Hepatic encephalopathy, also called hepatic encephalopathy, is a condition caused by a diseased liver. For example, the liver is diseased by cirrhosis. Patients’ brain function is affected. There are different stages in which the sick patient can be and these stages are expressed in degrees. Excessive alcohol consumption and medications are some causes of the disease. Symptoms may include insomnia, behavioral changes and concentration problems. With the right treatment one can be completely cured.
About hepatic encephalopathy
Hepatic encephalopathy – also called hepatic encephalopathy – is a condition caused by a diseased liver. The condition occurs when the liver functions abnormally. This abnormal functioning of the liver may be caused, among other things, by cirrhosis. Cirrhosis usually occurs due to excessive alcohol consumption. The liver’s job is to remove toxins from the blood. If the liver is damaged, toxins will remain in the blood. This affects the patient’s brain function, making the complaints mainly psychological in nature. Hepatic encephalopathy is characterized, among other things, by mental disorders, but is a complicated syndrome.
Liver and cirrhosis
The liver is a very important organ in our body. The liver has many different functions. It contributes to our metabolism by converting sugars, fats and proteins, but it also ensures that toxins are removed from our body. These toxins are medicines, alcohol and drugs. An excessive intake of these substances can lead to reduced liver function. This is, for example, the case with the liver disease cirrhosis. Cirrhosis attacks the extremely fine liver tissue and allows connective tissue to take its place. This process is irreversible and causes permanent damage to the liver. Considering the number of functions of the liver, this damage is dangerous for the functioning of the entire body. It is not without reason that cirrhosis is an important cause of death in the 45 to 65 age group.
Ammonia
One of the toxins that the liver must remove from the blood is ammonia. Ammonia can damage the brain. Reduced liver function, for example due to cirrhosis, reduces the breakdown of ammonia. Therefore, it is believed that the main cause of hepatic encephalopathy is increased ammonia levels in the blood. However, other products that should normally be broken down by the liver may also play a role.
Causes
The causes of hepatic encephalopathy have already been mentioned above. Liver dysfunction is the general cause, but this dysfunction is determined by several other causes. In general, excessive alcohol use is also seen as a very important cause. But a serious infection of the liver can also cause hepatic encephalopathy. Eating a lot of protein-rich food can also be seen as a cause. After all, the liver has to break down many of these products. Medicines can also be the cause of hepatic encephalopathy.
Symptoms
The main symptom of hepatic encephalopathy is impaired brain function. Patients become less aware of certain situations and seem to dream away a bit. The patient’s thinking and behavior can also be affected. In addition, mood swings may also occur. Insomnia is also an important symptom. The condition is classified into different degrees . Certain symptoms indicate grade 1 of the disease, also known as the least severe stage of the disease. At grade 4, the patient is in an advanced stage of the disease. Below are the symptoms per degree of the disease.
Grade 1
- Insomnia
- Exaggerated behavior
- Shortened attention span
- Uncoordinated muscle activity
Grade 2
- More insomnia
- Reduced orientation ability
- Loss of sense of time, concentration and arithmetic skills
- Worsening of uncoordinated muscle activity as well as slurred speech and writing
Grade 3
- Excessive behavior
- Major personality changes
- Sleep problems in an even worse stage
- Almost no ability to concentrate anymore
Grade 4
- Unconsciousness
- No personality traits
- Coma
In most cases it is difficult to recognize the symptoms and link them to this disease.
Therapy
First of all, the doctor will look for the cause of the mental dysfunction. If he determines that hepatic encephalopathy is the cause, he quickly turns to the liver. After all, a diseased liver causes hepatic encephalopathy. The cause of the diseased liver is being examined. This could be an infection or a certain medicine that the patient is taking. It could also be cirrhosis, but the doctor cannot do anything about that. The doctor can then at most remove certain other factors that cause complications due to the presence of cirrhosis. For example, the patient may have hepatic encephalopathy due to a certain infection. This infection could only occur because the patient had cirrhosis, which weakened the liver. The infection can be controlled and thus hepatic encephalopathy can be controlled, but the cirrhosis cannot be controlled but in this case it was indirectly responsible for hepatic encephalopathy.In addition, it is important to limit the absorption of ammonia by the body. By doing this, hepatic encephalopathy can be slightly reduced or at least not worsened. A reduced protein intake may help initially. But an increased intake of fiber and vegetables also ensures that less ammonia is absorbed into the body.The appropriate treatment depends on the symptoms and causes of the disease. For example, completely cleaning the liver can also be useful. Total cure of hepatic encephalopathy is possible, but usually people will continue to experience some of the consequences of the disease.