As the air temperature starts to cool and your thoughts turn toward pumpkin spice, it is also critical to focus our attention on our health, including one of the most important and integral portions of the body - the liver. The liver is responsible for facilitating digestion, transforming food into energy, and filtering out toxic particles from our bodies to help us remain in good health. As a whole, the liver is a vital organ that is responsible for a number of tasks to help us enjoy a ... [Read More]
Liver Disease
How is Hepatitis A Transmitted?
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver that affects over a million people throughout the world each year. It causes the liver to swell and triggers symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, and nausea. Generally, the symptoms are mild and subside within a few weeks, but some cases can be serious. Fortunately, if you understand how hepatitis A is transmitted, you may reduce your chances of acquiring it or passing it along if you should happen to get it. Poor-Quality Drinking Water or Well ... [Read More]
What Causes Hepatitis B?
There are approximately 1.2 million people in the United States who have hepatitis B, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). This is a type of liver infection that is caused by the hepatitis B virus, or HBV. There are two main types of hepatitis B: acute and chronic. If you have acute hepatitis B, you should be able to recover from the disease within about six months; however, it can become chronic. ... [Read More]
Liver Diseases and Causes
The liver is the second-largest organ in the body behind the skin. It helps the body digest food, store energy, and filter out toxins. Liver disease can occur due to many possible sources – basically, any condition that can damage the liver can cause or contribute to liver disease. Hepatitis A, B, and C are common causes. Heavy drinking and drug use are common causes of fatty liver disease (a buildup of fat in the liver) and cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver. Genetics can predispose a person ... [Read More]
What is Cirrhosis?
Cirrhosis is the buildup of scars (or fibrosis) in the tissue of the liver. The areas that have formed scars are unable to perform liver functions, such as helping fight infections, cleaning the blood, producing proteins from the food we eat, and assisting digestion and production/storage of energy. In the United States, two of the most common causes of cirrhosis are chronic alcoholism and viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and hepatitis C). Apart from impacting the functions of the liver, ... [Read More]
