Liver is a vital organ, situated under the rib cage, just under the diaphragm, on the right side of the abdomen. Liver plays an important role in digestion, excretion, metabolism and detoxification. Liver helps purify the blood by removing toxins from the blood. Liver dysfunction therefore can result in buildup of toxins and waste material in the body, resulting in various health complications. Actually, damaged or dying liver cells cannot cause pain as they do not have nerve endings in them. Thus, liver cannot cause pain. In layman's language, the term 'liver pain' is commonly used for upper right quadrant pain. So, liver pain treatment refers to the treatment for reducing upper right quadrant abdominal pain. Before learning about the liver pain treatment, let us take a look at what causes liver pain first, and then at the symptoms.
Liver Pain Causes
* Liver cirrhosis
* Fatty liver disease
* Liver cancer
* Hepatitis
* Other acute or chronic liver diseases
* Alcohol abuse
* Autoimmune disease
* Acetaminophen (Tylenol) overuse
* Certain other diseases like type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, tuberculosis, etc.
* Scroll through for more information on liver pain causes
Liver Pain Symptoms
Liver disorders usually do not exhibit any liver pain symptoms in earlier stages. Body efficiently manages loss of liver function to a certain extent. Liver cirrhosis or liver cancer are therefore known as 'silent killers'. Some of the commonly noticed symptoms of liver impairment are:
* Jaundice, skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow
* Stomach problems like constipation and diarrhea
* Abdominal pain, swelling, bloating
* Itchy skin
* Nausea and vomiting
* Weight loss
Liver Pain Treatment
Considering the signs and symptoms of liver pain, doctors will find out the exact underlying cause of liver pain with the help of various tests, such as CT scan, ultrasound, biopsy etc. Along with prescribed medicines, patients need to make some lifestyle changes. Dietary changes are an important part of treatment for liver pain. These changes help alleviate liver pain and help delay the progression of the disease. Here is a list of dietary changes:
* Drink plenty of water (at least 8 glasses of water) which helps get rid of the accumulated toxins.
* Many of the herbal medicines help detoxify the body. So use of herbal detoxifying agents can help alleviate liver pain.
* Use of flaxseed oil can help liver work properly, because it is packed with essential fatty acids needed for liver functioning.
* A high fiber diet consisting of lots of fruits and vegetables helps flush away toxins. You may keep a high fiber foods list handy.
* Certain drugs or medications may worsen the situation. So before taking any drugs or medicines, you should consult your physician.
* Liver cirrhosis may result in high blood glucose levels. Vitamin B1 helps lower the blood sugar levels.
* Supplying more vitamin A is necessary in case of liver disorders. Taking whole food supplements, increasing the intake of vitamin K is quite beneficial.
* Avoiding alcohol is a must. Animal foods and animal proteins including dairy and meat should be avoided. A high fat diet, high protein diet can worsen the situation. A high fiber low calorie diet should be followed.
* If the liver has almost stopped functioning, liver transplant surgery is the option available.
Since chronic liver disease often goes unnoticed or the symptoms of chronic liver disease are often misinterpreted, it is necessary to know about liver disorder causes and symptoms. Diagnosis of the disease in early stage can help avoid complications. Serious liver diseases diagnosed in the last stage are difficult to treat. More liver pain treatment options are available for diseases diagnosed in the earlier stages. So people need to watch for such symptoms carefully, and if they notice any symptoms of liver disorder, they should consult the physician immediately.
By Leena Palande
