9 Useful Functions of the Liver and Common Type of Fatty Liver – Causes, Symptoms & Care

Hi… I’m your liver! Let me tell you my usefulness to you… in 9 ways.
1. I STORE THE IRON reserves you need, as well as a lot of VITAMINS AND OTHER MINERALS. without me you wouldn’t have the strength to carry on!

2. I make BILE to help digest your food. Without me you’d waste away to nothing.

3. I DETOXIFY POISONOUS CHEMICALS you give me, and that includes alcohol, beer, wine and drugs (prescribed and over-the-counter) as well as illegal substances. Without me, your “bad” habits would kill you.

4. I store ENERGY, like a battery, by stockpiling sugar (carbohydrates, glucose and fat) until you need it. Without me, the sugar level in your blood could fall dramatically and you’d go into a coma. You couldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning if I weren’t on the job!

5. I MAKE THE BLOOD that got your system going even before you were born. Without me, you wouldn’t be here!

6. I MANUFACTURE NEW PROTEINS that your body needs to stay healthy and grow. Without me, you wouldn’t grow properly!

7. I REMOVE POISONS from the air, exhaust smoke and chemicals your breathe. Without me, you’d be poisoned by pollutants!

8. I MAKE CLOTTING FACTORS that stop the bleeding when you accidentally prick yourself. Without me, you’d bleed to death!

9. I help DEFEND YOU against the germs going into your body all the time. I take those cold germs, flu bugs and other germs you encounter, and knock them dead – or at least weaken them. Without me, you’d be a sitting duck for every infection known to man.

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Now let us share about a most common liver disease – fatty liver …..
What is it?

– FATTY LIVER is a collection of EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF FAT INSIDE LIVER CELLS, also called steatosis.

– Mostly triglycerides.

Common type of Fatty Liver
1. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) – affect people who drink little or no alcohol. Simple fatty liver (steatosis), usually causes no liver damage.

2. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a more serious type. Cause by hepatitis infection, malnutrition, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and Reye’s syndrome. In some cases, this can progress either to cirrhosis, which can produce progressive, irreversible liver scarring, or to liver cancer.
Reye’s syndrome – a deadly disease, attack any child or adult without warning.

All body organs are affected, with the liver and brain suffering most seriously.

Cause and cure remain unknown, research has established a link between Reye’s Syndrome and the use of asprin and other salicylate-containing medications.

3. Alcoholic steatosis. Cause by alcohol abuse. All body organs are affected, with the liver and brain suffering most seriously. Cause and cure remain unknown, research has established a link between Reye’s Syndrome and the use of asprin and other salicylate-containing medications.

Causes:
1. Non-alcoholic fatty liver – It’s unclear exactly what causes disease. But many researchers believe the contributing factors are:
– Obesity
– Hypertension
– Abnormal cholesterol levels.

2. It’s also unclear exactly how a liver becomes fatty. The fat may come from other parts of the body, or the liver may ABSORB an INCREASED amount of fat from the intestine.
Another possible explanation is that the liver LOSES ITS ABILITY TO CHANGE FAT into a form that can be eliminated.

What are the symptoms?
– Fatty liver usually produces no symptoms.
– Jaundice.
– Right-side abdominal pain.
– Abdominal swelling.
– Fever.

At more advanced stage, liver becomes cirrhosis.
– Cirrhosis refers to scarring of the liver. It replaces healthy tissue.
– Scar tissue cannot do what healthy liver tissue does.
– Scar tissue also blocks the normal flow of blood through the liver.
– Cirrhosis can be life-threatening, but it can also be controlled if treated early.

A fatty liver is enlarged and has a greasy, pale yellow look. (Pic looks like something you see at the butchery… if you worked in the back ;o)

How is it diagnosed?
– The liver may be tender when the abdomen is pressed.
– Blood tests – for liver function.
– Ultrasound or abdominal CT scan.

What is the treatment?
– Treatment for fatty liver is aimed at ELIMINATING OR TREATING THE CAUSE of the condition.
– In some cases, fatty liver is reversible if caught early in its development.
– Pregnancy-related fatty liver is treated by delivering the baby, if viable.
– Severe liver damage can occur if fatty liver is left untreated. In these cases, the patient may eventually require a liver transplant.

(3 slides full of stats which I aint gonna tabulate on here!)

Now, let me tell you some easy ways to look after your liver.
– DONT DROWN ME IN BEER, ALCOHOL OR WINE! Even one drink is too much for some people and could scar me for life. (Lol that one’s not gonna work on nearly the whole planet)
– WHAT THOSE DRUGS! All drugs are chemicals, and when you mix them up without a doctor’s advice you could create something poisonous that could damage me badly.
– I scar easily… and those scars, called “cirrhosis” are permanent.
Medicine is sometimes necessary. But TAKING PILLS WHEN THEY ARENT NECESSARY IS A BAD HABIT. All those chemicals can really hurt a liver.
– Be careful with AEROSOL SPRAYS! Remember, I have to detoxify what you breathe in, too. So when you are cleaning with aerosol cleaners, make sure the room is ventilated, or wear a mask.
– That goes double for bug sprays, mildew sprays, paint sprays and all those other chemical sprays you use. Be careful what you breathe!
– WATCH WHAT GETS ON YOUR SKIN! Those insecticides you put on trees and shrubs not only kill bugs they can get to me right through your skin and destroy my cells, too. Remember they’re all chemicals. Cover your skin with gloves, long sleeves, a hat and mask every time insecticides are in the air or if you’re handling them.
– Don’t eat too much FATTY FOOD! I make the cholesterol your body needs, and I try to make the right amount. Give me a break. Eat good, well balanced nourishing diet. If you eat the right stuff for me, I’ll really do my stuff for you!

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WARNING:
I can’t and won’t tell you I’m in trouble until I’m almost at the end of my rope… and yours.
Remember: I am a non-complainer. Overloading me with drugs, alcohol and other junk can destroy me! This may be the only warning you will ever get.

Take My Advice, Please!
– Check me out with your doctor.
– Blood screening tests can identify some trouble.
– If I’m soft and smooth, that’s good. If I’m hard and bumpy, that could mean trouble.
– If your doctor suspects trouble, ULTRA SOUND and CT scans can look into it.
– My life, and yours, depends on how you treat me.

Now you know how much I care for you. Please treat me with tender loving care.
Your silent partner and ever-loving lover ……  LIVER.