The liver, as many of the school biology courses know, is an unpaired organ.
It is located in the right hypochondrium (about two fingers below the epigastric region).
Pain in the liver is not so common.
Not always pains in the area of this organ speak directly about liver damage: it can be reflected pain, moreover, from the most unexpected sources.
However, always with the development of discomfort one should be wary: unpleasant sensations arise not by themselves, but under the influence of various pathological processes.
In order not to miss an important moment, the patient must arm himself with the necessary minimum of knowledge.
Liver: where it is and how it hurts. The reasons
Speaking about the liver, the patient should know not only where it is and how it hurts, but also the probable causes. For the most part, we are talking about pathologies of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Some of them affect the liver, another part has nothing to do with this organ. According to statistics, people who abuse alcohol, fatty fried foods, as well as people who do not adhere to the diet, are at greatest risk. Among the immediate causes are:
• Hepatitis. Hepatitis is an inflammatory lesion of the liver tissue. The defeat can be viral, toxic (when taking medications and alcohol). Those who have previously been in contact with patients with viral forms of hepatitis (B, C), as well as alcohol abusers and those who take hepatotoxic drugs (some medications for treating hypertension, etc.) are at particular risk. With hepatitis, there is a feeling of fullness in the right hypochondrium, the pain is dull, aching. At the first stages of the development of the disease, pain may not be. Hepatitis is all the more dangerous.
• Cirrhosis of the liver. Contrary to popular belief, hepatitis is not cancer. This is an independent disease. Often it occurs as a formidable complication of long-term ongoing hepatitis. The liver ceases to cope with its functions. It is known that liver cells have amazing regenerative potential, but even their ability to regenerate is not enough. There is a rapid death of liver cells and their replacement with scar tissue. In the early stages, cirrhosis also does not manifest alarming symptoms. The pain syndrome is intense, the pains are dull, pulling. Yellowing of the skin, eye proteins may be observed. The stool is discolored, becomes white or light beige (clay color). Cirrhosis affects mainly alcoholics with experience. Alcohol abuse, according to statistics, accounts for up to 85% of all causes of cirrhosis. But you should not relax, no one will guarantee that the pain is not due to getting into the remaining 15%.
• Cholecystitis. Gallbladder inflammation. Localization of pain is the right hypochondrium (closer to the epigastric region), however, unlike hepatitis, pain is defined as cutting, acute (dagger). Often, cholecystitis is accompanied by impaired stool (almost always diarrhea), a feeling of bitterness in the mouth in the morning, and nausea.
• Liver formation. Benign and malignant tumors cause pain of varying intensity. Adenomas, hemangiomas of the liver are characterized by slow growth and do not give obvious symptoms. Malignant tumors, as they form, cause the development of not only local, but also general manifestations: an increase in body temperature, headache, etc. These manifestations are permanent.
• Gallstones. Gallstone disease has similar manifestations to cholecystitis. Identify them only with the help of special studies.
• Mononucleosis is a special type of viral lesion of the liver structures.
• Liver abscesses.
Other diseases mask under pain in the liver:
• Pyelonephritis.
• Appendicitis.
• Osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral spine.
Liver: where it is and how it hurts. Diagnostic measures
Knowing about the liver, where it is located and how it hurts, the patient must understand that this is not enough. It is impossible to independently identify the cause of the pain. For this, it is necessary to conduct a series of special diagnostic studies. The first thing a patient needs to do with pain in the right hypochondrium is to see a doctor. It is more logical to plan a visit immediately to a gastroenterologist, since in the vast majority of cases we are talking about gastrointestinal tract diseases (although not always in the liver). Suspicions about the source of pain may not be justified, then the following experts will help:
• Nephrologist. With pathologies of the kidneys.
• Urologist.
• Orthopedist. With diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
• Neurologist.
Diagnosis of diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract as a whole does not present any particular difficulties.
Diagnostics includes:
• History taking. The doctor interviews the patient to better understand the essence of his complaints. So the specialist makes up the initial clinical picture.
• Palpation. Palpation is necessary for an approximate assessment of the structure of the organ (neoplasms are already determined by palpation, with cirrhosis of the liver, the organ takes an inhomogeneous structure). Also, thanks to palpation, the doctor evaluates the pain reactions and their localization. This is a necessary stage of differential diagnosis.
• Ultrasound diagnostics. At the moment, this is the most informative and affordable method of visual assessment of the structure of the liver and gall bladder. Allows you to identify not only diseases of the liver itself, but also cholelithiasis (even when the stones have not yet formed).
• Scintigraphy. It makes it possible to study the functional activity of the liver. A special radioisotope preparation is introduced into the blood. It quickly builds up in the liver. The nature of the accumulation of the drug is monitored using a special sensor (in shape and size it resembles an open MRI device).
• MRI / CT. It is prescribed for suspected severe liver pathologies, including to determine the nature and size of tumors.
• Lab tests. The most informative of all is a biochemical blood test (it is necessary to evaluate indicators such as AST, ALT). In some cases, a blood test for tumor markers may be prescribed.
Thanks to these studies, it is possible to accurately determine the initial cause of the pain.
Liver: where it is and how it hurts. First aid and treatment
After it is found out where the liver is and how it hurts, as well as at the end of the diagnostic measures, we can talk about treatment.
It is important to keep in mind. You can only stop the pain syndrome yourself (before visiting a doctor). If the pain is intense and cannot be relieved on your own, you should immediately call an ambulance.
To alleviate pain, you need:
• Take an antispasmodic pill (No-shpa, Duspatalin, Drotaverin, etc. are suitable).
• Eliminate physical activity and take a comfortable posture.
• Before relieving the condition, exclude food intake.
If these activities did not help, you should call an ambulance.
In general, the treatment of pain in the liver consists in taking special medications. Surgical treatment is rarely resorted to and only if indicated.
In the treatment of liver pathologies, the following are prescribed:
• Anti-inflammatory drugs. To relieve inflammation. They are selected with great care: many have a hepatotoxic effect.
• Analgesics. They are used in combination with antispasmodics to relieve pain.
• Antispasmodics. Relieve spasm of smooth muscles. Often a spasm is a source of pain.
• Hepatoprotective drugs. Assigned to restore damaged liver cells and protect healthy ones from adverse effects. This includes many items: Essentiale, Gepabene and others. It is not recommended to take such drugs on your own: there are many side effects.
In some cases, physiotherapy is prescribed (heating with resin, etc.). It is strictly forbidden to independently warm up the liver: such "self-activity" can lead to unpredictable consequences.
Surgery is practiced with cholelithiasis, for transplantation. Fortunately, medication is often enough.
Thus, the liver is located in the right hypochondrium. Pain can be different in nature and intensity: from minor pulling to sharp cutting. However, this knowledge does not give the patient anything: the pain can be reflected, and many severe pathologies do not appear at all in the first stages of pain. Only a set of special diagnostic measures can dispel doubts. According to the results of the studies, the doctor will diagnose and prescribe treatment. Timeliness and adequacy of therapy is the key to a favorable outcome.
