Overview
Liver is one of the major organs present in the body. It is located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity. Liver is shaped like a reddish-brown cone and weighs about 1400 gram. It is well known for performing major activities as an in-charge in digestion, maintaining chemical levels, releasing bile, metabolizing fats, carbohydrates and proteins, storage of vitamins and minerals. But, sometimes the liver suffers from some serious issues (Liver Cirrhosis, Liver failure, fatty liver, etc.) and becomes incapable of doing its work finely. Insufficient care of the liver also results in liver failure which is a life threatening condition. So, here are some natural and herbal tips, by using them liver failure can be effectively avoided and treated. In this article, we will explore liver failure and the natural remedies to prevent it.
Introduction
Liver failure is a condition that occurs when the liver gets damaged and loses its ability to perform its normal functions. There are numerous diseases that result in liver failure. It can occur suddenly (acute) or slowly (chronic), thus, basically classified into two types according to its chronicity:
Types of Liver Failure
- Acute Liver Failure: Acute liver failure is a condition which stops the liver functioning within a short period of time, a few days or weeks. It happens suddenly and without giving any early signs and symptoms. Most of the people affected by this acute liver failure have no kind of liver disorder before it.
- Chronic Liver Failure: Gradual damage of the liver occurs in this condition taking a long time interval of months or even years before showing symptoms. This condition arises as the end stage of a series of events that begins with inflammation of the liver followed by fatty liver, then fibrosis of liver leading to liver cirrhosis and ultimately results in chronic liver failure. It is more common in people consuming alcohol for a long duration.
Symptoms of Liver Failure
It is quite difficult to diagnose liver failure at its early stage. Symptoms of liver failure at initial stage are same as other liver disorders such as:
- Loss of appetite.
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Ascites
- Vomiting
- Edema
- Drowsiness
- Itching over body
But as condition of liver becomes serious with time, it shows symptoms such as:
- Swelling in abdomen
- Jaundice
- Dizziness
- Mental confusion (hepatic encephalopathy)
- Weight loss
- Anemia
- Hepatic carcinoma
- Kidney failure
- Decreased mental function
- Lack of concentration
- Splenomegaly
Causes of Liver Failure
Causes of Liver Failure are based upon its types as described below:
Causes of Acute Liver Failure
- Several viral infections
Viruses may damage the liver and interfere with its proper functioning. Such types of viruses include herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis A, B and E virus.
- Overdose of Acetaminophen
Consuming large doses of acetaminophen can damage the normal condition of the liver and lead to its failure.
- Wild mushrooms
Eating wild mushrooms cause poisoning in the body and spoils the liver. Amanita phalloides is the example of wild mushroom, also known as death cap. This mushroom contains harmful toxins which can spoil liver cells within a few days.
- Several modern medications
Sometimes medicines make the liver condition poor due to their side effects. They kill hepatocytes (liver cells) and may also damage the duct system that makes the bile to move through it.
- Autoimmune hepatitis
Some autoimmune disorders begin to attack liver cells, resulting in acute liver failure. Viral hepatitis is an example of such autoimmune disease.
- Septic shock
In this condition, immense infection occurs in the body and stops the working of the liver, causing damage to it.
- Acute fatty liver
It is a rare condition in which a huge amount of fat accumulates in the liver and spoils it.
- Wilson’s disease
It is a genetic disease which avoids excretion of copper from the body, and results in copper accumulation / build up in the liver and damages it.
- Industrial toxins
Industrial toxins including chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride, a degreaser and cleaner may result in liver dysfunctioning.
- Budd Chiari syndrome
Blood vessels present in the liver become narrow and blocked in this condition. Improper circulation of blood makes the liver condition unhealthy.
Causes of Chronic Liver Failure
- Hepatitis B: Hepatitis B virus is one of the major causes degrading the normal functioning of the liver and makes the liver swallowed.
- Hepatitis C: Liver cirrhosis is the result of long term presence of hepatitis C in the body.
- Hemochromatosis: Excess amounts of iron is absorbed and stored in this inherited disorder. The Immense amount of iron accumulation in the liver causes liver cirrhosis.
- Alcohol: Consumption of alcohol from a long duration directly downgrades the health of the liver and makes it fail in normal functioning.
Some other causes of liver failure are:
- Cirrhosis
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Liver adenoma
- Oxalosis
- Liver cancer
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency in blood
- Fatty liver disease
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Alagille syndrome
- Galactosemia
- Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
- Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D)
Natural Ways to Prevent Liver Failure
Natural methods are very much effective in preventing the occurrence of liver failure. One can make his liver healthy by following the given tips regarding lifestyle changes, diet and use of natural herbs.
