Frequently Asked Questions

Liver disease tends to be very silent for long periods because the liver has a huge functional reserve.
Generally, liver disease starts with unexplainable fatigue and the feeling of being unwell. Later patients develop Jaundice (yellow color of eyes) ; swelling in legs (called edema), and water in the abdomen (ascites).
Slowing down of mental function, often quite subtle is also seen.
Complications can cause vomiting of blood, blood in motion or black color stools, kidney failure, etc.

A condition characterized by uncontrolled drinking and preoccupation with alcohol.
Alcoholism is the inability to control drinking due to both a physical and emotional dependence on alcohol.
If a patient thinks of drinking alcohol when it is prohibited, drinks or tries to get alcohol first thing in the morning, wants to reduce or quit but can't, breaks rules to get to alcohol, or sacrifices something to get alcohol; then there usually a problem, alcohol dependence.

It depends on many factors like genetic vulnerability, body weight, metabolic risk factors, and drinking patterns over time.
Alcohol?associated liver disease ranges in severity from mild alcohol?related fatty liver (steatosis) to alcohol?related fatty liver with inflammation (steatohepatitis) to alcohol?related scarring (fibrosis and cirrhosis).
Generally speaking consumption of more than 1 drink of alcohol on most days of the week, in most weeks of the month is more likely to lead to liver damage. However, people are different, so the amount that people can tolerate is different. In short, any amount of alcohol can be damaging if consumption is regular.
As a rough guide, more than 2 drinks in men and more than 1 drink in women, if taken on most days of the week is dangerous.

There is unfortunately no evidence of any benefit of Liv 52.
There is a lack of high-quality clinical evidence that supports the use of Himalaya Liv 52, a multi-herbal supplement marketed for liver health. While Liv 52 contains ingredients like capers, wild chicory, black nightshade, arjuna, yarrow, and cassia occidentalis, some say that there is no reliable clinical evidence that it helps with fatty liver disease, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). One randomized trial in alcohol-related cirrhosis showed no benefits but increased death.
Generally, all alternative medicine claiming to benefit liver disease is sadly lacking evidence. The possibility of change in habits and general lifestyle while taking these medicines is more likely to be beneficial. But it also leads to a false sense of security.

Fatty liver is usually the result of the continuing modern urban type of lifestyle resulting in dietary excesses and lack of exercise.
A high carbohydrate diet, predominantly processed foods, and lack of exercise are the main factors. Evening calorie intake is also contributory. Evening calories are not used by the body and therefore may be stored. Fatty liver is one of the stores of excess calories.

 

To say the least, fatty liver should not be neglected. Over a period of time, some patients with fatty liver (NAFLD - non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) will get inflammation in the liver (NASH - non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). Once there is inflammation, there is a risk of permanent scarring. A fraction of these patients will develop liver cirrhosis.
Today fatty liver is the commonest cause of liver disease and liver cirrhosis.