Alcohol-Related Liver Diseases Is A Silent Killer: 5 Tips To Help Your Liver Live Longer

The liver is the second largest organ in the human body and is responsible for breaking down the nutrients from food and using them for the rest of the body. Moreover, it performs the major functions of producing glucose, removing toxic waste materials from the body, and preventing infection. However, there has been a drastic rise in the cases of liver diseases in recent years among people of different age groups. In India, the mortality rate from liver diseases is steadily increasing, accounting for over one lakh deaths each year. One of the most common causes of liver disease is alcohol consumption, which acts as a silent killer and slowly affects liver function. TheHealthSite.com spoke to Dr Manish Kak, Consultant- Gastroenterology, Manipal Hospitals, Ghaziabad to understand more about liver diseases and fatty liver problems.

Alcohol And Liver Disease

Although the liver has a tremendous capacity to repair itself from toxic waste materials and break down most of the alcohol inside the body, a lot of harmful substances are generated inside the liver during this process that damage the liver cells. With time, the damaged cells weaken the liver's natural defence system, making it vulnerable to further damage. The harmful substances that pass through the intestines during this process enter the body through the blood and can even affect other major organs. The problem of fatty liver is a growing concern that is further triggered by alcohol consumption. It also causes hepatitis, which causes inflammation or swelling inside the liver and can become chronic in nature. Fatty liver disease and hepatitis B and C are the primary conditions caused by alcohol abuse in chronic cases that last for years. In some cases, this problem also escalates and causes liver cirrhosis, where the liver becomes hard and loses its functions.

With the change in lifestyle, many youngsters are inclined towards consuming alcohol, which has increased the risk of liver diseases. According to some studies, men are more inclined toward this deadly habit that silently affects the liver. In most cases, it is difficult to identify the symptoms in the initial stage and it is only diagnosed when the condition is advanced. The condition can be triggered by the sudden onset of jaundice and result in liver failure. The presence of symptoms such as:

1. Jaundice
2. Water retention in the stomach
3. Loss of appetite
4. Drowsiness
5. Blood vomiting
6. Weight loss, and
7. Infections

All the above-mentioned symptoms indicate advanced liver disease. Even after quitting alcohol, the liver of chronic disease patients frequently does not recover.

Ways To Manage Liver Health

Our way of life and eating habits have a significant impact on fat formation in the liver. In the majority of cases, obesity and alcohol consumption are the root causes. As a result, it is important to make some changes. Check the list below:

1. In order to maintain liver health, it is critical to incorporate healthier lifestyle choices.
2. One must keep track of their BMI and include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in their daily routine.
3. Obesity, in any form, can jeopardize not only the liver but also other vital organs.
4. As alcoholic beverages have a direct impact on liver health, it is critical to limit or completely avoid alcohol consumption.
5. One can also seek advice from a doctor on the appropriate amount based on their overall health.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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Medications That Don't Mix With Exercise

When it comes to mixing exercise with medication, the latter can sometimes affect the former. Therefore, if you’re using medications, you really need to know all of their potential effects, good and bad, on you. Here’s a quick scoop on which meds could be clashing with your cardio.  

 

1. Beta-Blockers

What Are They? This group of medications, also known as beta-adrenergic blocking agents, are used to treat high blood pressure and are also commonly prescribed for conditions such as migraines and glaucoma. 

 

Beta-blockers lower the heart rate, which is the opposite of what exercise induces – an increased heart rate. Therefore, combing both gives your body conflicting messages, and people tend to get fatigued very quickly. 

 

What to Do 

While it’s always a good idea to speak to your doctor or pharmacist about how to accommodate exercise while on beta-blockers, you should consider asking if you really need to be taking them. In some cases it is and in other cases, there are better alternatives. For example, acupuncture has been found to help some migraine sufferers. If they are necessary, you should begin with as low a dose as possible to see if your ability to exercise is adversely affected.

2. Pain Medications 

What Are They? 

 There are two types of pain medications: acetaminophen, which is an alternative to aspirin for pain relief, and ibuprofen, which treats swelling and inflammation as well as pain. 

 

Pain is usually a signal of tissue injury, so overusing pain medication can be a concern. For example, if you have a sprained ankle and you take a lot of medication to get through the pain, that can be bad because the sprain won’t heal adequately and you might re-injure it. 

 

There’s also some concern about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, Advil Motrin, and Aleve. These can cause fluid retention, which isn’t particularly kind on the kidneys and puts more stress on the cardiovascular system. 

 

What to Do 

Firstly, if you have a sprained ankle, let your body rest and heal rather than mask the pain with medications so that you can continue exercising. If it’s a milder pain that’s afflicting you and you’re using ibuprofen or Motrin, try not to take the medication for more than a week. If you need longer pain relief, switch to an acetaminophen medication to treat it and avoid that fluid retention stress.  

 

3. Antidepressants

What Are They? 

While there are many medications that trigger sleepiness, antidepressants are the more common ones as they alter the chemical balance in the brain to help stabilize and improve your mood. Drowsiness and fatigue are usually at their worse during the first few weeks of taking them. Furthermore, they also have the added side effect of weight gain. 

 

What to Do 

There are many different types of antidepressants and if yours causes a lot of drowsiness, talk to your doctor about taking alternative antidepressants. Also, starting off with a lower dosage of a new antidepressant can help the sleepiness factor.  

 

4. Antihistamines 

What Are They?

Drowsiness is a common side effect of antihistamines, especially older generation medications such as Chlor-Tripolon and Benadryl. Antihistamines block or decrease histamine, which is triggered by an allergic reaction such as coming into contact with pollen or animal fur. When you’re taking antihistamines your alertness can be affected. Therefore, for example, if you’re a runner and you take antihistamines that make you drowsy, you can misstep and become injured. 

 

What to Do 

There are newer generations of antihistamine medications such as Alegra, Claritin, and Reactin that don’t cause the same level of drowsiness, if at all. However, if you prefer the older antihistamines, time your medication well. The older ones are usually shorter-acting, so they might last only four hours and once that drowsiness has worn off, you can exercise.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement