Liver Cancer Prevention

Surprisingly enough, many liver cancers can be prevented. There isn't a liver cancer vaccine yet, but there IS a hepatitis B vaccine that was approved for use in the United States in the early 1980s. The hepatitis B vaccine protects both children and adults from the hepatitis B virus. Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus is one of the leading causes of liver cancer worldwide.

It is recommended that all children be given the hepatitis B vaccine and that all adults who are at risk, like health care workers and those who engage in risky behavior, get the vaccine as well.

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

The other leading cause of liver cancer is chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus. So far, there is not a vaccine to protect against hepatitis C infection. The best prevention against hepatitis C as well as hepatitis B (for those who have not been vaccinated) is understanding how the viruses are spread and how to avoid contamination.

Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C are spread through shared use of a contaminated needle (drug use), through unprotected sex, and through childbirth. There was a time when a blood transfusion carried a major risk of contracting hepatitis B or hepatitis C, but better screening has reduced that risk to only one per two million transfusions today.

If you are at high risk for contracting hepatitis B or hepatitis C, you should be tested for these infections often. There are drugs that your doctor can give you to treat these infections. There are no drugs that cure these infections, however, and it is unclear whether treatment actually lessens the chances of cancer developing.

Alcohol abuse is the number one cause of cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer. This cancer prevention technique is quite simple - don't abuse alcohol and if you are abusing alcohol, stop.

Liver Cancer Prevention

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

Natural Treatments for Hepatitis C

What I've noticed over the years is that I get a run of cases with the same disease in a short period of time. Last month I saw lots of clients with Multiple Sclerosis (or the misdiagnosis of same.) We learned about the low-fat Swank diet and all the drugs used to treat this particular disease process.

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This month I had a run of Hepatitis C clients. They each had contracted the disease differently, but none-the-less, their lives have been permanently shifted from this terrible disease which is seemingly not curable. The common thread that assisted these clients was that each person had to make some lifestyle changes (a permanent lifestyle choice that was healthier than they were living.) Stressing the optimal amounts of raw fruits/vegetables is always a staple in my programs--especially the dark green ones in hepatitis cases, but we also centered on the liver.

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So let's review hepatitis C and natural treatments for it.

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver (Hepato is the root word for liver and anything ending in "itis" means inflammation.) Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the many viruses that can cause inflammation of the liver. Other causes are irritation to the liver from alcohol, bacterial infections, drugs, and cancer. At least 75% of people infected with hepatitis C develop chronic hepatitis C which can be progressive and fatal. Once you have it, you will need to find ways to keep it under control. This disease never completely goes away. However, my clients have had very good luck with alternative medicine treatments for hepatitis C, but they work at it and stick with a good program.

About 4 million people in the United States have antibodies to HCV, meaning they have been infected with the virus at some point. Half of these people don't even know they have it. All forms of viral hepatitis are contagious.

The most common way hepatitis C is passed is through direct contact with blood. Drug users often have this disease because they re-use and share needles. Needles, and before 1992 prior to the blood test which became available to test for the virus, transfusions, organ transplants, and hemodialysis have all been vehicles for transferring the virus, but I have known people to warn others not to even drink out of the same cup as they are drinking out of, so it could also be passed through saliva.

Childbirth, sexual intercourse and accidental needle sticks (most common in nurses and the human medical field) are also less common causes of transmission. Sharing toiletry items is another way of passing the virus (e.g. razors and nail clippers.)

Symptoms and Signs of Hepatitis: Eighty percent of people infected with Hepatitis C do not have symptoms. Symptoms may also be mild and come and go over the lifetime of the patient. Less frequently, the patient will come down with an acute case of hepatitis with full-blown symptoms.

Symptoms typically occur 5-12 weeks after being exposed to the virus and may last for weeks to months and include: liver pain (on the right side just under the rib cage area), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, dark colored urine, gray or clay colored stools, irritability, confusion, and headaches (due to dehydration from chronic diarrhea.) Chronic hepatitis often leads to cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is where healthy liver tissue is taken over by scar tissue. When this happens, the liver loses its ability to detoxify the blood.

