how and when does the liver enlarge? how to know about it?
Question:
Answers:
Liver enlargement is also known as Hepatosplenomegaly.
What is it?
Hepatomegaly is the enlargement of the liver beyond its normal size. Hepatosplenomegaly is enlargement of both the liver and the spleen
How does the liver enlarge?
The body's immune response against the infected liver cells (hepatocytes) damages the cells, causing liver inflammation. As a result, liver enzymes (transaminases) leak out of the liver into the blood, causing transaminase blood levels to be elevated.
How do you come to know about it?
The lower edge of the liver normally comes just to the lower edge of the ribs (costal margin) on the right side. In its normal state, the edge of the liver is thin and firm, and it cannot be palpated (felt with the finger tips) below the edge of the costal margin.
If the liver becomes enlarged enough that it can be palpated below the costal margin, the patient may have hepatomegaly. The diagnosis must be confirmed by an imaging study of the liver.
The liver is involved in many bodily functions, and is affected by a variety of conditions, many of which result in hepatomegaly. General causes include infection (viral, bacterial, or parasitic), malignancy (cancer or tumors), anemias, storage diseases, heart failure, congenital heart disease, toxins, and metabolic disturbances.
Common Causes
Alcohol
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Congestive heart failure
Infectious mononucleosis
Leukemia
Tumor metastases
Neuroblastoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Niemann-Pick disease
Hereditary fructose intolerance
Glycogen storage disease
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Sarcoidosis
Sclerosing cholangitis
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS)
Reye's syndrome
Other Answers:
Excessive alcohol intake over a long period of time can cause your liver to enlarge. If you take an overdose of certain medicines you can cause harm to your liver. You will often notice a yellowish tint to your eyes (the whites of the eyes) or skin. Your urine will get very dark. Your belly may even start to get very bloated in the right side. If you are in doubt, call your doctor.
The liver (just below your ribcage on the right side) should not enlarge. If it does, you may have hepatitis. Unless you're trained to inspect livers (med school) it isn't likely you can check yourself. If it's really swolen so you can tell - go see a doctor - NOW.
There are only 7 isolated varieties of hepatitis (A through G), and only 2 or 3 you probably have to worry about, but they all effect the liver. Notice dark urine? . yellow eyes or skin? . you should see a doctor and get the blood work done - you can't really treat it yourself. Been playing with needle drug (you fool) - go see a doctor and stop that stupid stuff - that's how I got Hep C - screwed up my life because I was stupid for a few years in the way back. Now I'm tired all the time . etc.
There are vaccines for a couple of the Hep types, and there are cases where you just get sick for a while then recover. There's no way to tell which kind you have, and they can ALL be life-threatening, which makes them increasingly dangerous the longer you wait. There are cures in some cases - and the docs love to do liver biopsies - but get two opinions about them before your submit to any of that. The cures can do harm sometimes, but I think they've figured out who can actually be helped anymore.
If the swelling is on the left side below the ribcage, then you're talking spleen or gall bladder. If you have any real evidence or reason to suspect you might be sick - for crying out loud, go see a doctor! Not smart to wait.
Have a liver ultrasound or an abdominal scan is the only way to tell for sure many people have moderate liver enlargement with no symptoms at all
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