The liver is the second largest organ in the body and has different functions in the body. The liver performs interactions on everything you eat and drink. The liver converts foods and drinks into energy and nutrients needed by the body. It filters harmful substances such as alcohol, excretes from the body and is responsible for defending the body against infections. There are diseases, chemicals and many things that can damage the liver. When the liver suffers extensive damage, its function is impaired. If the damage is so high that the liver cannot repair it, we may face a condition called liver failure.

Types of liver failure

Liver failure can develop slowly or progress at great speed. In fact, the rate of liver failure depends on the cause and condition of the liver. There are two types of liver failure:

1. Chronic liver failure

The most common type of liver failure that may develop over months or years. Chronic liver failure usually occurs with cirrhosis or severe liver ulcers. Cirrhosis of the liver can have a variety of reasons, such as high alcohol consumption, hepatitis, fatty liver, bile duct diseases such as biliary cirrhosis and a variety of genetic diseases.
In chronic failure, the liver becomes inflamed. This inflammation gradually causes ulcers in liver tissue. As long as healthy tissues are destroyed and wounded tissues are replaced, the liver loss process begins.

2. Acute liver failure

Injuries from acute liver failure progress rapidly and liver function is impaired within a week, sometimes a few days. Acute liver failure usually occurs suddenly without any previous symptoms or complications. Common causes of acute liver failure are often mushrooms or overdoses of drugs such as acetaminophen.

Symptoms of liver failure

• Nausea
• Anorexia
• Excessive fatigue
• Diarrhea
• Jaundice
• Weight loss
• Bruising of the skin or bleeding
• Itching
• Swelling or retention of fluids in the legs
• Fluid retention in the abdomen

Since some of these symptoms are common with symptoms of other diseases and disorders, it is sometimes difficult to diagnose liver failure.
Unfortunately, sometimes the patient does not show symptoms until the advanced stages of liver failure or the doctor cannot identify the cause of the symptoms. In advanced stages of chronic failure, you

may experience the following symptoms:

• Jaundice or jaundice of the skin and eyes
• Extreme fatigue
• Edema or accumulation of fluid in the legs
• Ascites or accumulation of fluid in the abdomen
• Numbness
• Drowsiness
• Coma

Liver failure can be caused by many types of liver disorders, including hepatitis B or hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver, and alcohol-induced liver damage or medications such as acetaminophen. Acute liver failure is genetic in some cases. A person may inherit incomplete genes from one of their parents or both. The liver first develops inflammation, then fibrosis due to multiple ulcers, when scars and wounds cannot be repaired much longer, cirrhosis occurs that eventually leads to liver failure.

Diagnosis of liver disease

Tests and procedures used to diagnose liver failure and liver disease include:

• Blood tests. This test will let your doctor know how the liver works. A prothrombin time test may be administered that measures the duration of blood clots. In acute liver failure, the blood does not clot quickly.

• Imaging tests. The images allow your doctor to see what’s going on in your liver and find out what the problem is. He may recommend the following methods:

o Ultrasound
o Abdominal CT scan
o MRI imaging

• Sampling. Using a needle, the doctor removes a small piece of liver tissue and examines it in a laboratory. An off-base liver biopsy is a special operation that allows your doctor to insert the needle into the vein of your neck.

What is the treatment of liver failure?

Treatment of liver failure primarily depends on whether it is acute or chronic. In chronic liver failure, treatments can include changes in diet and lifestyle, such as:

• Not drinking alcohol
• Do not take medications that may damage the liver.
• Weight loss
• Reduce salt intake

• Supportive care: If the cause of liver failure is a virus, the liver specialist can manage your symptoms as long as the virus runs its course. In these cases, the liver sometimes heals spontaneously.

In the case of acute liver failure, treatment options include:

• Intravenous fluid injections to maintain blood pressure
• Drugs such as laxatius or enmas to help ward off toxins
• Blood glucose level monitor.
• Acetylcysteine can reverse acute liver failure caused by acetaminophen overdose if taken quickly. There are also drugs that can reverse the effects of fungi or other toxins.
• Liver transplantation: In acute and chronic liver failure, your doctor may recommend liver transplantation. In liver transplantation, a healthy liver from a donor is replaced with damaged tissue. Sometimes a part of a healthy liver can replace damaged tissue, as the liver can repair itself and regrow.

If you notice any of the symptoms, see your doctor. You may not have liver problems at all, but if you have one, rapid diagnosis is of particular importance. With the right treatment, the disease becomes manageable and leads the person to a normal life.