The largest gland in your body is the liver. It is located on the right side of the belly and is protected by the rib cage. It has many complex functions but its main one is filtering the blood from the digestive tract. It also helps in the breakage of food and converting it to energy, breaking down important nutrients in the body, and enzyme and protein production, just to name a few. If there is inflation, where you have an enlarged liver, you will be under the care of a doctor because that is a sign there is something wrong. There are a variety of conditions you can have when it comes to the liver such as Liver cancer, Liver failure, Gallstones, among others. Your doctor will take multiple blood and imaging tests to determine the condition.
Symptoms
Symptoms of liver inflammation will vary depending on the cause. Having said that, there are four symptoms that are common. One is jaundice when the skin looks yellowish. Another is loss of appetite, which will result in weight loss. Lack of energy and fatigue will be another symptom. This makes sense since the liver controls your metabolism. Finally, muscle and joint pain will be present for days, even weeks. Other symptoms that are associated with liver damage include discomfort on the upper right-
Causes
Be careful how you live your life. There are a variety of factors that cause an enlarged liver. These factors, if avoided will reduce the chance of any liver damage. For instance, long term drug and alcohol abuse, that can be avoided, are factors that cause damage. Poor diet like fatty foods, and viral infections are other factors that can be managed. You obviously cannot prevent all viral infections however; lessening the chances is the goal. Being exposed to harmful chemicals is another factor that causes an enlarged liver. Not all of this can be avoided. You might be prescribed a medication that can put you at risk, this is something you can’t avoid, just live as healthy as possible.
Treatment
Treatment will always depend on how much damage was done to the liver. There are hundreds of liver disease types. Some types can be treated with medications. Other severe cases of liver damage may require surgery or a transplant.
The money it costs can deter you from seeking treatment from the doctors but there are alternatives; treating the condition in a more natural way is one. For example, if you are dealing with fatty liver disease, major change in your diet is necessary. Fast food chains have become a part many families’ lives. A study showed 20% of American adults suffered some form of fatty liver disease. Treating the disease will depend
on your beliefs and budget.
Children
As mentioned earlier, there are over one hundred different liver diseases and some will affect children. Having an enlarged liver gives a clue that there is some medical condition. Infections in children that can cause the liver to be enlarged in hepatitis A, B, and C, Reye’s syndrome, heart diseases, obesity among others.
There are usually no symptoms but as the condition worsens, your child may experience abdominal pain. If the condition is more severe then your child may develop jaundice. Treatment varies because of the cause of the inflamed liver but can include medication and sometimes, a transplant.