Liver disease is any disturbance of liver function that causes illness. The liver is responsible for many critical functions within the body and should it become diseased or injured, the loss of those functions can cause significant damage to the body. Liver disease is also referred to as hepatic disease.
Liver disease is a broad term that covers all the potential problems cause the liver to fail to perform its designated functions. Usually, more than 75% or three quarters of liver tissue needs to be affected before decrease in function occurs.
The symptoms related to liver dysfunction include both physical signs and a variety of symptoms related to digestive problems, blood sugar problems, immune disorders, abnormal absorption of fats, and metabolism problems.
The malabsorption of fats may lead to symptoms that include indigestion, reflux, deficit of fatsoluble vitamins, hemorrhoids, gall stones, intolerance to fatty foods, intolerance to alcohol, nausea and vomiting attacks, abdominal bloating, and constipation.
Nervous system disorders include depression, mood changes, especially anger and irritability, poor concentration and "foggy brain", overheating of the body, especially the face and torso, and recurrent headaches (including migraine) associated with nausea.
The blood sugar problems include hypoglycaemia.
Abnormalities in the level of fats in the blood stream, whether too high or too low levels of lipids in the organism. Hypercholesterolemia: elevated LDL cholesterol, reduced HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, clogged arteries leading to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, build up of fat in other body organs (fatty degeneration of organs), lumps of fat in the skin (lipomas and other fatty tumors), excessive weight gain (which may lead to obesity), inability to lose weight even while dieting, sluggish metabolism, protuberant abdomen (pot belly), cellulite, fatty liver, and a roll of fat around the upper abdomen (liver roll) etc.[citation needed] Or too low levels of lipids: hypocholesterolemia: low total cholesterol, low LDL and VLDL cholesterol, low triglyderides.
10 Nursing Diagnosis for Liver Disease
- Excess fluid volume r / t to fluid retention due to increased aldosterone, and colloid osmotic pressure decreased.
- Ineffective breathing pattern r / t limitation of chest expansion because hydrothorax and ascites.
- Impaired gas exchange r / t hypoxia from hypoventilation.
- Pain (acute / chronic) r / t increase in triglycerides resulting in hepatomegaly.
- Imbalanced Nutrition Less than Body Requirements r / t inadequate intake (anorexia, nausea, vomiting).
- Impaired physical mobility r / t increases the body's metabolism so that less energy production, anemia, fluid and electrolyte imbalance.
- Disturbed Body Image r / t to physiological changes such as jaundice, ascites, edema, gynecomastia.
- Risk for infection r / t changes in protein metabolism, liver phagocyte function paralysis, lack of leukocytes (due to splenomegaly).
- Impaired skin integrity r / t pruritus.
- Low Self-Esteem r / t the occurrence of amenorrhea.