The feeling of pressure and a feeling of heaviness in the right hypochondrium, as well as discomfort after eating, soreness are clear symptoms of problems with the hepatobiliary system in the body. If you ignore these kinds of symptoms, they will provoke an increase in the size of the liver. If the body increases significantly in size, then the situation can be considered very critical. For this reason, it is important to track swelling, stopping the problem at an early stage of development. Be sure to see a doctor to get professional treatment. Trying to get rid of the disease on your own is not worth it and trying, you can make it worse. But how to treat an enlarged liver? What would such a symptom say? Why is this organ enlarged? We will talk about this and much more in the article.
Enlarged liver
Before answering the question of how to treat an enlarged liver, it is necessary to understand in more detail what exactly this disease is. Hepatomegaly is commonly referred to asfield of medicine, an increase in the size of the liver. However, it should be noted that this phenomenon is not considered a disease. Hepatomegaly is one of the characteristic symptoms that indicate problems in the hepatobiliary system.
The danger of organ enlargement lies not only in disruption of the liver and digestion - it can be a sign of abnormalities in organs and systems that are not associated with the gastrointestinal tract: blood, heart. When a patient feels swelling of the liver, it is important to stop such a symptom at the initial stage of its appearance, since it can provoke very serious consequences for the body. They are as follows:
- Liver failure, potentially fatal.
- The appearance of benign tumors.
- The development of diseases, a symptom of which is an enlarged liver.
- Hepatocarcinoma.
- Cirrhosis of the liver.
To avoid the above complications, you need to know how to treat an enlarged liver. In addition, it is important to start the treatment of this symptom on time. Be sure to see a GP who will refer you to a specialist.
Causes of liver enlargement
The liver can become enlarged due to diseases that are associated with the organ, problems with blood circulation, and also due to some infections. The most accurate diagnosis can only be made by a qualified specialist when he carries out some diagnostic measures. Also, only a doctor can tell you how to treat an enlarged liver.
In most cases, the causes of this symptom are:
- Tumours: primary carcinoma, adenomas, metastatic cancer, nodular hyperplasia of focal type, cysts. In such a situation, the left or right lobe of the organ increases. The full liver with tumors will no longer become.
- Inflammatory processes. First of all, this should include cirrhosis, as well as hepatitis of viral or drug etiology.
- Infiltrative processes: fatty degeneration, hepatosis, leukemia, amyloidosis, lymphoma, sarcoidosis or tuberculous hepatitis, hemochromatosis.
- Hereditary factor: congenital metabolic diseases, Gaucher's disease.
- Toxin damage. As a rule, this occurs against the background of drug treatment or alcohol dependence.
- Circulation problems. This should include failure of the right side of the heart, as well as blockage of the hepatic veins.
- Bacterial or viral infections that have affected the hepatobiliary system.
- Helminthiasis.
- Cholelithiasis, as well as a violation of lipid metabolism.
An important point is also considered to be an enlarged liver in a child. If this happened to your baby, then the cause may lie in jaundice. This disease is very common among infants. She does not need therapy, since all the signs will pass by themselves. The causes of jaundice are as follows:
- Maternal endocrine disorders, particularly diabetes.
- Birth trauma.
Not worth itbe afraid of an enlarged liver in preschool children, since pediatricians consider this phenomenon to be absolutely normal, because it is associated with the development of the body. If the organ is felt outside the ribs by about 2 cm, then this is not dangerous. As the child grows older, the symptoms will go away. But still it is worth seeing a doctor.
But if the size of the organ does not change, and also exceeds the established norms, is accompanied by other symptoms of any internal disorders, for example, fever, nausea, yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes, the appearance of rashes, weight loss, then the causes may be as follows:
- Pathology of the metabolic process.
- Presence of metastases.
- Drug or toxic liver damage.
- TORCH infections of a congenital nature.
- Bile duct blockage.
- Diseases of the biliary tract.