Additional symptoms at this time include fluid retention (especially below the rib cage in the belly area), jaundice (also called icterus which is a yellowing of the skin seen most obviously in the whites of the eyes), chronic fatigue, sleep disturbance, itchy skin, weight loss (wasting disease), vomiting now with blood in it (so it could look like coffee grounds) and finally hepatic encephalopathy characterized by hallucinations.

When the liver is sick, we see diseases like high cholesterol, high triglycerides, hemorrhoids, cancer, allergies, varicose veins and lots of anger and resentments.

I don't know which comes first in these types of cases; anger causing the liver-based diseases or liver-based diseases resulting in anger. The good thing is that we have LOTS of options on how to overcome these challenges and it doesn't really matter where you start as long as you start and keep at it.

My favorite treatments for hepatitis include:

1. Raw fruits/veggies (especially dark green foods, bitter vegetables, red fruits, and beets.)

2. Barfy Green Stuff (or some other green food--it really doesn't matter too much what you choose.

3. Drink plenty of filtered, chorine and fluoride free water to stay hydrated.

4. Exercise, but don't overdo it. Walking is wonderful--especially on a consistent schedule.

5. Homeopathics specifically to bind and excrete the Hepatitis virus (I use Professional Health Formulations Hepatitis Nosode Drops.)

6. Emotional release work (to help dislodge the Emotional Cysts in the liver.)

7. Herbs to support the liver as needed including but not limited to: Milk Thistle (Also Called Silymarin), Burdock Root, Safflower, Licorice, Green Tea, Dandelion, Artichoke, Cordyceps Mushroom, Turmeric, and Peppers. Note: It's important to take what your body needs but not more than it needs. The body has to process everything put into it. If there is extra, the liver has to work to get it out of the system.

8. Evaluation of current lifestyle habits and suggestions to decrease toxification.

9. Rebuilding of the cells with a Glandular/protomorphogen (I love Livaplex by Standard Process Labs(TM))

10. Abstinence from all alcohol products and any kind of drug that is processed through the liver (Tylenol, NSAIDS, some pain killers, and lots of other drugs are processed through the liver--ask your pharmacist and doctor about anything you put into your mouth!)

11. Work on relieving all anger and resentment issues in your life and dove-tail in forgiveness work. Anger and resentments are stored in the liver.

12. Managing liver-associated diseases: allergies, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, glaucoma and cancer.

13. Eliminating metaphors from your vocabulary having to do with anger, hatred, resentment, and being galled and stubborn.

Self-forgiveness seems to be one common obstacle to overcome in these particular cases. It is most important to understand that there was a reason why they contracted the disease, it taught them valuable lessons, but now it's time to come to a resolution and move onto a healthier way of being.

Life is a journey. The challenges we have are a Gift from God. What we do with those challenges are our gift to Him. If we focus on the similarities instead of how we feel ostracized and alienated, we find that all in all, we want the same things...to be loved, understood and valued. I believe that this is what life is all about.

Natural Treatments for Hepatitis C

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Is Alcohol Making You Fat? What is the Relation Between Alcohol Intake, Liver Damage and Obesity?

Do you know which substance is your liver's greatest and most lethal enemy? It is alcohol. Alcohol liver damage can often be irreversible, if the condition is left untreated for long and your liver will become so diseased that you can even die from it! Oh yes, all those romantic movies where love sick/love lorn Romeos drank themselves to death following failed affairs are actually true. Alcohol liver damage is a dangerous thing to live with and you will never be able to attain weight loss, if you continue with your alcohol addiction.

