12 Liver Diseases
12 00 Cirrhosis
12 01 Fatty liver
12 02 Hepatitis
12 03 Hepatitis A
12 04 Hepatitis B
12 05 Hepatitis C
12 06 Hepatitis E
12 10 Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. There are many kinds of liver diseases: diseases caused by viruses, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C; Diseases caused by drugs, poisons, or too much alcohol, such as fatty liver disease and cirrhosis; and diseases caused by inherited diseases and liver cancer.
Symptoms of liver disease can vary, but they often include swelling of the abdomen and legs, bruising easily, changes in the color of your stool and urine, and jaundice or yellowing of the skin and eyes. Sometimes, there are no symptoms.
Understanding the color treatment system is crucial as it can guide you in your treatment journey. Each disease or condition is assigned a unique code, which includes a treatment color. This system is designed to help you quickly identify the treatment options for your specific condition, empowering you to take control of your health.
Scroll down the site to find your disease or condition. Then, you look for the treatment color. The treatment colors are magenta (red-blue), blue, cyan (blue-green), green, yellow (red-green), and red. I give the treatment colors a number. Magenta = 0, blue = 1, cyan = 2, green = 3, yellow = 4, and red = 5. For instance, Cirrhosis would then be categorized as 12-00-4. Here, the last digit, the treatment color, is yellow. The first two digits are the disease/condition group (Liver Diseases are 12). The next two digits (Cirrhosis is 00) are the illness within the group, and the last digit (yellow is 4) is the treatment color. This system can help you quickly identify the treatment options for your specific condition.
When you use the projector, click on your treatment color, and a large image of it will appear. Make the color cover the whole page and project it onto yourself. When you use the LED light bulb, you choose your color manually.
Cirrhosis is a late stage of liver scarring (fibrosis) caused by various liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism.
Each time your liver is injured, whether by disease, excessive alcohol consumption, or another cause, it attempts to repair itself. During this process, scar tissue forms.
As cirrhosis progresses, additional scar tissue develops, making it difficult for the liver to function (decompensated cirrhosis).
Advanced cirrhosis is a life-threatening condition that can be fatal.
Fatty liver disease indicates that your liver contains excess fat. Your doctor might refer to it as Hepatic Steatosis. Heavy drinking increases your likelihood of developing it. Over time, excessive alcohol consumption leads to a buildup of fat within your liver cells, making it harder for your liver to function.
A fatty liver consists of fat in your liver; however, you may not experience any inflammation or damage to your liver cells. Therefore, it usually does not worsen or cause complications with your liver.
The liver, a vital organ located under the rib cage on the right side of the abdomen, performs some of the body’s most important physiological functions. Its role is crucial, from flushing out toxins and processing nutrients to filtering blood and fighting infections. Therefore, any significant damage to this organ can be life-threatening.
The liver can be affected by many factors, such as genetic issues, immunological disorders, cancer, and lifestyle disorders like poor eating habits, alcohol use, and viral infections.
Hepatitis is one of the most common conditions that damage the liver. Simply put, it leads to inflammation of the liver.
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is one of several hepatitis viruses that lead to inflammation and impact liver function. You are most likely to contract hepatitis A from contaminated food or water or close contact with an infected person or object.
However, the good news is that mild cases of hepatitis A usually don’t require treatment, and most people who become infected recover completely with no lasting liver damage. This preventability of hepatitis A can empower you to take control of your health by practicing good hygiene, including washing your hands frequently and avoiding contaminated food and water.
Hepatitis B is a severe liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). For some individuals, hepatitis B infection becomes chronic, lasting more than six months. Having chronic hepatitis B increases the risk of liver failure, liver cancer, or cirrhosis — a condition that permanently scars the liver.
Most adults with hepatitis B recover completely, even if their signs and symptoms are severe. However, infants and children are at a higher risk of developing a chronic (long-lasting) hepatitis B infection.
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that causes liver inflammation and can sometimes lead to severe liver damage. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads through contaminated blood.
Until recently, treatment for hepatitis C required weekly injections and oral medications that many people infected with HCV could not take due to other health issues or unacceptable side effects.
However, this is changing. Today, chronic HCV is typically curable with oral medications taken daily for two to six months.
Hepatitis E is a liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV). The virus has at least four types: genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Genotypes 1 and 2 have only been found in humans. However, genotypes 3 and 4 circulate in various animals, including pigs, wild boars, and deer, without causing disease and occasionally infecting humans.
The virus is shed in the stools of infected individuals and enters the human body through the intestine. It is primarily transmitted through contaminated drinking water. The infection is typically self-limiting and resolves within two to six weeks. However, in some cases, a severe disease known as fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure) can develop, which may be fatal.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an umbrella term for various liver conditions affecting individuals who consume little to no alcohol. As the name suggests, NAFLD’s primary characteristic is the excessive fat storage in liver cells.
NAFLD is becoming increasingly common worldwide, particularly in Western nations. In the United States, it represents the most prevalent form of chronic liver disease, impacting approximately one-quarter of the population.