Why and from what does the liver ache: possible causes, symptoms and treatment

The human body is designed in such a way that all the processes in it are in interrelation. The basis of our life is food. Thanks to the reception of food, the body receives the necessary energy. In other words, nutrition contributes to our existence. In some cases, people consume foods that are not only not useful, but also harmful to the body. In this case, a protective mechanism is triggered - the neutralization of toxic substances. In the role of the filter is the largest digestive gland - the liver. Before entering the blood, all substances pass through this organ.

Location and structure of the liver

To answer questions about what the liver is, where the person is, how the organ hurts and for what reasons, it is necessary to know the anatomy. It is worth noting that this is the largest exocrine gland, which has a weight of about 1.5 kg. The liver is located in the right half of the abdominal cavity right under the ribs. When there are pains in this area, it is worthwhile to think about possible pathologies of this organ. However, unpleasant sensations in the right hypochondrium are also observed in other ailments. Therefore, it is important to identify the cause of discomfort. To avoid repeated attacks, you should find out what the liver is hurting in a particular case.

Near this organ are: gall bladder, transverse-colon and duodenum, pancreas head. The pathology of any of these anatomical formations can cause pain in the region of the right hypochondrium. To understand the cause of discomfort, you should undergo special examinations. The liver is a parenchymal organ, which consists of special cells - hepatocytes. If they are damaged, the iron ceases to develop its functions. As a result, hepatic failure develops, which can lead to serious complications and death.

Causes of pain

To clarify the question: "What does the liver hurt?" It is worth considering the predisposing factors of the development of digestive gland pathologies. Often unpleasant sensations are observed after the use of xenobiotics - substances that are harmful to the body. These include alcoholic beverages, various chemical additives available in medicines and food. Also one of the reasons for the development of pain syndrome is the effect of hepatotropic viruses. They slowly destroy the organ, leading to irreversible consequences.

The following causes of pain in the liver:

1. Viral hepatitis. The most dangerous of these are those that are transmitted parenterally. These include hepatitis B and C.
2. Frequent use of alcohol.
3. Reactive inflammation of the liver caused by acute pathologies of other organs.
4. Autoimmune hepatitis.
5. Long-term use of drugs from the group of antibiotics and cytostatics.
6. Effects of various exogenous toxic substances (poisoning with poisons, salts of heavy metals).
7. Primary liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma.
8. Metastasis of various tumors.
9. Parasitic infestations, in particular, opisthorchiasis, giardiasis, ascariasis.

To find out what the liver hurts, you should consult a doctor. He will appoint a number of diagnostic procedures that will help to establish the exact cause and determine the therapeutic tactics.

Effect of alcohol on the liver and pancreas

The systematic use of alcoholic drinks leads to the fact that the liver and pancreas are hurting. These organs are the main targets for ethanol. This substance gradually destroys the liver cells. In the body there is an enzyme - alcohol dehydrogenase, which is involved in the oxidation of ethanol. As a result, endogenous alcohol undergoes inactivation and has a toxic effect. This mechanism works also when ethanol enters from outside. However, the abuse of this substance leads to liver overload. As a result, it does not cope with its task, and alcohol has its toxic effect on the organs. If the liver hurts after every use of alcohol, it is worthwhile to see a doctor. This may indicate the development of cirrhosis - a life-threatening chronic pathology.

Periodic pain in the pancreas is observed in almost every person who abuses alcohol. It occurs because of chronic pancreatitis. This disease is characterized by a violation of the exocrine function of the gland, which consists in the production of digestive enzymes. As a result, the tissue of the organ is subjected to sclerosis. Also, chronic pancreatitis becomes the cause of diabetes. A dangerous condition is acute inflammation of the pancreas. It leads to "self-digestion" and organ destruction (pancreatic necrosis). This pathology is one of the causes of death from alcohol.

Inflammatory liver disease

Inflammatory diseases of the liver include various types of hepatitis. They refer to infectious viral pathologies. Chronic hepatitis is one of the main causes of liver cirrhosis. Pathology is transmitted from sick people to healthy people. Depending on the type of virus, several pathways are identified. When a patient asks what the liver is hurting, the doctor should first of all exclude hepatitis. For this purpose, special studies are carried out - enzyme immunoassay and PCR.

Viral hepatitis group A and E are transmitted by fecal-oral and waterways. Most often they develop in children's groups. The disease is quickly transmitted to others. Hepatitis A with timely treatment does not have dangerous health consequences. However, specific antibodies in the body indicate that liver damage has occurred.

