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An Overview of the Liver
The liver is the largest internal organ. It is reddish-brown, weighs approximately three pounds (in the adult male) and is about the size of a football. It is located behind the ribcage on the upper right side of the abdomen. The liver has the unique ability to regenerate its own tissue—as much as three-quarters of the liver can be lost, and the organ can grow back or expand to its original size within several weeks. This allows people who need transplants to receive part of a living or deceased donor’s liver.
Acetaminophen and Your Liver
The pain-reliever acetaminophen–also known as paracetamol (APAP)–is one of the best-selling over-the-counter medications, used by more than 200 million Americans a year. It is sold under many brand names, including Tylenol, and is an ingredient in nearly 600 medications, both over-the-counter (such as Excedrin, Midol, NyQuil, and Sudafed) and prescription (such as Vicodin and Percocet).
Stress and the Liver
It is an established fact that stress can have a negative impact on both mind and body. A lot of negative stress can lead to mental, emotional and physical exhaustion. People with hepatitis C often comment that a period of stress usually leads to a ‘flare-up’ of symptoms, especially fatigue. Surprisingly, there is a wealth of information about how stress can affect liver disease. This fact sheet will cover some of the data from a review article titled “Does Stress Exacerbate Liver Disease?” by Y. Chida and colleagues, and sheds some light on the effects of stress on liver disease as well as raising some interesting questions.
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