Liver enlargement: symptoms and treatment, causes, prevention

One of the most serious violations of the vital activity of the human body is hepatomegaly. Or, in simple terms, an increase in the liver. Symptoms and treatment of this phenomenon, as well as causes and prevention will be discussed in this article.

Types of hepatomegaly

To begin, perhaps, it is worth with a small, but very important refinement. Hepatomegaly itself is not a disease. That is, the enlargement of the liver, the symptoms and treatment of which are described below, is also a kind of symptom that can signal a variety of different diseases.

Hepatomegaly physicians refer to this state of the liver, when its anatomical dimensions are increased to some extent. If the lower edge of the organ protrudes by one centimeter, then it is appropriate to speak of a small degree of deviation, if two are moderate, and if three or more are severe.

As is known, the structure of the liver suggests dividing it into a left and right share. So, the pathology can affect either one or the second part. As a rule, it happens. Most often, an increase in the right lobe of the liver is diagnosed, although it does not have any special significance. Both types of localization may indicate completely identical diseases. However, sometimes it does happen that an increase in the left lobe of the liver signals problems with the pancreas, which almost immediately adjoins this organ on the left. If the gland is very inflamed and pancreatitis takes a particularly severe form, the liver may not be able to cope with the elimination of toxins. They accumulate in it, provoking an increase.

There is one more variety of the phenomenon under consideration. But on it it is necessary to stop separately.

Diffuse enlargement of the liver - what is it?

This pathology is characterized by death of glandular hepatic tissue and proliferation of fibrous tissue. A clear localization is not a phenomenon. Lobes of the liver, consisting of hepatocytes, are deformed in different places and change in size. As a result, veins are squashed, the body becomes inflamed and swollen.

Such deviations are very dangerous. The liver gradually ceases to cope with its functions, and the body is impregnated with toxins, which can lead to its death. And the saddest thing is that the process is irreversible. It really only slows down, and even then - with great difficulty.

More often, pathology becomes a consequence of alcoholic hepatitis, serious disorders of metabolic processes, as well as fatty degeneration.

But, of course, not only the listed reasons lead to an increase in the most important organ.

Causes of enlarged liver

Liver shares (or one of them) Can grow due to other abnormalities and diseases, which can be divided into three groups.

The first of these include various hepatic ailments, such as: hepatitis of all kinds (including alcohol), echinococcosis, tuberculosis of the liver, cysts and tumors, pathologies of venous vessels, autoimmune lesion of liver cells, etc.

The second group of causes includes disturbances in the body's metabolic processes (so-called accumulation diseases). Among them, for example, fatty hepatosis (in people with excess weight), amyloidosis, hemochromatosis.

And in the third group - cardiovascular diseases: ciliary arrhythmia (permanent form), heart failure, hypertonic heart, various etymologies of heart defects, cardiosclerosis, resulting from heart attacks, atherosclerosis, angina and others. The interrelation of cardiovascular diseases and liver problems at first glance may seem strange. But in fact, everything is logical: the circulation is disturbed and leads to venous congestion in the liver. As a result, the body swells and changes its size in a larger direction.

About symptoms

If there is such a nuisance as a liver enlargement, the symptoms and treatment should be considered in the most serious foreshortening, since often the deviation really threatens life.

In those cases where the prescribed dimensions are exceeded slightly (by 1-2 cm), this violation can not manifest itself in any way. And this aggravates the situation, since at a more advanced stage the assistance is much more difficult.

Therefore, you need to be as attentive to yourself as possible, and with the slightest ailments, contact the doctor. A signal for an enlarged liver can quickly fatigue and general weakness, heaviness in the stomach after eating, nausea, sudden weight loss, heartburn, chronic bad breath, swelling, rash, various bleeding (including uterine), diarrhea and constipation. On the hepatitis shows yellowed skin, and about cirrhosis - an increase in the abdomen and pain in it, drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night, hair loss, bleeding gums, memory impairment.

Liver Enlargement in Children

With the increase in the liver, unfortunately, not only adults, but also children. Among the most common causes of such a sad phenomenon - tuberculosis, syphilis, congenital hepatitis, congenital aplastic anemia, abnormal states of the bile ducts, an increase in the blood of immunoglobulins, etc. The last of the listed pathologies is also congenital and is characterized by a delay in the development of the baby. A child with an enlarged liver does not eat well, his skin is pale.

In a modern, fast-paced "weight-gaining" world, children are often overtaken by fatty hepatosis, which is a consequence of excess kilograms. It causes the increase in liver size in young patients of the hepatologist in about half of all cases.

How to diagnose an increase?

To diagnose an enlarged liver, an experienced doctor can even use the usual method of palpation. But only in those cases, if the size exceeds 3-6 cm. By the way, the structure of the liver suggests that the right share is larger than the left one - in an adult they are 12.5 and 7 cm, respectively. If the increase is small, then you can see it only on ultrasound.

This method will not only identify the deviation, but also help to understand the reasons. So, for example, an increase in lymph nodes of the liver, detected During the study, may indicate cirrhosis, lymphogranulomatosis, HIV infection, malignant neoplasms, etc.

In addition to ultrasound, during the examination, doctors often prescribe special blood and urine tests, X-rays, MRI or CT, as well as a biopsy for suspected oncology.

About methods of treatment

As noted above, the enlargement of the liver, the symptoms and treatment of which are discussed in this article, is not a disease in itself. Therefore, in case of detection, it is important to identify the source and fight it.

Of drugs for liver disease often prescribed drugs such as Gepabene, Essentiale, Essliver, Artichol, Interferon and many others (it all depends on the specific disease).

Traditional medicine offers to help yourself broths of corn stigmas, yarrow, dandelion, calendula, immortelle.

In particularly difficult cases (with oncology, cysts, etc.), the optimal treatment option is surgical intervention. In the fight against cancer today, it is also often used embolization of blood vessels, which stops the "supply" of blood to the affected area, and the tumor "dies of hunger". In some cases, liver transplantation may be required.

Naturally, complex therapy involves a proper diet and a rejection of bad habits, in particular, from alcohol. Fat, fried, hot, smoked, and also legumes, sorrel, radish, radish, etc. Should be taboo for a person suffering from liver disease.

Prevention

Unfortunately, preventing liver enlargement is really far from all cases. Of course, if it is a question of cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis or fatty hepatosis, then everything is simple - you need to try to keep the weight in the norm and do not abuse alcohol. But nobody is immune from virus diseases.

Although in any case, a healthy lifestyle, personal hygiene and attentiveness to your body reduces the chances of earning a serious ailment at times. And it concerns not only the liver.