Your liver is vital in keeping toxins and chemicals away from your blood, as well as producing the bile and proteins for blood clotting that your body needs.
Without this important organ, processes like digesting and absorbing food would be in disarray.
The colon and rectum also take part in the body’s digestive process, especially in bowel movements. The colon absorbs water and stores digestive by-products, which move into the rectum until it’s ready for excretion.
Liver and colorectal problems can take a turn for the worse if left untreated. To know more about treatment for liver and colorectal problems visit The Hospital at Maayo.
Unfortunately, there are diseases stemming from unhealthy habits and previous medical conditions that target these organs and affect their primary functions.
In the three episodes of Maayong Adlaw, Doc! with The Hospital at Maayo’s Dr. Herlyn Dumaguin and Dr. Lawrence Chad U. Liu, informative discussions shed light on three liver and colorectal diseases which can become bigger problems if left untreated.
Dr. Dumaguin is a gastroenterologist, while Dr. Liu is a physician specializing in gastroenterology and general and transplant hepatology. Dr. Liu is also the chief operating officer of The Hospital at Maayo, a modern, clean, and safe hospital providing a hassle-free healthcare experience in Cebu with its world-class hospitality, accommodations, and amenities.
With their medical expertise, here are the points they raised about three common liver and colorectal problems you should watch out for.
Colorectal cancer
Among the top causes of cancer in the Philippines is colorectal cancer, which occurs when “cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control.” Although it was previously thought to be seen in people older than 50 years old due to the body’s natural aging process, this disease has significantly increased in cases among young people as well, according to Dr. Liu.
90 percent of colorectal cancer cases are not inherited from family, and possible risk factors for this illness include smoking and alcohol drinking. Thankfully, colorectal cancer is a preventable disease.
Common symptoms of colorectal cancer include changes in bowel and stool appearance or habits, bowel movement with blood, unexplained weight loss, and abdominal discomfort. Upon spotting these symptoms, you should consult a doctor so that chances of colorectal cancer can be detected right away. Those who are older than 45 years old should also get screened for colorectal cancer with a colonoscopy, which is available at many facilities in Cebu.
Learn more about colorectal cancer here:
Viral hepatitis
There are two most common types of hepatitis that can cause long-term disease: Hepatitis B, which is found in 1 out of 10 Filipinos, and hepatitis C, which is found in 1 out of 200 Filipinos. Most people will have no symptoms of either types of hepatitis until complications happen. This includes chronic illnesses like liver cancer and cirrhosis—a condition in which the liver is scarred and permanently damaged. As the scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue, it prevents a cirrhosis patient’s liver from functioning normally.
Hepatitis B can be transmitted through blood and body fluids. In the Philippines, the most common way of contracting this disease is through transmission from an infected mother to their baby. However, a person can also get infected through sexual contact and exposure to contaminated blood. As a precaution, make sure to always ask your partners about their medical conditions or health issues.
Hepatitis B is preventable, which makes it important for everybody to get a screening test for it at least once in their lifetime. Affordable treatment for hepatitis B is also available.
Meanwhile, hepatitis C is usually transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. Hence, you should take a screening test for hepatitis C infection if you have been exposed to someone else’s blood. Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C is preventable and world-class treatment for it is available.
Learn more about viral hepatitis here:
Fatty liver
Fatty liver is estimated to be in 25 percent, or 1 out of 4 Filipinos. Common causes of this disease are regular alcohol drinking, diabetes, high cholesterol, and excess weight.
Like hepatitis, most people don’t experience symptoms of fatty liver until complications like liver cancer and cirrhosis arise. That’s why if you have any of the aforementioned causes of fatty liver, you should consult a gastroenterologist and get screened. For most cases, fatty liver can be cured by treating the disease’s cause itself.
Learn more about fatty liver here:
Liver and colorectal problems can take a turn for the worse if left untreated. Like the case for colorectal cancer, viral hepatitis, and fatty liver, complications of these illnesses can become long-term and life-threatening, so it is important to prevent and detect these diseases as early as possible.
To know more about treatment for liver and colorectal problems at The Hospital at Maayo, visit their Facebook page at The Hospital at Maayo or website at www.thehospitalatmaayo.com. You can also call them at (032) 888 2662 or 0998 962 1234.
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