A perfectly healthy liver, can it really deteriorate this quickly...
A doctor in his mid-90s who remains active and healthy stated, "I also carefully take supplements to protect my liver." When thinking of 'liver health,' alcohol is often mentioned first, but food intake is also very important. The liver is responsible for detoxification in our body. It filters out drugs or toxins that enter the body to prevent their activation. However, excessive toxicity from medications or food can damage the liver itself. Let's revisit the topic of the liver.
My perfectly healthy liver... suddenly needing a liver transplant?
Even people with no liver disease can suddenly experience a rapid deterioration of liver function, leading to confusion and brain swelling within days to weeks. Blood clotting disorders may also occur, resulting in bleeding. The liver's detoxification ability diminishes, leading to a fatal situation. This is defined as acute liver failure.
(Health Authorities Data). The most common causes of sudden deterioration in liver function due to acute liver failure are viral hepatitis and drugs.
"Had to be careful with the map"... "Misusing unfamiliar foods is dangerous"
According to data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, hepatitis B and herbal medicines are the most common causes of liver failure in our country. In terms of medications, not only officially prescribed drugs but also over-the-counter medicines, health supplements, traditional Korean medicine, folk remedies, and toxic mushrooms are common causes. Therefore, when liver failure occurs, it is important to obtain detailed information about all medications, herbal medicines (herbal remedies), and dietary supplements the patient has taken. Additionally, causes can include hepatitis A, autoimmune hepatitis, and Wilson's disease.
The key to preventing fatal liver failure is to be cautious with medications and folk remedies. Even prescribed medications from doctors must be taken according to the prescribed guidelines and not overused. It is very dangerous to casually use folk remedies, herbal medicines, or unfamiliar foods recommended by others as being good for the body. [Source] Getty Images Bank
I want to avoid liver transplantation... "Unproven folk remedies are even more dangerous."
In our country, the probability of a critically ill patient with acute liver failure recovering naturally through medical treatment alone without undergoing a liver transplant is only 20-25%. Emergency liver transplantation is the most reliable and established treatment method for patients with acute liver failure who can expect long-term survival. The decision to proceed with a liver transplant depends on the cause of the acute liver failure.
If the cause is an excessive intake of acetaminophen, which is used as a pain reliever and fever reducer, then early aggressive treatment allows 50-60% of patients to survive without a liver transplant. However, if the cause is hepatitis B, other medications, herbal medicines, or folk remedies, the natural survival rate is only about 20% (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency data). Aside from the cause, older patients and those with severe hepatic encephalopathy have higher mortality rates.
How to protect your liver health?… "Be cautious with medications, folk remedies, and unfamiliar foods"
The key to preventing fatal liver failure is to be cautious with the medications or folk remedies mentioned above. Even with prescribed medications from a doctor, it is essential to follow the dosage guidelines and avoid overuse. Using folk remedies, herbal medicines, or unfamiliar foods recommended by others, claiming they are good for the body, can be very dangerous.
If you have hepatitis B virus, your risk of liver cancer is higher, so regular check-ups should be thorough and you should be careful with food intake. Damaging a healthy liver starts with excessive greed. There are few 'powerful medicines' that quickly improve your body. Maintaining liver health mainly involves moderating your diet and exercising regularly.
Gastrointestinal health is really important for our bodies, so we should also be careful and well-informed when taking common pain relievers and fever reducers.
Even with folk remedies or taking supplements, overuse can actually harm the body.
