What Causes an Enlarged Liver? - What if Liver Size Increases

1. The liver is a vital organ in our body. It takes care of some of the body's most crucial functions, such as blood cholesterol regulation, filtration of toxins from the blood, and much more.
2. This very role of the liver makes it susceptible to toxin overload, which can lead to inflammation in the liver. This condition is widely known as Liver Hepatitis.
3. When the liver is swollen beyond its normal size, it is said to be an enlarged liver or hepatomegaly in medical terms. One can say that enlarged liver is not just a disease but more of a symptom of underlying health conditions, such as obesity, viral hepatitis, autoimmune diseases, genetic disorders, liver lesion, etc. However, as far as the liver's health is concerned, it is a liver disease.
4. There could be numerous complications related to hepatomegaly. If you have any such issues, you must meet with your healthcare provider to address them.

The symptoms of an enlarged liver are mild, and you wouldn't notice them most of the time. Sometimes, you may not even understand why your liver is enlarged, as you may not have any visible symptoms.

The following are some of the symptoms of an enlarged liver:

1. Feeling of fullness.
2. Constant discomfort in your stomach.
3. Symptoms of jaundice include yellowing skin, eyes, and urine.
4. Constant weakness, exhaustion, and fatigue.
5. Nausea.
6. Weight loss.

There are many potential causes of an enlarged liver. Below are some of the most common causes of liver enlargement in adults.

Liver Diseases

1. Liver Cirrhosis: This end-stage liver disease replaces the healthy liver tissue with scar tissues.
2. Viral hepatitis: This disease can damage the liver and cause inflammation. There are different types of hepatitis caused by viruses, such as A, B, C, D, and E. The A and C viruses are found to cause severe infections, while the others cause chronic and acute infections.
3. Alcohol-related fatty liver disease: This liver disease develops due to excessive alcohol consumption. This can cause the enlargement of the liver.
4. Non-alcohol-related fatty liver disease: There are many reasons, such as diabetes and a high-fat diet, that can cause an enlarged liver. 
5. Liver lesions: Liver cysts, liver cancer, and benign liver tumours are a few examples of this type of medical condition to cause an enlarged liver.
6. Amyloidosis: Amyloidosis is a condition where amyloid, a type of protein, builds up in a person’s organs. The protein can accumulate in the liver and be a reason for enlarged liver.
7. Steatosis: When fat starts to deposit in your liver, it is called steatosis in medical terms. It can happen for various reasons, such as obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, alcohol disorders, type 2 diabetes, hepatitis, etc.
8. Wilson’s disease: This genetic disorder causes the deposit of copper in one’s liver. The accumulation of copper can lead to an enlarged liver if not diagnosed and treated.

Heart Diseases

1. Heart failure: Heart failure is another major cause of an enlarged liver. Heart conditions can put unnecessary pressure on the portal vein, which is one of the most important veins. The portal vein is also responsible for pumping blood to the liver, and when heart failures occur, due to the increased pressure, over a while, the liver may suffer, leading to cause an enlarged liver.
2. Congestive heart failure: This is when a person's heart fails to pump as well as it needs to. This can be due to weakened or weakening muscles in the heart's wall. This is one of many enlarged liver causes.

Cancer

1. Cancer: cancer that first develops in another part area of the body and spreads to the liver.
2. Liver Cancer: This type of cancer affects the liver cells, as the liver cells start to proliferate and in an uncontrolled manner. This leads to enlargement of the liver.
3. Lymphoma: This type of cancer affects the entire lymphatic network of a person’s body. Cancer causes severe damage to the person's internal organs and can lead to an enlarged liver.

Autoimmune diseases

1. Are caused by an individual's immune system attacking its healthy tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis is one such example, and it can be a reason for an enlarged disease.

Genetic disorders

1. Many genetic disorders can result in the accumulation of fat, protein and other substances in an individual's liver, which can directly lead to hepatomegaly.

Although enlarged livers are often seen as an adult health condition, it is also prevalent in infants for various reasons. The causes of the enlarged liver in infants are as varied as in the case of adults. Some of the causes of the enlarged liver in infants are:

1. Infection
2. Viral Hepatitis 
3. Heart problems
4. Low blood flow to the liver due to other medical conditions
5. Diseases of the bile ducts, such as biliary atresia
6. Inherited metabolic diseases
7. Genetic disorders 
8. Autoimmune diseases

However, many treatment methods are available to treat these conditions in infants as well.

You can be at a higher risk of developing enlarged liver if you have the following issues:

1. Excessive Alcohol: If a person consumes alcohol excessively, the chances of enlargement of the liver are high. 
2. Obesity: One of the most common reasons for enlarged liver is obesity. This condition is when your body has more fat than needed, which risks your health. Obesity is a grave situation, and enlarged liver is only one of the issues associated with obesity.
3. Abuse of medications and supplements: Taking health and vitamin supplements or large amounts of over-the-counter medications can also elevate the risk of liver enlargement. 
   1. Another reason for increasing the risk of an enlarged liver is the overuse of acetaminophen. An overdose of acetaminophen can result in acute failure of the liver and contribute significantly to an enlarged liver.
4. Herbal supplements: If you are a person that takes herbal supplements, you should show caution about the same. Certain supplements like valerian, cohosh, etc., can stress the liver’s health.
5. Infections: Bacterial, viral or parasitic infections can also increase the risk of liver enlargement. As the liver is primarily involved in removing toxins from the blood, this functionality can be affected when the liver is infected. And this can cause further liver damage and lead to serious health complications.
6. Poor eating habits: A poor diet can put your liver at extreme risk. Consuming food with large amounts of salt, sugar, and fat can be dangerous to your liver.
7. Other health problems: In addition to the above-discussed risks, there are plenty of health risks and conditions that an enlarged liver can also cause. Some of them include high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease. All these diseases can, if left untreated, certainly grow to become life-threatening for the individual.

The first step of any diagnostic procedure to understand if you have an enlarged liver is a physical examination by your doctor. However, other types of diagnosis include:

1. Blood tests
2. CT scan
3. MRI scans
4. Ultrasound scan
5. Liver biopsy

Based on the diagnosis, treatment plans can be charted out with a healthy diet, a suitable exercise regime, etc.

1. If the enlarged liver results from fatty liver disease, treatment may involve weight loss, exercise, and a healthy diet.
2. When the enlarged liver cause is alcoholism mainly, treatment may involve abstaining from alcohol, as well as nutritional support and counselling.
3. Sometimes, the enlarged liver is due to hepatitis. In such cases, treatment may include antiviral medications, immunosuppressive drugs, or a liver transplant.
4. There are instances when medications may not be enough to manage an enlarged liver. You may need to make lifestyle modifications and adjustments, such as:
   1. Stop drinking alcohol.
   2. Exercising.
   3. Indulging yourself in enough physical activities.

Enlarged liver is a condition where the liver has abnormally increased in size. The causes can be benign or malignant, but most often, it is due to fatty liver disease. However, what is important is that when you have any issues consult a doctor immediately. This will help your doctor uncover the cause and recommend the best treatment to cure the issue in its early stage itself. 

If you want the best and most qualified professionals to diagnose and treat your enlarged liver, HexaHealth is the ideal platform. HexaHealth has brought together the best healthcare professionals and institutes from all parts of the country in diverse healthcare practices to create a strong network of healthcare options.

The network helps patients not only find the best doctors and healthcare institutes but also seek all the help they need in determining the best treatment plans, health coverages, and expenses.