Hepatomegaly of the liver - causes, symptoms, treatment.

Hepatomegaly of the liver is a pathological enlargement of the liver. With hepatomegaly, the liver is easily palpable under the ribs of the patient, whereas a healthy organ is palpated rather difficult. In addition, when palpating, the patient experiences pain, which also speaks of liver disease. Hepatomegaly of the liver is not a disease in itself, it is rather a syndrome showing that the liver is in dire need of treatment.

The liver detoxifies all poisons and toxins that enter the body, which pass through this organ, leave the body already neutralized along with urine and feces. Poisons and toxins are one of the most common causes of a disease such as hepatomegaly.

Hepatomegaly of the liver in children

Hepatomegaly of the liver in children can be associated with some types of autoimmune processes, a violation of diet or a post-infection state. In addition, one should pay special attention to the functioning of the cardiovascular system of the child.

Diseases that can cause hepatomegaly

• Inflammatory processes in the liver

Most often inflammatory processes in the liver are caused by hepatitis, due to the damage by various factors, for example, due to viruses or toxins. Because of inflammation, there is a swelling of the liver and, as a consequence, an increase in its size. With this disease, part of the hepatocytes dies with time, which occurs gradually, but there are also situations in which the liver after chronic hepatitis decreases sharply in size, this indicates the rapid loss of the body of its functions.

• Cirrhosis of the liver

Cirrhosis of the liver can occur both against the background of viral hepatitis, and against the background of prolonged intoxication of the body, such as occurs with chronic alcoholism. Hepatocytes due to cirrhosis actively die and begin to be replaced by a connective tissue. The remaining hepatocytes try to restore their function, as a result of which a pathological growth occurs, which is called hepatomegaly of the liver.

• Metabolic disorders

One of the main metabolic disorders that can cause hepatomegaly is a disruption of the formation of glycogen, that is, glycogenase, in which glycogen accumulates inside the organ, and, as a consequence, its increase in size. One of the characteristic signs of this disease is an increase in the size of the spleen and kidneys.

• Diseases of the cardiovascular system

In case of ventricular insufficiency, the blood moves rather slowly along the vessels, causing a stagnation of blood in the veins, tissues and organs. In chronic heart failure, the liver suffers first, causing swelling in the body and increasing it in size. After the liver is enlarged, the hepatocytes begin to gradually die out. This is called a necrosis of the liver, which eventually develops into cirrhosis.

• Oncological diseases

With cancer, growing neoplasms inside the liver almost always cause such a disease as liver hepatomegaly.

Hepatomegaly of the liver - treatment

Treatment of hepatomegaly, in the first place, involves the treatment of the disease that led to the onset of this syndrome. In addition, in order to help with the basic treatment it will be a good decision to follow a special diet that would limit the liver from unnecessary loads and contribute to its recovery.

To comply with the diet should be excluded from the diet all fried, spicy, flour, but at the same time provide the body with enough nutrients, through which he will draw strength for his recovery. In addition, the use of hepatoprotectors, the assortment of which is currently on the market in excess, will not be superfluous.