Chennai: One in every five Indians suffers from Liver disease for which, alcohol consumption and Hepatitis C are found to be the top causes. As much as 30 percent of Indians suffer from fatty liver and a quarter of this number develops liver cirrhosis and liver failure. While a majority of liver failure cases can be checked through transplants, many cases fail due to the lack of awareness and negligence in the initial stages. With this in mind, Apollo Hospitals, in collaboration with Mount Sinai Hospitals, held a symposium to create awareness on liver diseases and transplants, during which, focus was laid on alcohol related liver diseases, fatty liver disease and Hepatitis B and C.
“When we hear the word organ failure, most of us tend to perceive it to be kidney or lung failure, but it is to be noted that liver is also an organ that has the possibility of undergoing organ failure. A lot of people lack awareness when it comes to liver failure and this sheer negligence leads to more complications,” said Dr. N. Murugan, Hepatologist, Apollo Hospitals. Most of the liver diseases have similar symptoms but may have slight variations depending on the cause of the disease. Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting of blood, jaundice, abdominal pain and swelling of limbs are all indications of liver disease.
“Liver disease, if diagnosed at the initial stage, can be managed through medicines. However, early diagnosis is very important to avoid complications,” said Dr KR Palanisamy, senior consultant, Institute of Gastrosciences at the hospital. Liver diseases can be prevented in most cases, whether it is alcohol induced liver complications, fatty liver disease , Hepatitis B or C. Increased awareness, early diagnosis and early referral to specialists in liver diseases are the key for this to succeed.
