Myths on Liver trouble
Source: http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/c/3524145
The common perception about people with liver trouble is that they're either supremely unhealthy or alcoholic. But when someone like Mandolin Srinivas, who does not fall into either category, falls prey to hepatic diseases like cirrhosis, it can be quite an eye-opener. According to Dr. Mohamed Rela, one of the country's foremost experts on Liver Transplantation and surgeon at Global Health City, alcoholism and obesity aren't the largest causes of cirrhosis in India.
"Fatty liver disease causes more cirrhosis than alcohol. The percentage of alcoholics developing cirrhosis is barely 10-15 per cent," he explains. Rela says that there are 15-odd metabolic conditions that can cause cirrhosis, most of which are genetic. "They can affect even children, so it's not surprising to see it present in non-alcoholic adults."
Cirrhosis by itself is bad enough. But when it combines with inoperable tumours or leads to fulminant liver failure, the reasons can be difficult to determine. "There are innumerable reasons why a guy who looks normal can suddenly develop liver failure. Very often, the cause for the condition is very difficult to figure out," says Dr. J.S. Rajkumar, Gastro-enterologist at Lifeline Rigid Hospitals.
The devil is in the details. But with liver disease, the time at which it manifests itself can often be too late. "Finding out if someone has liver trouble is near impossible until liver function is so bad that it starts shutting down. The cells have such regenerative capacity that even when it has only 50 per cent capacity, it can function quite normally and remain undetected," add Rela, explaining the reason for why so many liver patients enter hospital with end-stage liver failure.
Prevention is therefore, not an easy option. But getting an MRI scan of your liver during our annual health check will go a long way in helping.
Read more details:
http://www.liverfoundation.org/abouttheliver/info/cirrhosis/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cirrhosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.medicinenet.com/cirrhosis/article.htm
The common perception about people with liver trouble is that they're either supremely unhealthy or alcoholic. But when someone like Mandolin Srinivas, who does not fall into either category, falls prey to hepatic diseases like cirrhosis, it can be quite an eye-opener. According to Dr. Mohamed Rela, one of the country's foremost experts on Liver Transplantation and surgeon at Global Health City, alcoholism and obesity aren't the largest causes of cirrhosis in India.
"Fatty liver disease causes more cirrhosis than alcohol. The percentage of alcoholics developing cirrhosis is barely 10-15 per cent," he explains. Rela says that there are 15-odd metabolic conditions that can cause cirrhosis, most of which are genetic. "They can affect even children, so it's not surprising to see it present in non-alcoholic adults."
Cirrhosis by itself is bad enough. But when it combines with inoperable tumours or leads to fulminant liver failure, the reasons can be difficult to determine. "There are innumerable reasons why a guy who looks normal can suddenly develop liver failure. Very often, the cause for the condition is very difficult to figure out," says Dr. J.S. Rajkumar, Gastro-enterologist at Lifeline Rigid Hospitals.
The devil is in the details. But with liver disease, the time at which it manifests itself can often be too late. "Finding out if someone has liver trouble is near impossible until liver function is so bad that it starts shutting down. The cells have such regenerative capacity that even when it has only 50 per cent capacity, it can function quite normally and remain undetected," add Rela, explaining the reason for why so many liver patients enter hospital with end-stage liver failure.
Prevention is therefore, not an easy option. But getting an MRI scan of your liver during our annual health check will go a long way in helping.
Read more details:
http://www.liverfoundation.org/abouttheliver/info/cirrhosis/
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cirrhosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.medicinenet.com/cirrhosis/article.htm
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