Acute Liver Failure

Maintaining the health of all of your internal organs is very important, and if you've been experiencing fatigue and skin discoloration lately, you may want to make an appointment with your doctor to see if acute liver failure is the culprit. Here is some information about the condition, as well as they ways to recognize symptoms and get the best treatment.

Acute liver failure is actually a medical emergency brought on by the rapid failure of the liver to function. In most patients with liver problems, the deterioration of this organ happens over the course of a few years, but acute liver failure can develop in a matter of a few days.

While the reasons that most people experience chronic liver disease have to do with long term smoking or drinking, acute liver failure is often the result of an acetapminophen overdose. This can happen when a person takes too much Tylenol, which causes a viral infection in the body. Acute liver failure can also occur in individuals who are allergic to aspirin or acetaminophen and don't know it. Conditions like salicylate sensitivity can also cause this condition, so symptoms like a darkening of the skin or a yellowing in the eyes may be an indication that you need to visit a doctor to talk about additional treatment options. Staying away from certain fruits and vegetables can also improve the health of your liver if you are particularly sensitive, so making an appointment with your nutritionist may be helpful.

Causes of acute liver failure have to do with the fact that the liver is not functioning the way that it should. Duties of the liver include filtering toxins and bacteria out of the body, and get rid of waste products that may settle in the blood. The liver is also responsible for producing bile, which breaks down the fats in the body and helps to digest your food after each meal.

In order to prevent acute liver failure, you should make sure that you follow the dosage instructions if you need to take aspirin or acetaminophen for any reason. You should also check with your doctor if you are smoking or drinking at the time that you need medication. It is also very important to stay away from any recreational drugs, since they can be very addictive and can cause a number of physical and mental health problems.

You should also make sure that you stay up to date with your vaccinations in order to prevent acute liver failure. This means that you should make sure that your children are getting the shots they need at the start of each school year; these shots can also prevent hepatitis A and B.

For more information on how to treat and prevent acute liver failure, check out www.mayoclinic.com.