Liver pain is a pain located in the upper right region of the abdomen and can be a symptom of diseases such as infections, obesity, cholesterol or cancer or can occur from exposure to toxic substances such as alcohol, detergents or even medications.
Treatment depends on the disease that causes it and associated symptoms, but can also be prevented by vaccination, proper diet, physical exercise or avoiding risky behaviors such as sharing needles or unprotected sex.
- The liver can become infected with viruses.
- Bacteria.
- Fungi or parasites.
- Causing inflammation and alterations in its functioning.
- The most common types of liver infection are hepatitis A.
- B and C.
- Transmitted by viruses.
- Which in addition to causing liver pain.
- Can cause symptoms such as loss of appetite.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Fatigue.
- Muscle and joint pains.
- Headache.
- Sensitivity to light.
- Light stools.
- Dark urine.
- Skin and yellow eyes.
Hepatitis A can be transmitted through contact with contaminated food or water, and hepatitis B and C are usually transmitted through contact with contaminated blood or secretions and may be asymptomatic, but treatment is still needed to prevent liver damage.
How to treat it: Treatment of hepatitis involves the use of medicines such as interferon, lamivudine or adelovin for approximately 6 to 11 months, depending on the type of hepatitis and response to treatment, and an easy-to-digest diet should also be consumed.gelatin, fish or rice, for example, see foods easier to digest.
Hepatitis is curable most of the time, but when treatment is not done properly, it increases the risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer.The disease can also be prevented with hepatitis A and B vaccines, using condoms during sex, avoiding needle sharing and adopting good hygiene measures.Learn more about preventing hepatitis virus transmission.
In people with autoimmune diseases, their immune system attacks the body itself and can also affect the liver.Examples of these diseases are autoimmune hepatitis, primitive biliary cirrhosis, and primitive cholangitis sclerosis.
Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare disease, in which the body attacks cells in the liver itself, causing inflammation and symptoms such as abdominal pain, yellowing or nausea, while primary biliary cirrhosis involves the progressive destruction of bile.ducts in the liver, and sclerosing cholangitis causes narrowing causing fatigue and itching, including cirrhosis and liver failure.
How to treat: Autoimmune hepatitis is curable if a liver transplant is performed, in the most severe cases; However, the disease can be controlled by the use of corticosteroids, such as prednisone, or immunosuppressants, such as azathioprine.Eat a balanced diet, avoid alcohol and high-fat foods.Find out which foods are right for autoimmune hepatitis.
In primary biliary cirrhosis and sclerosynthetic cholangitis, the treatment of choice is ursodoxycholic acid, and if it is started as soon as the first symptoms appear, it can slow the progression of the disease, preventing the onset of cirrhosis.The treatment that cures the disease is liver transplantation.
Pain in the liver region can also be caused by genetic diseases that cause a buildup of toxic substances in the liver, such as hereditary hemochromatosis, which causes an excessive buildup of iron in the body, oalurium, resulting in an increase in oxalic acid in the liver.or Wilson’s disease, where there is a build-up of copper.
How to treat: Hemochromatosis can be treated by avoiding foods that contain large amounts of iron, such as red meats, spinach or green beans, for example.Discover more iron-containing foods.
In the case of oxauria, oxalate consumption in spinach and nuts should be reduced, for example, and in the most severe cases dialysis or liver and kidney transplantation may be necessary.foods, such as mussels, or when taking substances that bind to copper, helping to remove it in urine such as penicillin or zinc acetate, for example.Learn more about Wilson’s disease.
Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, which cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite, for example, and if left untreated, can cause severe liver damage.
How to treat: Treatment involves stopping alcohol and using medications such as ursodoxycholic acid or phosphatidylcholine, which reduce inflammation in the liver and relieve symptoms.In more severe cases, a liver transplant may be necessary.
Medical hepatitis is caused by exposure to toxic substances, overuse of medications or even allergic reactions to them, which can damage liver cells.
How to treat: Treatment consists of immediate discontinuation of the drug or toxic substance that causes the problem and, in more severe cases, the use of corticosteroids may be necessary until the liver functions normally.
Liver cancer can affect hepatocytes, bile ducts and blood vessels and is generally very aggressive, which can lead to abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite and yellow eyes, for example.See more symptoms of liver cancer.
How to treat: Surgery is usually required to remove the affected liver area, and chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be required before performing it to reduce the size of the cancer.
Fat accumulation in the liver is common in people with obesity, high cholesterol or diabetes, and can be asymptomatic or cause symptoms such as pain in the right side of the abdomen, swelling of the abdomen, nausea and vomiting.
How to treat: Treatment of fats in the liver consists of regular physical activity and an adequate diet based on white meats and vegetables. If your blood cholesterol levels change, your doctor may prescribe the use of control medications. Watch the video below and discover the tips of our nutritionist, the recommended diet for foie gras:
See the symptoms below and find out if you may have a liver problem or what other conditions may be related:
An excellent home remedy to alleviate and treat liver problems is thistle tea, which contains silymarin in its composition, very effective in bile disorders, hepatitis, fatty liver disease, toxic liver disease or even liver cirrhosis.
Ingredients
Preparation mode
Pour a glass of boiling water over the crushed thistle and let stand for about 10 minutes.The recommended dose is 3 to 4 cups per day.
Pain in the liver area can be avoided by taking the following precautions:
In addition, it is also very important to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet, with foods that help detoxify the liver, such as lemon or artichoke for example. See more foods that detoxify the liver.
You should consult your doctor when abdominal pain becomes severe and persistent or when accompanied by other symptoms, such as yellowish skin and eyes, swelling of the legs, generalized itching of the skin, presence of dark urine and light or bloody stools, weight loss, fatigue, nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite.
During your appointment, your doctor will perform a physical exam to understand where a pain is located and may ask several questions about other symptoms and eating habits, and may order tests such as ultrasound, MRI or CT scan, blood tests, or liver biopsy.See what these tests are about.