stone, the violation of the architectonics of the organ gradually develops.

Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is diagnosed in one-fourth of people who regularly drink alcohol for a long time - more than 10 years. At the same time, the condition of the patient is aggravated by the abuse of alcoholic beverages, and if alcohol refuses to improve, well-being is noted.

If a patient has heart failure or hepatic vein diseases, stagnant cirrhosis develops.

Other causes of cirrhosis:

- long-term use of certain medications (methotrexate, dopegit);

- hereditary (the disease occurs due to congenital enzymopathy - a deficit or a violation of the synthesis of enzymes).

Most often, liver disease develops with a combination of several factors, for example, in viral hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. In some cases, the main cause of the appearance of changes in the liver can not be determined. Then they diagnose "cryptogenic cirrhosis".

Manifestations of cirrhosis are diverse. This is weight loss, weakness, upset of the stool, jaundice, itching, bleeding, an increase in the size of the body. The liver feels dense and bumpy. The skin of patients pigmented, icteric, dry, with traces of numerous combs, appear on the upper half of the trunk "vascular sprouts" (telangiectasia). A characteristic feature is the "hepatic palms", they become bright red and hot to the touch.

The disease is dangerous due to the development of complications that can lead to death. Because The passage of blood through the liver is impaired, this leads to the formation of additional ways of blood flow, one of which are the veins of the esophagus. There is their varicose extension. From the expanded veins there is a bleeding, the first sign of which is vomiting "coffee grounds".

Due to the violation of protein synthesis, edema develops, at first the lower extremities, and then the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites). A liquid, which in the abdominal cavity can sometimes be detected only with the help of ultrasound, can inflame, develops peritonitis.

Accumulation in the body of toxic products leads to a violation of patients' consciousness (hepatic encephalopathy), the extreme manifestation of which is the hepatic coma. Some patients develop liver cancer.

Many people with the presence of risk factors are concerned with the question: "How to check the liver?". For multilateral assessment of the liver, it is necessary to examine the patient's blood, make a biochemical blood test, and evaluate the blood coagulability. The data of ultrasound, laparoscopy and biopsy are taken into account. To assess the state of the esophagus, apply gastroscopy. As an additional method, computed tomography is used.

People who are monitoring their health, can check the work of the liver for biochemical analysis of blood. It is necessary to assess the level of alkaline phosphatase, hepatic enzymes - transaminases, bilirubin, total protein and albumin, cholesterol. A prothrombin index is also examined, and a general analysis of capillary blood is performed.