Inflammation of the liver is a disorder that is also called hepatitis.
There are a number of different forms of liver inflammation. Liver inflammation caused by a virus, therefore called a viral infection, is the kind that happens most often. Viral infections may be acute, or they may be chronic. Viral forms of hepatitis are commonly known by alphabetical names like hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, etc. These names are often abbreviated HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV HFV and HGV.
Hepatitis B and C can be exceptionally hazardous, possibly resulting in serious, even critical diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Alcohol is another cause of liver swelling. Overuse of alcohol over a period of years will eventually result in inflammation, which could lead to cirrhosis. Alcoholic hepatitis is three times as common as hepatitis C.
Liver inflammation can also be caused by a variety of chemicals and drugs. there are a number of chemicals and drugs that can lead to an inflamed liver too. This even includes legal drugs, like pain medications, which can be overused or improperly used. the amount of inflammation caused by drugs and chemicals depends on what was used, how long it was used, and how much was used. the general state of health of the user is also important. that said, it should be noted that recreational and illegal drugs can be extremely dangerous, even when used in small amounts for a relatively short time.
There are also a number of diseases and disorders that result in liver inflammation. Some of these are related to liver function, but others are not. two of the most common disorders are hemachromatosis (an excess accumulation of iron) and Wilson’s disease (characterized by an accumulation of copper). An inflamed liver can also result from autoimmune disorders, yellow fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Symptoms of an inflamed liver vary depending on the cause. But generally speaking, four symptoms are predictable.
Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. many people call this disorder “yellow jaundice” for this reason, although use of the word yellow is redundant.
Lowered appetite is another telltale sign of inflammation of the liver. This also causes someone with inflammation of the liver to lose weight because they don’t eat enough. this sign is particularly noticeable with forms of acute hepatitis. there are also likely to be episodes of nausea and vomiting sometime after this.
Deep chronic fatigue is another one of the symptoms of inflammation of the liver. When you think about it, this makes sense because your liver contributes to your metabolism. If your liver is compromised by inflammation, your energy levels are bound to drop. It’s also very common to feel waek and listless.
Tenderness and soreness in the joints and muscles are also characteristic of inflammation of the liver. It could go on for several weeks.
Hepatitis can cause pain in a variety of ways. In addition to muscle and joint pain, mentioned above, there could pain in liver area, and soreness or tenderness in the right shoulder. the level of this pain varies with the cause and how far the inflammation has advanced.
Happily, there is no treatment necessary for acute viral hepatitis, because it usually heals itself with time. Certain medications and antivirals may be useful for hepatitis B and C. These include and ribavirin and interferon. Corticisteroids are often prescribed for patients with forms of autoimmune hepatitis.
Anyone who has inflammation of the liver should not drink alcohol and should also avoid taking any drugs, medications or pain relievers without consulting a doctor.
For more information on this and related topics, click on signs of liver inflammation and what are the causes of liver pain.
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