More serious pathologies include hepatitis B and C. They are transmitted through the blood: with blood transfusions, surgical interventions, the use of contaminated syringes. These viruses often lead to chronic inflammation of the liver.

Oncological pathologies of the hepato-duodenal zone

Sometimes to clarify the diagnosis requires a morphological examination of organ tissue. In general, it is resorted to if viral and alcoholic damage is excluded, and the liver hurts. Symptoms, treatment and diagnostics of oncological processes are known to every doctor. Long-term pain in the liver region in the absence of inflammatory and toxic lesions is the main indication for biopsy. Cancer of the hepato-duodenal zone refers to one of the most severe oncological pathologies. More often it is observed in old age and is diagnosed at advanced stages.

Pain in the liver appears when the capsule is stretched. The cause can be both primary cancer and metastases that have arisen due to neoplasms of other organs. In addition, stretching of the liver capsule is observed with extensive benign tumors, cysts, hematomas. Also, the development of pain syndrome leads echinococcosis, opisthorchiasis, giardiasis and other parasitic pathologies. Laboratory diagnostics and ultrasound are used to diagnose these ailments.

How does the liver ache: symptoms in women and men

When calling a doctor, it is important to clarify: how the liver aches. Unpleasant sensations can be periodic or permanent, be intense and weak, etc. To conduct differential diagnosis between various pathological processes, information on how the liver hurts is important. Symptoms in women are more often expressed than in men. The signs of organ damage include:

1. Constant or recurring pain.
2. Yellowness of the skin and icteric sclera.
3. Raise body temperature.
4. Nausea.
5. Appearance on the body of small rashes - vascular asterisks.
6. An increase or decrease in the size of the body.
7. Problems with the gums.
8. Anemia.
9. Disturbance of the digestive process.
10. An increase in the abdomen due to fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity is ascites.
11. Itching itch.
12. Propensity to bleeding.

With the development of any of these symptoms, a survey is required. The liver diseases are evidenced by such laboratory changes as an increase in the level of enzymes ALT, AST and GGTP. When hepatitis in the general blood test observed leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, acceleration of ESR. In advanced cases, anemic syndrome develops, thrombocytopenia.

Methods of treatment of liver diseases

If pathology is detected, immediate treatment is required. It should be aimed at removing the inflammatory process and stopping further damage to the liver. When hepatitis is important to conduct detoxification therapy. This is necessary to remove harmful substances from the body and prevent complications. The main directions of treatment are:

1. Antiviral therapy.
2. Rehydration.
3. Detoxification.
4. Anti-inflammatory therapy.
5. Treatment with hepatoprotectors.
6. Vitaminotherapy.

Acute pain in the liver can serve as an indication for surgical treatment. Operative intervention is carried out with oncological pathologies, echinococcosis, organ trauma, complications of cirrhosis (bleeding from the esophagus, ascites).

Home Treatment

In chronic pathologies, the liver often hurts. What to do at home with discomfort in the right upper quadrant? First of all, you must follow a diet and refuse to take alcoholic beverages. How to help a person who has a liver pain? What to do at home to prevent exacerbations:

1. Drink 1 glass of lemon juice every day. It helps to cleanse the body of toxic substances and strengthen immune protection.
2. Use natural honey to accelerate liver regeneration during alcohol intoxication and poisoning with chemicals.
3. Brew oatmeal. You should eat porridge for breakfast.

It is desirable to combine popular treatment with drug therapy. Especially, medications are needed for viral inflammation and cirrhosis.

Drug therapy for hepatitis

Treatment depends on what kind of liver disease is observed in a particular case. However, some drugs are needed when the organ of any etiology is affected. Such means include hepatoprotectors. They help restore the functions of the organ, contribute to the process of regeneration and prevent further destruction of cells. What medications are needed if the liver is sore? Medicines from the group of hepatoprotectors are preparations "Essentiale forte", "Galstena", "Karsil", etc. It is worthwhile to consult a doctor to choose a medicine.

Liver pain: symptoms, treatment of pathology

Symptomatic treatment of liver pathologies is necessary to alleviate the patient's condition and combat intoxication. To get rid of harmful substances prescribe laxatives, activated charcoal. For detoxication, drugs "Dulcolax", "Dufalac", "Lactulose" are used. At the expressed pains prescribe cholagogue preparations, antispasmodics and analgesics.

Prevention of liver pathologies

To prevent the development of infectious lesions, medical instruments are processed, disposable syringes and needles are used. In the presence of hepatitis in the sexual partner, it is necessary to observe the barrier method of contraception. For the prevention of chronic inflammation it is recommended to give up alcohol, apply toxic drugs in combination with hepatoprotectors.