How is Your Liver?
When you look at yourself in the mirror, are the whites of your eyes yellow? If so, it is possible that you could have some trouble with your liver. Your skin can also turn a pale shade of orange or yellow if your liver is not functioning correctly. This condition is called Jaundice and can also be a sign of trouble with your gallbladder. Your liver has a main function of producing bile and when this is not working properly, jaundice will be the main sign of liver disease symptoms. If you feel that you might have jaundice and it is accompanied by flu symptoms, then you should get to your doctor to be tested for a possible gall bladder infection.
In the traditional oriental medicine, there are two types of jaundice: Yang jaundice and Yin Jaundice. If you have the Yin jaundice, you will know because your face, eyes and skin will all turn yellow. Your appetite will be poor, you will have a high fever with loose stools and cold hands and feet. You may also notice fatigue, distention of your abdomen, palpitation, swelling and burping. In the Yang jaundice you will be thirsty, constipated with abdominal distention and have a yellow tongue. The whole body can take on the color of a tangerine and oriental medicine tells us that this condition comes from too much moist heat.
There is another type of liver disease that is said to be genetic and has to do with the ability of the liver to rid the body of excess copper. Copper is needed in the body and a small amount that comes from some foods is good for us and keeps us healthy. If the body has too much copper, then can build up in not just the liver but in brain as well. It can also collect in the eyes and other organs as well. If this is excess copper is not removed, it can lead to organ damage and can be life threatening.
This condition is called Wilson disease and is caused by the presence of two abnormal copies of the gene called ATP7B. There does not need to be any family history of liver disease when this is diagnosed in a patient. This disease is found equally in men and women and usually shows symptoms between the ages of five and thirty-five. Although there have been reported cases in children as young as two and the elderly as old as seventy-two.
