Dr. Pathik Parikh Hepatologist and Liver Transplant Physician

  Intermittent fasting (IF) has gained popularity in recent years as a potential strategy for managing various health conditions, including fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver. It can range from simple fatty liver (steatosis) to a more severe condition called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can lead to liver inflammation and scarring (fibrosis). There is some evidence to suggest that intermittent fasting may be beneficial for individuals with fatty liver disease, although more research is needed to fully understand its efficacy and safety. Here are some key points to consider: Weight Loss: Intermittent fasting may lead to weight loss, which is a primary goal in managing fatty liver disease. Losing excess weight can help reduce the fat buildup in the liver and improve liver function. Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Intermittent fasting may improve insuli...

  Diet plays a crucial role in managing cirrhosis, a condition where the liver becomes scarred and damaged due to long-term injury. A cirrhosis-friendly diet focuses on reducing the workload on the liver, preventing further damage, and providing essential nutrients. It is essential to consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before making any significant changes to your diet. Here are some general dietary guidelines for cirrhosis: Limit Sodium Intake: Excessive sodium can lead to fluid retention and worsen swelling (edema) and ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen). Aim to reduce salt intake and avoid high-sodium processed foods. 2. Manage Fluid Intake: If you have fluid retention, your doctor may recommend restricting your fluid intake. This can help control edema and ascites. 3. Consume Adequate Protein: Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass and supporting the liver’s function. However, in advanced cirrhosis, the liver’s ability to process ...

  Complications of Liver Cirrhosis Liver Cirrhosis means permanent irreversible damage to most of the liver. The complications develop when more than 80% of functioning parenchyma is lost. As liver has more than 500 functions, the complications are not limited to one or two systems but has systemic effects. Complications of Liver Cirrhosis should be managed in a tertiary care setup where multiple specialists are available round the clock. We describe complications of liver cirrhosis for all patients to comprehend in simple language.   best liver cancer doctors in ahmedabad 1. Ascites – Fluid accumulation in the tummy This is a common feature of cirrhosis.It is an accumulation of excessive fluid within the peritoneal cavity due to the increased plasma volume ‘spilling over’ into the abdominal cavity. This isusually accompanied by swelling of the feet (Edema). Whenever you develop fluid in your tummy for the first time, you need a needle aspiration and testing. You also need to ...

  Liver is the largest internal organ of our body and has more than 500 functions. Considering the significance of liver, we expect it to cause symptoms even with minimal injury. However, liver is quite resilient with tremendous regenerating capacity and hence, symptoms do not appear till very late. Even with ongoing liver damage, liver tries to cope up by not only enhancing the function of remaining liver but also be growth of the liver tissue. Based on the acuity of liver damage we can get symptoms. When the liver suffers from acute insult, there are symptoms seen frequently (as we see with routine viral hepatitis). However, if it is chronic or gradual long standing damage, there would be no symptoms. Symptoms only develop in such situation when liver failure begins. We divide symptoms and signs of liver damage in three subgroups   A)  Acute Hepatitis – The symptoms are known to every one of us. The most common cause is viral hepatitis A or E. Patients initially have lo...

What do you mean by cirrhosis of liver? In medical terms cirrhosis is diffuse irreversible damage to liver parenchyma. In the current era, it is irreversible. That means that the damage to the liver has crossed the point of no return. Although, you can remain stable with cirrhosis, you cannot cure or reverse cirrhosis of liver.  Under normal circumstances, liver is smooth and soft to touch. In cirrhosis your liver becomes hard and irregular and rough. In simple terms, it means, your liver is damaged. How does cirrhosis affect your body? Liver performs more than 500 functions. So when you develop cirrhosis, these functions start decreasing. Some of these functions include cleaning of toxic byproducts of your body, metabolizing all the food that you eat, storing important vitamins and even forming proteins necessary for life. Besides, all the blood from your tummy (including from your intestines), drain through the liver into the heart. In cirrhosis this draina...

Water gets accumulated in your tummy (abdomen) as a part of a disease. It is known medically as Ascites. Most common reason for ascites is Liver Disease. Although, local disease of tummy (Peritoneum), Kidney, Heart can cause water accumulation in your tummy, by far the most important reason is Liver. If there is water in your tummy there is 85% chance that you have Liver Disease. What causes Ascites? There are many causes, but the most common are mentioned here Liver Disease, Cirrhosis, Liver Cancer, Liver Failure Cancer Malignancy Kidney Disease Heart Disease Infections Tuberculosis What are the symptoms of Ascites? As the fluid gets collected very gradually, you may realize it only after weeks that you are having symptoms of Ascites Heaviness of stomach Distension of stomach Bloating Appetite getting lower (Tummy feel full all the time) Breathlessness Swelling of feet may accompany How can we diagnose Ascites? Ultrasound – Even before you realize it, a ...

The answer is yes and no. It indeed is a liver problem and it indicated that there is fat accumulated in your liver. However, it is not just a  liver problem  and it is one of the manifestations of a complete metabolic problem. Liver is a store house. Whatever we eat, the excess amount is converted to fat and is stored in the liver. If on a daily basis, we have a positive balance between calories we eat and calories we burn, the difference is converted to fat and stored in the liver. Over a period of time the fat accumulated to such a great extent that it starts damaging your liver cells and they start dying. This is the time when your liver function tests start becoming abnormal. If no corrective action is taken at that moment, the liver tries healing itself with abnormal fibrosis and eventually it becomes cirrhosis. Once cirrhosis happens, it is irreversible and can then lead to all complications like blood in vomit, blood in stools, abnormal behavior, fluid accumula...

Liver  as you all know it, is not only the second largest organ of the body after skin, but also a major organ for metabolizing. Whatever we eat goes to liver before reaching anywhere else in the body. The liver stores the excess energy as fat and condensed glucose known as glycogen. So whenever we eat excessively, the energy is stored in liver as fat. If we continue to do so for months and years together, the liver starts accumulating fat and enlarges in size. A point comes when liver no longer can take it and starts undergoing destruction. What is Fatty Liver? Whenever the fat accumulation in liver crosses 5% of liver weight it is known as fatty liver. Though in last century alcohol was believed to be the major cause of fatty liver, the diet and lifestyle is rapidly becoming the major cause of fatty liver now. The disease is known as non alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD. Once it starts destroying liver it is called as steatohepatitis or NASH. Who is likely to ha...

Blood in stools is a common symptom. Many of the individuals face it once in a while. But if it is a recurrent symptom, Ulcerative colitis is a  disease  that needs to be ruled out. Intestine is divided into two main parts- small and large. Large intestine is the last one metre of the intestine which helps not only in forming stools but also storing it till the time we evacuate during our routine defecation. What is Ulcerative Colitis? It is a type of disease where the last part of our intestine gets damaged by our own immune cells and is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease or in common terms, IBD. The other types of IBD are Crohn’s Disease and Microscopic Colitis. In ulcerative colitis, the lining of the large intestine gets damaged and ulcerated. Once it gets ulcerated it starts oozing blood. Who is likely to have it? Ulcerative colitis is common among young individuals of both the sexes, though, no age is protected from it. The exact cause of ulcerative colitis...