by Penny Phillip

Created on: December 11, 2008

In Greek mythology, the titan Prometheus was punished for stealing fire from the gods by being tied to a stake. Every night, an eagle would come and feast on his liver, which then regenerated itself only to be fed upon the next night.

The moral of the story is that the liver, metabolic engine of the body, has a great capacity to repair itself. Some insults overcome that natural ability for self-repair and result in permanent damage which may eventually lead to liver failure and the need for a liver transplant.

One common cause of liver damage, and perhaps the best known, is alcohol abuse. Not only does chronic over-indulgence in alcohol have a deleterious effect on the liver, but binge drinking can be equally bad. So despite common misconceptions, it is not any less harmful to the body, to restrict heavy drinking to the weekends.

Viral hepatitis A, B, C, D or E may lead to liver damage. In particular Hepatitis C and B may result in chronic liver disease and eventually liver failure. Less commonly, other viruses may also cause hepatitis.

Drugs, legal or illegal, are also frequently implicated in liver damage. Tylenol, when taken in excessive doses or in the presence of other liver disease, may harm the liver. Certain other prescription drugs, even when taken in recommended doses, may cause liver damage as a side-effect.

Even herbal preparations are not immune from the potential to wreak havoc on the liver; examples are ginseng, penny royal oil and kava. Illegal drugs such as ecstasy or cocaine can also have harmful effects on the liver. Toxins in the environment e.g. organic solvents, or in food e.g. a type of poisonous mushroom, may cause injury to the liver.

Less commonly known cause of liver damage, include nutritional states of excess such as obesity or of deprivation, such as starvation. In fact, the obesity epidemic has been associated with increase in a condition called fatty liver where there is excessive accumulation of fat in the liver. A number of inherited diseases may also lead to liver damage and even liver failure.

The common end-point of many or these causes of liver damage mentioned above, is permanent interference with the liver's function; in some cases a liver transplant is eventually needed. This sequence of events may be avoidable if people take steps to avoid placing themselves at unnecessary risk of liver damage. Prometheus' story was, after all, just a myth.

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