Liver Damage

Liver damage basics

The liver is concerned with diverse functions like synthesis of various proteins, metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, detoxification of metabolic wastes and immune function. Liver damage due to any reason can compromise these liver functions leading to various diseases and its manifestations.

Liver damage can be caused by viruses, drugs, systemic diseases and malignancies. The liver is a unique organ in the way that it has regenerating capacity. If a part of the liver is damaged due to any of the above said cause or if part of the liver is removed surgically due to any reason, it is regenerated to some extent.

Liver damage can be either due to direct damage to the liver cells or due to a secondary damage resulting from obstruction of the bile flow. Rarely it can be due to obstruction to the blood flow either in the portal vein or in the hepatic vein.

Liver damage symptoms

• Jaundice: the skin and eyes begin to look yellow. This occurs when the liver fails to remove a substance called bilirubin from the blood.
• Nail changes: The nails may become more curvedand may begin to look white instead of pink.
• Skin changes: about 25 percent of those with liver damage experience a darkening of the skin.
• Fluid retention: An important liver function is ridding the body of excess fluid through the kidneys. When liver failure is underway, fails, fluid gathers in the legs or in the abdomen.
• Reddening of the face and blood vessels. A common liver failure symptom is spider naevus, which is a spot surrounded by fine blood vessels.
• Easy bruising and nosebleeds will occur when the liver is not making enough clotting proteins.

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Results of liver damage

When the liver is damaged, the liver enzymes escape in to the blood and their blood levels are elevated. The SGOT, SGPT, SAP, 5- Nucleotidase and GGT are some of the important liver enzymes which are elevated and which arte useful in diagnosing liver damage. The SGOT and SGPT are elevated in the liver cell damage and the other three enzymes are elevated in bile flow obstruction.

Bilirubin, which is metabolic product of hemoglobin, is elevated in liver damage. If the damage is mainly to liver cells the indirect component of bilirubin is increased. If the liver damage is mainly due to bile flow obstruction then the direct component of bilirubin is increased. If both forms of liver damages are present then both the components of bilirubin are increased.

Early liver damage is reversible. If the liver damage becomes irreversible as in the case of cirrhosis or liver cancer the only definitive treatment available is liver transplantation. 

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