World Liver Day 2022: Unknown Myths About Liver Disease Busted by an Expert

The liver is the second largest organ in the body and is a key player in our body’s digestive system. Everything we consume, including medicine, passes through the liver.

According to WHO, liver diseases are the 10th most common cause of death in India. World Liver Day, commemorated on April 19 every year, is a chance to build awareness and understand how important the liver is for our body and how liver diseases can be effectively managed.

The liver is the second largest organ in the body and is a key player in our body’s digestive system. Everything we consume, including medicine, passes through the liver.

It fights infections, regulates blood sugar, removes toxins, controls cholesterol, makes proteins and releases bile to help digestion. We cannot survive without the liver, it can be easily damaged if we don’t take proper care.

Symptoms of liver damage do not present themselves till very late. Diseases such as hepatitis A, B, C, Hepatocellular cancer and cirrhosis often occur because of bad lifestyle choices, excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs, continuous intake of unhealthy food over a long period of time, sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise.

This World Liver Day, Gaurav Chaubal, Director – Liver, Pancreas, Intestine Transplant Program and HPB Surgery at Global Hospital Parel Mumbai shares Unknown myths about the liver.

• Myth 1: No symptoms means that the person does not have cirrhosis

It is quite possible that a person can suffer from liver cirrhosis without any prior symptoms. There are many whose livers got affected by cirrhosis and still the liver functions well enough to support the daily operations of the human body. In such situations, fatigue is a simple and notable symptom of cirrhosis. When the liver becomes totally dysfunctional, a person experiences other serious symptoms like swelling of the legs, bleeding, confusion, fluid build-up in the body, and more.

• Myth 2: Liver Cancer is incurable.

Liver cancer is another major reason why people need liver transplants. “The liver is the only solid organ in the body that can be transplanted as a treatment for cancer,” Dr Fix says. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 42000 people in the United States were diagnosed with liver or intrahepatic bile duct cancer in 2021.

• Myth 3: Your liver is either functioning or it’s not.

Liver function isn’t black or white. There are many stages of liver disease. Dr Fix says, including inflammation, scarring, severe scarring and liver failure. Because the liver is regenerative. It’s important to see your doctor as soon as you notice symptoms of liver disease.

1. Jaundice (yellowing of skin/eyes)
2. Ascites (swelling of the abdomen)
3. Confusion caused by a build-up of toxins in the body
4. Bloody vomiting
5. Infection in the abdominal fluid (SBP)

• Myth 4: Cirrhosis does not affect those who do not consume alcohol

Though alcoholism is a strong reason that causes liver cirrhosis, it is not the only reason. Severe scarring of the liver can be caused by various injuries made to the liver. Improper diet, hereditary disorder, iron or copper overload, jaundice, hepatitis B or C, and more are the other prevalent causes of liver cirrhosis and can affect a person who does not even touch alcohol.