Lifestyle
Liver patients are increasing with an increase in bad lifestyle habits. Eating unhealthy, being lazy in bed, lack of physical activity, addiction to drugs are some examples of poor and unhygienic lifestyles. It is necessary to improve our lifestyle to ensure security against liver failure as well as many other diseases. One can improve his lifestyle by adopting given tips:
1. Eat Healthy
Your liver will admire you if you eat healthy and prevent heavy foods which are difficult to digest. Healthy foods help you in keeping weight under control which mainly prevent NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), an unfavorable condition leading towards cirrhosis and liver failure.
2. Regular Exercise
Make a routine of doing exercise daily for at least 40 minutes. This helps you in removing toxins from the body and regulates good health by preventing diseases. You can do swimming, cycling, jogging, yoga, aerobics, weight training, etc. Exercise helps with your body weight also.
3. Prevent Exposure to Toxins
Several aerosol products, cleaning products, insecticides and chemicals consisting of toxins harm your liver. So, avoid direct exposure to toxins and inhaling them. Make sure to wear masks always while using them or working in industry.
4. Avoid Consumption of Alcohol
Taking an excess amount of alcohol invites the diseases of liver and other body organs as well. Alcohol may give damage to cells of liver and cause swelling or scarring which results in liver cirrhosis. It is necessary to prevent alcohol completely or to limit its consumption slowly, so that it can be stopped easily.
Diet
Diet contributes a lot in deciding the liver’s health. If you eat badly, your liver becomes weak, but if you eat healthy and good foods, they make your liver strong and in excellent condition. We provide you with a list of some healthy foods which are good for the liver and a list of some foods which makes liver condition unhealthy.
Healthy Foods for Liver are:
1. Apple
2. Avocado
3. Berries
4. Bananas
5. Broccoli
6. Barley
7. Brown rice
8. Carrots
9. Coffee
10. Fig
11. Garlic
12. Green tea
13. Grapes
14. Grapefruit
15. Oatmeal
16. Prickly pear
17. Papaya
18. Watermelon
19. Walnut
20. Fatty fish
Unhealthy foods for health which should be avoided are:
- Starchy foods (Pasta, Bread, Baked goods or cake)
- Fatty foods (Fried food, packed snacks, chips or junk food)
- Salt (salted deli meats and bacon)
- Sugar
- Canned vegetable or meat
- Alcohol
Natural Herbs
According to Ayurveda, usage of natural herbs is a master tip to prevent liver failure. They are effective in maintaining liver health in a natural way without showing any side effect. Such natural herbs include:
- Bhumi Amla (Phyllanthus niruri)
- Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa)
- Bhringraj (Eclipta alba)
- Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa)
- Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata)
- Kaasni (Cichorium intybus)
- Makoy (Solanum indicum)
- Jhavuka (Tamarix gallica)
- Haritaki (Terminalia chebula)
- Himsra (Capparis spinosa)
- Sharpunkha (Tephrosia purpurea)
All these herbs are expert in maintaining good health of the liver and preventing all kinds of hepatitis, cirrhosis, jaundice, cirrhosis and many other conditions which can finally cause liver failure. These herbs detoxify the liver and improve metabolism of the liver.
Conclusion
As we are known to liver failure, its origin and its consequences as well through the information above, it becomes important to take proper treatment of liver disorder at proper time, in case of any related symptoms. Otherwise, it may result in death also. Also, if anyone is indulged in any activities that are a part of its origin, then we should stop doing it now. You can maintain the healthy liver by adopting these natural tips in your routine. Natural sources and Ayurvedic herbs have the ability to support the health of your liver. Thus, try the provided recommendations and live a happy life ahead with a healthy liver. You can reach us for more details about any of your health concerns.
Dr. Vikram Chauhan (MD – Ayurveda) is the CEO and Founder of Planet Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd. He is Author of the Book “Ayurveda – God’s Manual For Healing”. He is an Ayurveda Expert Serving People worldwide through all the Possible Mediums, Operating from Main Branch in Mohali, India. With his Vast Experience in Herbs and their Applied Uses, he is successfully treating Numerous Patients suffering from Various Ailments. He is Serving the Society with Purest Herbal Supplements for One and only Purpose of Making People know and utilize the Wonderful Benefits of the Ayurvedic Diet, Lifestyle, and Natural Herbs. He Formulates Herbal Supplements himself and also Use Classical Ayurvedic Formulations for Helping People Get Rid of All Types of Health Issues, Restore their Health, Uses and Save themselves from the Worst Side-effects of Chemical Based Treatments. For More Details, visit www.PlanetAyurveda.com.