Alcohol not only poisons the brain, it can lethally affect your liver and result in acute liver distress. Excessive alcohol consumption or alcohol abuse can cause hepatitis which results in the inflammation of the liver. Some of the symptoms and warning signs of this alcohol induced liver inflammation are dizziness, jaundice, tenderness, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite etc. If you don't take these danger signals seriously and continue your torrid love affair with booze, the hepatitis problem will get complicated into something even more dangerous, in the form of cirrhosis that results in obliteration of liver tissues and progressive scarring of the walls of your liver. When you drink excessive amounts of alcohol, it can lead to serious GI diseases such as gastritis or inflammation of the stomach. Even your pancreas will get damaged. In short, alcohol can completely wreck your body and cause heart problems, cardiac diseases, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and other cardiovascular problems along with diabetes. The liver cannot release glucose because of high liquor intake and this will intensify hypoglycemia risk. And of course liver cancer can be the ultimate outcome of your wooing the bottle of booze! You will gain body fat easily and develop a beer belly and flabby arms and thighs, if you continue to down pegs after pegs of alcohol at the tavern.

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

Is Alcohol Making You Fat? What is the Relation Between Alcohol Intake, Liver Damage and Obesity?

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

How to Qualify For and Get the Lowest Life Insurance Rates With Hepatitis B Or C

Individuals looking for life insurance that have been diagnosed with Hepatitis face a common question - what type of risk classification can I qualify for, and how much is the coverage going to cost me? The answer to those questions depends on a number of factors as outlined below. There are three main types of Hepatitis - Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis A - An acute infectious disease usually transmitted by contaminated food or water. This type of Hepatitis does not cause permanent liver damage and can be prevented with a vaccination. The disease is not progressive and is not as serious as Hepatitis B or C. Avoiding fatty foods and alcohol intake helps control symptoms, and life insurance underwriters are not usually concerned with this type of Hepatitis once symptoms are resolved and you are fully recovered.

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

Hepatitis B - An infectious illness caused by blood transfusion or sexually transmitted. Common symptoms are vomiting and liver inflammation. Chronic Hepatitis B can cause cirrhosis of the liver and cancer of the liver, but is preventable with vaccination. If testing for the disease is still positive after an approximate six month period, it may be considered chronic. Life insurance rates for Hepatitis B will strongly depend on the results of liver function tests and follow-up treatment results.

Hepatitis C - Infectious disease caused by blood transfusion. Chronic infection can lead to fibrosis (scarring of the liver) or cirrhosis (a higher level of scarring). Fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver can lead to liver failure, liver cancer, and other life-threatening liver problems. Chronic infection can be treated with prescription medication, usually Ribavirin or Interferon. Many people will not know they have Hepatitis C until some type of blood work is done since it can be asymptomatic for a long period of time. Life insurance rates for Hepatitis C will strongly depend on the results of liver function tests and follow-up treatment results.

If you have been diagnosed with Hepatitis B or C, Virginia life insurance underwriters will determine the risk classification they will offer with the following criteria:

When were you diagnosed with having Hepatitis B or C? What were the most recent liver function test (LFT) readings? Specifically, the AST, ALT, and GGTP levels Are your LFT's getting better or worse over the course of time? Do you drink alcohol? If so, have you reduced consumption since being diagnosed? Have you had a liver biopsy and if so, what were the results? Have you been treated with Interferon or Ribavirin? If so, has the treatment resolved symptoms?

Life insurance underwriters can be more flexible with high risk life insurance individuals making an active effort to improve their health in living with Hepatitis through reduced alcohol consumption, improved diet habits (e.g. less fatty foods), and continuous monitoring of symptoms and liver function readings.

How to Qualify For and Get the Lowest Life Insurance Rates With Hepatitis B Or C

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

Liver Inflammation Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Inflammation of the liver is a condition that is also called hepatitis.

There are a number of different types of liver inflammation. The most common form is caused by a virus and is therefore known as a viral infection. These infections can either be acute or chronic. When hepatitis is triggered by one of these viruses, it is generally described with an alphabetical name: For example, hepatitis, A or hepatitis C. The names of the viruses themselves are usually shortened to HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV HFV and HGV. HGV has only recently been discovered.

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

Hepatitis B and C can be particularly harmful, possibly leading to serious, even critical diseases like cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Alcohol is another cause of liver inflammation. Alcohol is toxic to the liver and frequently leads to inflammation and then cirrhosis. Three times as many people suffer from alcohol-induced hepatitis as from hepatitis C, which is one of the more common viral forms.