Symptoms
If the liver is enlarged, how to treat, what to do with this problem? First of all, it is necessary to diagnose the increased size of this organ. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the symptoms that indicate an enlarged liver. Hepatomegaly will always be characterized by discomfort, which is localized in the right hypochondrium. There is also a feeling of heaviness, pressure. Additional symptoms may occur:
- Change in color of feces and urine.
- Yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.
- Heartburn.
- Nausea, severe belching.
- Emotional instability, increased irritability.
Diagnosis
Only a qualified doctor can more accurately answer the question of if the liver is enlarged, what to do, how to treat it. For this, specialists use some diagnostic procedures: CT, MRI, ultrasound. In the case of hepatomegaly in the region of the clavicle on the right line, the liver is more than 12 cm long. In this case, it will be well palpable in the left lobe of the epigastric zone. It is imperative to track the following points:
- Presence of foreign tissue in the area of the right hepatic quadrant.
- Absence or presence of organ prolapse.
- Soreness, as well as the formation of a seal, noticeable when palpating the organ.
Features of treatment
So, we figured out why the liver is enlarged. How to treat such a symptom? In order to determine therapeutic measures, it is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis. In addition to the diagnostic methods described above, the specialist can additionally prescribe a biopsy to the patient if steatosis or cancer is suspected. A comprehensive blood test is also mandatory. In addition, the doctor must compose the patient's oral complaints, and, if necessary, send them for examination to other specialists.
The treatment regimen for an enlarged liver is often set not only by a gastroenterologist, but also by an infectious disease specialist, a hepatologist. It is these doctors who will tell you how to treat an enlarged liver at home, what medicines to take.
However, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact thatthat whatever the cause of the enlarged liver, the basis of therapy will be diet. The exact dietary restriction will be prescribed by the attending physician, but the essence of the diet will be to spare the organ. Speaking about how long such a diet will last, it is worth noting that this stage can stretch for several months or even years.
How to treat an enlarged liver? Medicines will necessarily be included in the basis of therapy. As a rule, for this, funds from the group of hepatoprotectors are prescribed, which have not so much a therapeutic effect as a preventive one. Such drugs are needed to maintain the organ, but they are not able to eliminate existing diseases.
We continue to consider how to treat an enlarged liver at home. Please note that no drug will work against this problem if the essence lies in advanced hepatitis. At its late stage, transplantation will be the only therapeutic measure. However, until this moment, experts strive to prevent the development of complications.
Diet
So, how to treat an enlarged liver at home? As mentioned earlier, the basis of therapy is diet. Whatever the disease was the cause of hepatomegaly, hunger strikes should not be allowed. For the liver, this is no less dangerous than excessive consumption of food. Any diet with an increase in the body requires the observance of simple rules. How to treat an enlarged liver in a child and an adult? How to usefood?
First of all, you need to eat fractionally. This suggests that the patient should consume food in small portions, but often: in this way the organ is protected from overload, and also stimulates the release of bile. For one day it is desirable to eat at least 5 times. The interval in this case should be no more than 2 hours. However, the exact figure will depend on the specific situation, as well as on the lifestyle of the patient.
Speaking about if the liver is enlarged, how to treat adults and children with diets, it should also be mentioned that it is necessary to reduce the amount of protein foods in the diet. This is especially important for those patients who suffer from cirrhosis, as they are at high risk of developing hepatic coma due to elevated levels of ammonia in the blood.
How to treat an enlarged liver and fatty hepatosis yet? What nutritional rules must be observed? It is imperative to avoid fatty and spicy foods. The fact is that such dishes are the main sources of stress on the hepatobiliary system.
What not to eat?
So, we have sorted out for what reasons the liver is enlarged. How to treat this symptom? What should be eliminated from your diet to overcome this problem? As a rule, the following foods will be banned:
- Dairy and sour-milk products with a fat content of more than 5%.
- Puff pastry products, muffin.
- Sauces.
- Fatty fish.
- Fatty meat.
- Egg yolks.
- Semi-finished products, fast food,sausages.
- Strong fish and meat broths.
