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What Makes Your Liver Enlarge?

The liver sits on the right side of the body just behind the diaphragm. It is one of the most important organs when it comes to the proper functioning of the body. It is responsible for filtering the blood, it stores vitamins, it produces a substance called bile which is used to break down fats and it also stores glycogen which is what carbohydrates get converted to when they are consumed. When the liver becomes enlarged, it is not actually a disease, it is the result of another problem. With that being said, there are several things that can cause this to happen.

  1. Cancer

    • Leukemia is a type of cancer that is characterized by a high amount of white blood cells in the body. This condition generally targets the marrow in the bones but it can also cause the liver to become enlarged as well.

      Another form of cancer called metastatic cancer can also cause the liver to become enlarged. This is the result of cancer spreading to the liver when it is already seen at some other sight in the body.

    Hemochromatosis

    • Hemochromatosis is a condition where the body ends up storing too much iron when it is consumed from foods. After a while, this excess iron ends up collecting in the organs. Some of them include the pancreas, heart and especially the liver, which causes it to become enlarged. Being that iron is stored in blood, a way that this is treated is by getting blood drawn from the body to lower the levels.

    Alcohol

    • Alcohol is already known for many detrimental effects to the body. It impairs judgment, it impairs vision and it also increases the risk of cancer, heart disease and obesity. But perhaps one of its worst effects is the impact it can have on the liver. Continual consumption of alcohol in high amounts can cause a fatty liver and cirrhosis, which can end up scarring it and causing it to become enlarged.

    Hepatitis

    • Hepatitis is a condition in which the normal cells in the liver get overrun with abnormal cells that lead to inflammation. The types of hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D and hepatitis E. They are generally contracted through the ingestion of fecal matter or from the exchange of blood with an infected person. Any one of these forms of hepatitis can cause the liver to become enlarged.

    Infections

    • The Epstein Barr virus is what's responsible for a condition known as mononucleosis. When the body gets afflicted with mono, a battery of symptoms can develop including fatigue, fever, sore throat and a swollen liver. Mono is often times referred to as the kissing disease being that it is readily transmitted in saliva. But it can also be transmitted through the use of contaminated utensils or by breathing in the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes.

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