Liver inflammation can also be caused by a variety of chemicals and drugs. Even legal drugs like pain killers and pain relievers can be toxic to the liver when they're used improperly or excessively. The amount of damage drugs and chemicals can do varies, naturally, with the type of drug used, how much was taken for how long, and the user's overall state of health. Recreational and illegal drugs are very dangerous.

Various diseases are also the cause of inflammation of the liver. Some of these diseases are related to the liver, but others aren't. Among the most common are Wilson's disease, which comes from an excessive amount of copper in the body, and hemachromatosis, which results from too much iron. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever and certain auotimmune conditions also contribute to inflammation of the liver.

Signs of inflammation of the liver vary depending on the cause. But generally speaking, four symptoms are predictable.

Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Because of this discoloration, many people call this condition yellow jaundice.

Another typical symptom is a lack of interest in food, which id usually followed by weight loss. This symptom of inflammation of the liver is especially typical with forms of acute hepatitis. Nausea and vomiting often follow shortly afterwards.

You also get tired easily when you have hepatitis. Fatigue can be chronic and profound. One of your liver's main function is to help control your metabolism and energy levels, so when it is inflamed, your energy is reduced. This also leads to a feeling of weakness.

Hepatitis is also characterized by muscle and joint pain. It could go on for several weeks. Besides muscle and joint tenderness, you might feel pain in the area of the liver itself. In fact, pain could reach as high as the right shoulder. The intensity of this pain will depend on the progress of the inflammation.

Treatment for acute viral hepatitis is usually unnecessary due to the fact that it heals on its own in time. However, certain medications and antivirals may be useful for hepatitis B and C. Drugs called interferon and ribavirin are usually recommended for these disorders. When liver inflammation is caused by autoimmune hepatitis, it is usually treated with corticosteroids.

Individuals who have been diagnosed with hepatitis should avoid drinking alcohol and talk to their doctor before taking drugs or medications of any kind.

Liver Inflammation Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

Alcohol Related Illnesses Due to Alcohol Abuse

Many people die of alcohol related illnesses even if the statistics are different from one country to another. However, how can alcoholism be lethal? The following are some of the effects of alcohol abuse:

On the nervous system - 30-40% of men have been estimated to have yielded to an alcohol related blackout in their teens and/or twenties. This is due to too much alcohol within the body which can cause loss of memory. A reduced quality of sleep in general subsequently results from sleep disturbance is a well-known effect of consuming alcohol. The legs as well as the arms might also feel tingling and/or numbness. Korsakoff's and Wernicke's syndrome might emerge at different or at the same time. These are caused by dwindling levels of a type of vitamin B complex known as Thiamine. Korsakoff's syndrome causes loss of memory as well as impedance of learning anything new. Meanwhile, Wernicke's syndrome causes the eyes to have disorderly movements, poor equilibrium and walking difficulty.

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

On the gastrointestinal system - loosening of the muscular ring is another alcohol related illness. However, this one hinders stomach contents from going to the esophagus. Aside from pain, bleeding can also be a result of stomach acids surging into the esophagus. A decline in appetite and bleeding as well as pain might also be because of the inflammation. on the other hand, esophageal varices and bloated blood vessels can cause intense bleeding. Hemorrhaging as well as bursting can follow as reactions to liver disease. Pancreatitis can also be experienced. The absorption of nutrients needed by the body is also denied because of alcohol and this causes malnourishment. Constant levels of alcohol affects the live as well as this is where alcohol is metabolized. A fatty liver succeeds an enlarged liver. A normal liver build and role is hindered by cirrhosis or fibrous scar tissue. Hepatitis might be experienced too.

On the blood - a change in blood type is an alcohol related illness as well. Either inflammation or unusual enlargement happens to the blood cells. A compromise in the immune system is due to the decrease of white blood cells that fight infection. This causes an elevated risk for cancer in alcoholics.

