The Stages of Liver Disease
The liver can be affected by a variety of diseases, but the damage will progress in the same way. Before liver failure, it is important to understand what happens to your liver during each stage of the progression. Understanding the progression of liver disease can help you make better health choices.
The liver is an important organ in the body. It’s responsible for cleansing the blood, assisting food digestion and storing sugars as energy for later use. These are just a few of the main functions of the liver. About 500 other functions contribute to your health. Your entire body is affected when your liver does not function correctly.
The four stages of liver diseases are listed below.
Stage 1: (Inflammation)
Your liver’s primary function is to cleanse your blood from poisons that are found in food and products you use. A major indicator of liver damage is irritation. The liver can irritate when your body is reacting to substances that are unfamiliar, such as an excess of poisons. This can cause your liver to expand.
Numerous factors can cause aggravation. Your liver may become fragile and swell due to an excess of fat, poisons or viral diseases. There are several conditions that can cause liver swelling: non-alcoholic, alcoholic and immune system hepatitis.
You can tell if your liver has been damaged if you feel stomach pain in the area of your liver (the upper-right part of your midsection). You may feel heat in this area. In some cases, there is no irritation at all. For example, non-alcoholic greasy hepatitis.
Tell your primary physician if you notice any signs of aggravation. If you treat your liver damage at this early stage, it can be reversed.
