What is liver encephalopathy?

liver encephalopathy is a type of brain disorder that occurs due to liver dysfunction. When the liver condition deteriorates so that the organ is no longer able to remove toxins from the blood, the toxins that accumulate can seriously affect the function of the brain, but the exact mechanism that happens is not well understood. Liver encephalopathy is most common due to liver disease, such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, and may also develop due to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance or gastrointestinal bleeding. This can cause sudden personality changes, reduced intellectual function and reduced consciousness.

One of the most important functions of the liver is to clean the blood of toxic substances such as drugs and metabolites such as ammonia, which is produced as a by -product of proteins. Damage to the liver can prevent effectively from the organ, and when this happens, the toxic substances accumulate in the bloodstream. In sufficient quantities, these toxins damage the nervous system. The exact way in which dIt is unknown, but it is assumed that neurotoxins such as ammonia can enter the brain when they are present in the blood in sufficient quantities, causing cellular changes that lead to encephalopathy.

symptoms of liver encephalopathy can be mild or acute and gradual or sudden onset. Mild symptoms include restless sleep or changes in sleep samples, confusion, oblivion, mood changes or personality, reduced ability to concentrate and worsen judgment. Serious symptoms include shock in hands or arms, unusual excitement or agitation, disorientation or confusion, drowsiness, drastic personality changes, inappropriate behavior, slow movement, plot speech and seizures. Finally, the patient could become unconscious or penetrate the coma.

This brain disorder is common with liver cirrhosis. Up to 70 percent of people with cirrhosis show signs of liver encephalopathy. Of those who die as a result of tOhoto liver disease has approximately 30 percent significant symptoms of encephalopathy. Brain dysfunction is also a characteristic feature of full -fulminant liver failure, otherwise known as hyperacute liver failure. This serious, always fatal liver disease is usually caused by acute traumatic damage, infectious agents or medication overdose.

The diagnosis of liver encephalopathy is generally performed based on liver and kidney function tests and blood tests on sodium, potassium and ammonia levels. In addition, the patient could undergo CT or MRI scan to eliminate traumatic damage as the cause of neurological symptoms. Further tests may be carried out to determine the basic cause of encephalopathy.

For people with a chronic form, it involves treatment of protein reduction in the liver Function and the use of drugs to reduce ammonia production in the gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to avoid drugs such as sedatives and soothing that are metabolizovershadowed in the liver to reduce stress to the organ. The acute form of liver encephalopathy is much less likely to respond to this type of support treatment. In acute and chronic liver encephalopathy, death is almost certain if the patient's condition deteriorates so that he or she fails into a coma.