On the heart - fluctuation in blood pressure is another alcohol related illness. Little amounts of alcohol may decrease blood pressure but on the other hand, an increased intake means higher blood pressure. Drinking heavily could also increase risks of having strokes as blood clots go through the circulatory from the coronary chambers to your brain and this impedes a blood vessel in the brain. Risks of blood clots in the coronary chambers, sapped cardiac muscles and an enlargement of the heart could also happen because of a heavy intake of alcohol.

On the reproductive system - testicle as well as ovary size is lessened by alcohol. This in turn affects sperm as well as egg production and this can lead to infertility. A baby is also at risk of contracting fetal alcohol syndrome by someone pregnant who takes in alcohol. The child may suffer facial defects, problems in behavior and a low IQ.

Alcohol Related Illnesses Due to Alcohol Abuse

ALCOHOLIC HEPATITIS

Neonatal Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can be caused by numerous viruses, diseases or environmental conditions that cause the liver to become inflamed. When hepatitis occurs in infancy, this is called "neonatal hepatitis".

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Twenty percent of neonatal hepatitis is caused by a virus that was passed from mother to child either before birth or shortly thereafter. In eighty percent of the cases of hepatitis medical experts are unable to determine the exact cause; however, it is suspected that these cases were also caused from some type of viral infection.

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Viruses that Cause Neonatal Hepatitis

"Cytomegalovirus" or "CMV" is one of the viruses that are responsible for causing neonatal hepatitis in some infants and is the most common type of virus that is passed on from a mother to their unborn child during pregnancy. Other viruses that can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy causing neonatal hepatitis include, measles (rubella), and hepatitis viruses including A, B, or C.

In many cases of hepatitis when the exact cause is undetermined, a biopsy of the liver will be done. This biopsy will often show the presence of "giant cell hepatitis" which is characterized by four of five normal cells of the liver combining to form one cell that is still functional, however, it does not perform as well as the normal smaller liver cells.

Symptoms and Complications that can occur with Neonatal Hepatitis

The primary symptom that occurs when an infant has neonatal hepatitis is jaundice which causes the skin and the whites of the eyes to become a yellowish color. This condition is caused by the bile ducts of the liver becoming inflamed or swollen blocking the flow of bile to the digestive system causing it to become backed up and enter the blood stream.

For this reason, neonatal hepatitis causes some of the same or very similar symptoms to another liver disease that is primarily seen in infants called "biliary atresia", however, the spleen will become enlarged in neonatal hepatitis but typically will not with biliaty atresia. This symptom of an enlarged spleen and laboratory tests including a liver biopsy is what is used to determine and confirm a diagnosis of these diseases as opposed to biliary atresia.

Infants with neonatal hepatitis will also have a delay in growth and will not gain weight at a normal rate due to the fact that they are unable to absorb the necessary vitamins and nutrients needed for growth.

Most infants will recover from giant cell hepatitis and may have little or no scar tissue develop on the liver; however, about twenty percent of infants who have giant cell hepatitis will develop liver disease that is chronic causing permanent damage to the liver by the formation of scar tissue and will require a liver transplant at some point in time. In cases where the neonatal hepatitis was caused by the viruses cytomegalovirus or rubella, there is the potential for an infection to occur in the brain that may cause cerebral palsy or mental retardation.

Treatment for Neonatal Hepatitis

In infants who have developed neonatal hepatitis due to the hepatitis A virus, this condition will typically clear on its own within a six month period of time, however, when the hepatitis is caused by the hepatitis B and C viruses, this will likely cause liver disease that is chronic resulting in cirrhosis that will require a liver transplant in the future.

Infants will typically be prescribed vitamin supplements and phenobarbital that will increase the production of bile within the liver as well as a special formula that contains fats that are easier to digest.

There is the potential for infants who have developed neonatal hepatitis due to the A, B, or C hepatitis viruses, rubella, or CMV to pass this virus to others. It is essential for pregnant women to avoid coming into contact with an infant who is infected as there is the potential that they may pass this virus to there unborn child.

Neonatal Hepatitis

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