Heart Failure

Liver failure is a condition when most of the liver is damaged so that it cannot perform its functions properly. This condition can occur gradually over years or occur suddenly. Liver failure must be treated immediately because of the risk of causing death

The liver has a number of important functions, including removing toxins from the body, helping the blood clotting process, and helping the body fight infection. A person will be in serious condition if some of these functions do not work normally or are disturbed.

Liver failure is generally characterized by yellowing of the eyes and skin, and a swollen abdomen due to fluid accumulation. There are many causes of liver failure, but the most common are viral hepatitis infection, excessive alcohol consumption, and overdose of paracetamol.

Causes of Heart Failure

Liver failure is caused by damage to cells in the liver. The damage can occur suddenly or develop over a long period of time. Some of the factors that can cause liver failure are:

• Cirrhosis
• Viral infections, especially hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis E
• Cancer, whether it starts in the liver or starts from other parts of the body and then spreads to the liver
• Cholangitis
• Excessive use of paracetamol
• Consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticonvulsants, and herbal medicines
• Alcohol addiction
• Drug Abuse
• Exposure to toxins, such as carbon tetrachloride
• The immune system attacks the body itself (autoimmune hepatitis)
• Blood vessels in the liver, such as Budd-Chiari syndrome
• Metabolic disorders, eg Wilson's disease
• The body's reaction to severe infection (sepsis)
• Other diseases, such as blockage of blood vessels in the liver, accumulation of iron in the body, fructose intolerance, Reye's syndrome, and galactosemia

Symptoms of Heart Failure

The initial symptoms of liver failure tend to be mild and similar to symptoms of other conditions, namely upper abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, and loss of appetite. If the condition of the liver worsens, more serious symptoms will appear. Symptoms of advanced liver failure include:

• Easy to bruise and bleed
• Yellow skin and eyes
• Liquid buildup in stomach
• Vomiting blood or bloody stools (black)
• Consciousness is foggy and speech is garbled
• Unconscious

When to see a doctor

If you are at risk of developing hepatitis or have never received the hepatitis vaccine, please consult a doctor immediately. The doctor will explain the importance of getting vaccinated.

Sufferers of prolonged viral infections, such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C, or an alcoholic, consult a gastroenterohepatologist regarding how to prevent further liver damage.

Through regular check-ups, doctors can detect liver damage early so that action can be taken more quickly to prevent further damage. Handling must be done immediately if patients with liver failure experience symptoms of advanced liver failure.

Diagnosis of Liver Failure

To determine liver failure, the doctor will ask the patient about the consumption of drugs, consumption of alcoholic beverages and drug use, as well as the history of the illness.

Furthermore, the doctor will perform a physical examination to detect signs of liver failure, such as abdominal swelling, pain in the upper right abdomen, and yellowing of the eyes and skin.

There are several additional tests that the doctor will do to diagnose liver failure, including:

Heart function test

Liver function tests are performed to determine the ability of liver function, by examining the patient's blood sample. Through a patient's blood sample, the doctor can determine the levels of enzymes and proteins produced by the liver, including the level of bilirubin, which causes the skin to turn yellow.

Besides doing liver function tests, blood tests can also be done to see when blood clotting becomes abnormal when liver failure occurs.

Scan and biopsy

The doctor can perform a scan with ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI, to see the structure of the liver. In some cases, the doctor will also take a tissue sample (biopsy) on the patient's liver, to determine the cause of the damage.

Heart Failure Treatment

Liver organs that are damaged to cause liver failure may return to normal, but they may not. For example, liver failure from an overdose of paracetamol usually returns to normal.

If the damage to the liver is severe enough and its function cannot return to normal, such as in cirrhosis, treatment aims to save the part of the liver that is still he althy. If this is not possible, the patient's liver needs to be replaced with a he althy liver from a donor. This procedure is called a liver transplant.

There is no specific method for dealing with liver failure. The treatment given is only aimed at maintaining the stability of the body's condition so that the liver can return to normal function. These treatments include:

• Infusion to maintain normal blood pressure
• Blood transfusion if you have bleeding
• Laxatives to remove toxins from the body
• Inject sugar when blood sugar levels drop

To maintain a he althy part of the liver, the doctor will advise the patient to do the following:

• Avoid taking drugs without a doctor's advice
• Do not consume alcoholic beverages
• Limit consumption of red meat, cheese, and eggs
• Reducing s alt consumption in the food menu
• Maintaining normal blood sugar and blood pressure
• Maintaining ideal body weight

Heart Failure Complications

Heart failure can lead to a number of serious conditions, such as:

• Bleeding due to deficiency of blood clotting factors
• Swelling of the brain due to accumulation of fluid in the brain
• Kidney failure
• Easy to get infected

Heart Failure Prevention

Heart failure can be prevented by preventing the onset of liver or liver disease. Ways that can be done include:

• Perform hepatitis vaccination, namely hepatitis A vaccine or hepatitis B vaccine
• No sharing of personal items, such as razors
• Stop using drugs, let alone sharing needles
• Perform safe sexual relations, namely not changing partners and using condoms
• Restricting consumption of alcoholic beverages
• Do not take paracetamol more than the recommended dose
• Using herbal medicine safely
• Maintaining an ideal body weight and exercising regularly
• Wash hands before eating and after using the toilet
• Using personal protective equipment at work to protect yourself from exposure to toxic chemicals