- Beans.
- Canned food.
- Spinach and sorrel.
- Cocoa and its derivatives.
- Refined sugar.
- Confectionery.
- Soda drinks.
- Coffee.
What is allowed to eat?
The basis of the diet for the treatment of hepatomegaly will include vegetables, fruits, and greens. It is allowed to eat cereals, dairy vegetable soups, river fish, dietary meat. Milk, as well as dairy products, must have a fat content of no more than 5%. One whole egg is allowed daily. It is advisable to prepare compotes based on dried fruits, but without adding sugar.
You can drink weak tea, freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. In the diet, you can include honey, berries, marmalade. Rarely, olive oil or butter can be added to dishes.
Medications
The liver is enlarged: what to do, how to treat with drugs? The selection of medications that will be used to treat an enlarged organ should be made only by an experienced doctor. Most patients without fail take hepatoprotectors that protect the diseased organ, normalize its functioning, and also stop further cell changes. In addition, the following medications may be prescribed by your doctor:
- Enzyme medicines: capsules, tablets, replenishing the deficiency of digestive enzymes.
- Drugs that stimulate the outflow of bile.
- Glucocorticosteroids, which are used in the late stage of liver cirrhosis as an anti-inflammatory agent.
- Antiviral medicines most commonly used for viral hepatitis, but only at an early stage.
- Diuretics. These drugs are prescribed in case of ascites. They are contraindicated in the treatment of advanced cirrhosis, when there is a risk of hepatic coma.
Folk remedies and liver treatment
And how to treat an enlarged liver with folk remedies? To speed up the elimination of toxins from the body, prevent deterioration of well-being, and also protect the body from the effects of drugs, you can use traditional medicine recipes. As a rule, they do not have such a therapeutic effect as medications, but the result can be seen if the disease occurs at an early stage of development.
You should pay attention to the fact that it is necessary to use homemade recipes in a complex way, with medicines prescribed by a doctor. Most often, the following traditional medicine recipes are used for this purpose:
- Oatmeal broth. To prepare it, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse one glass of oats, then pour the raw material with one liter of cold water. In a small container with thick walls, the oats should be brought to a boil, then boiled over low heat for 40 minutes. Then the pan is wrapped in a blanket, left for 6 hours. The finished product is used in the amount of 50 ml before meals. The duration of treatment is 1 month.
- Honey and turmeric. To prepare this healing remedy, you need to mix a quarter teaspoon of turmeric with one teaspoon of natural honey. These ingredients are poured with one glass of hot water, but not boiling water. Mix everything thoroughly, then use before eating. It is necessary to use this remedy 4 times a day. The duration of treatment is 15 days.
Herbs
There are a large number of different herbal preparations that help to gently restore the function of the hepatobiliary system. In addition, they stop the degenerative-dystrophic process. Normalizes in parallel and venous circulation. The following recipes are effective in the treatment of hepatomegaly:
- Milk thistle powder. It should be consumed one teaspoon, preferably with meals. The powder must be thoroughly chewed, washed down with warm water. The duration of treatment is usually 1 month.
- Collection of calendula, celandine, St. John's wort, coltsfoot. All herbs are taken in equal proportions. After that, two tablespoons of the mixture are poured with two glasses of boiling water, infused for an hour. The resulting remedy is taken in half a glass 20 minutes before eating. It is necessary to use this remedy 3 times a day. It is worth noting that the duration of treatment should be at least a month.
- Take equal proportions of St. John's wort leaves, mint, immortelle flowers, motherwort herb. All ingredients are mixed, after which two tablespoonsmixture is boiled in 500 ml of water. Then the composition must be filtered. It should be consumed in an amount of 50 ml, and before eating. The duration of treatment is 1 month.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that in order to prevent hepatomegaly, it is necessary to monitor your body weight, avoiding excess weight. You should also reconsider your own lifestyle: eliminate nicotine and alcohol, normalize the schedule of rest and work, go to the gym, and minimize stressful situations.
