Is liver calcification dangerous?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by a doctor from the Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Liver calcification is the result of a chronic inflammatory lesion, caused by small stones forming in the biliary tract, deposition of bile pigments or dead worms. Liver calcification can leave dangerous complications, adversely affecting the liver and the overall health of people with this syndrome.

1. What is liver calcification?


Liver calcification is a chronic liver injury, but it is still quite strange to many people. In essence, this is not a disease, but just a scar caused by inflammation, abscess or infection with parasites in the liver. These lesions cause the accumulation of many small stones, which gradually become hard calcified and deposited in the biliary tract. At that time, the liver cannot perform its inherent detoxification function, and the stone residues cannot escape from the body.
Some of the main causes of calcification include:
Liver parenchymal cellulitis Hepatitis caused by gallstones or bile pigment deposition Hepatitis caused by alcohol and stimulants Having worms or parasites Infections die in the liver Drugs for the treatment of metabolic tuberculosis in the liver, which accumulate for a long time will form calcified nodules in the liver Fatty or toxic liver for a long time Liver tumor causes calcium accumulation, which leads to calcification for a long time Infants birth whose mother has a uterine infection during pregnancy or after delivery... The causes listed above will create scarring of cirrhosis and calcification of liver tissue after local necrosis. An X-ray or ultrasound can help detect this condition.

Gan nhiễm mỡ là nguyên nhân gây ra vôi hóa gan
Gan nhiễm mỡ là nguyên nhân gây ra vôi hóa gan

2. Is liver calcification dangerous?


In general, whether liver calcification is dangerous will depend on the stage and extent of the disease, as well as the size of the calcified nodules. Therefore, early examination and diagnosis is essential.
In the early stages when the liver calcifications are small, there are usually no obvious symptoms outside, quite benign, so there are few dangerous complications. At this time, the liver is still working well because the liver function is not affected much, the body's health is still guaranteed.
However, as the liver calcification becomes larger, the patient may experience pain in the right flank. It is caused by inflammation of the intrahepatic bile ducts, or large calcified nodules that press on nerves and liver tissue. Pain will increase if the patient is active and often.
In addition, severe liver calcification can cause the patient to:
High fever, chills, sometimes convulsions Jaundice and/or eye mucosa Digestive disturbances due to calcified nodules obstructing the bile ducts Severe rather than chronic cholestasis or lead to biliary cirrhosis. In the long term, severe liver calcification often causes chronic hepatitis, with the risk of progressing to cirrhosis, even liver cancer.

Trắc nghiệm: Làm thế nào để bảo vệ lá gan khỏe mạnh?

Làm test trắc nghiệm kiểm tra hiểu biết về gan có thể giúp bạn nhận thức rõ vai trò quan trọng của gan, từ đó có các biện pháp bảo vệ gan để phòng ngừa bệnh tật.

3. Treatment of liver calcification


Different treatment will be different depending on the stage of disease progression.
When the liver is slightly calcified, the calcifications will be small and usually do not pose a health risk, nor are there obvious symptoms. If the liver function test shows that it is still completely normal, the patient can rest assured that there is no need for drug treatment or surgery. Instead, it is necessary to pay attention to a moderate and healthy life according to the instructions of the doctor.

Cần xét nghiệm chức năng gan trước khi tiến hành điều trị
Cần xét nghiệm chức năng gan trước khi tiến hành điều trị

In case of severe liver calcification, which has shown unpleasant symptoms and greatly affects liver function, it is necessary to use drugs as prescribed by a doctor. If it is more serious, the patient may need surgery to remove the calcified liver, preventing dangerous complications.

4. Prevention of liver calcification


There are currently no drugs that work to dissolve liver calcifications. Patients can only prevent and control the growth of calcified nodules by a scientific lifestyle. Specifically, people with liver calcification need to actively care and take care of their health by:
Adhere to a healthy diet Patients need to limit the use of foods high in cholesterol (such as: organ meats, fats). animals, red meat, egg yolk...) to reduce the risk of bile pigment deposition and gallstone formation. Should eat enough, varied menu with white meat (such as chicken, fish), green vegetables and fresh fruits rich in vitamins. Note, do not eat late, eat late at night, or eat too full so as not to make the liver work too hard.
Do not stay up late, get enough sleep Make sure to sleep 7-8 hours a night, do not stay up late to avoid affecting the biological clock and miss the detoxification time of the organs, especially the liver. The liver's detoxification time is from 11pm to 1am, so you need to sleep well before this time for the liver to function properly.
Do not drink alcohol, use stimulants One of the main causes of hepatitis is the substances contained in alcohol, tobacco. These bad agents make the liver work so hard that it can't get rid of all the toxins and gradually weaken.
Regular exercise Subjects such as yoga and meditation not only help improve mental health, reduce stress, but also enhance physical strength, and protect the liver from calcification or other dangerous diseases such as: hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer ...
Drink a lot of water In addition to filtered water, patients can also regularly drink artichoke tea or bare kernels. These are herbs that have a laxative effect, reducing the risk of gallstone formation - the cause of bile duct obstruction and liver calcification.

Uống nhiều nước giúp phòng ngừa vôi hóa gan
Uống nhiều nước giúp phòng ngừa vôi hóa gan

Deworming Routine deworming every 6 months will help protect the health of the digestive system in general, recommended by doctors, even for normal healthy people, without liver calcification.
Periodic health check Every 3 - 6 months, the patient should go to a medical facility to check if the liver calcification nodules have grown larger. Periodic health check-ups are very necessary, helping to detect dangerous diseases early, as well as screen for cancer risks for timely control and treatment.
Liver calcification is a condition rarely mentioned in liver diseases, so it is still strange to many people. In general, whether liver calcification is dangerous will depend on the severity of the disease, whether the calcifications are small or large. Although it does not have a serious impact on health, people with liver calcification still need to understand the causes and ways to control the disease, thereby having a better way to protect their health and avoid the risk of complications when they are sick. severe disease progression.

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