Contents:
- Medical Video: 6 Early Warning Signs Of Liver Damage
- What are the functions of the liver?
- What is the effect of the drug on the liver?
- What medications are at risk of causing liver damage?
Medical Video: 6 Early Warning Signs Of Liver Damage
Drugs are needed when you are sick, mildly ill or seriously ill. In fact, there are some of you who may depend on certain drugs to control your pain. However, you should use the drug in accordance with the instructions for use. Drugs that are not used according to instructions can damage organs in your body, including the liver. The liver is one of the organs involved in drug metabolism in the body. So, the effect of drugs on the liver can occur.
What are the functions of the liver?
The liver is an organ located in the upper right part of the abdominal cavity, below the diaphragm and above the stomach, right kidney and intestine. This organ plays a role in controlling the chemical levels in the blood and secretes bile (which plays an important role in breaking down and absorbing fat in the body). The liver is also involved in various metabolites of nutrients (fats, carbohydrates and proteins), drugs, supplements, and others that you consume. As well as, it helps in removing waste substances that are no longer used by the body.
Blood containing nutrients from food and chemicals from drugs is cleansed in the liver. This is done by converting potentially dangerous chemicals into harmless substances. Then, this substance is released along with bile to be removed from the body along with feces, or released by the kidneys to be removed from the body with urine.
What is the effect of the drug on the liver?
The liver breaks down the medication you drink into a form that is more easily absorbed and used by the body. Chemicals that are not used by the body from these drugs are then released by the liver to be removed from the body. Thus, the liver has an important role in the process of drug metabolism in the body. If the use of drugs damages the liver, this can interfere with the normal functioning of the liver and also interfere with various metabolisms in the body.
Medications can cause liver disease in several ways. Some drugs can directly damage the liver, and some other drugs can be converted by the liver into chemicals that can cause liver injury directly or indirectly.
There are three ways how the drug can damage the liver, which depends on the dose of the drug, the susceptibility of one's liver to the drug, and drug allergies. In very rare cases, a person can experience a rare tendency that makes his heart vulnerable to certain drugs.
The effects of drugs on the liver usually do not cause harm if taken as recommended. Medicines that are known to be harmful, especially for people with liver disease, usually include warnings about their use for people with liver disorders. Get used to always read the rules of use before taking medicine.
What medications are at risk of causing liver damage?
There are several drugs that can damage the liver if used excessively. One of them is acetaminophen. This medicine is available without a doctor's prescription, so you can use it whenever you want. However, you should consider how to use the drug.
Acetaminophen which is consumed too much at one time or taken in high doses continuously for several days (more than 3-5 days) can cause liver damage. For those of you who are healthy, you are advised not to consume acetaminophen more than 1000 mg per drink or no more than 3000 mg per day.
Besides drugs, supplements and herbal medicines can also cause liver damage. Moreover, testing supplements and herbal medicines is usually not as stringent as drug testing before being released to the market. So, the potential danger might be greater for your health.
We recommend that you do not take supplements or herbal medicines that have not been proven safe through clinical trials. Even if proven safe, do not consume excessively. Remember, always read the rules of use.
