Dr. Vasil Koinarski has been part of the team of specialist at Vita Hospital and Vita diagnostics center since august of 2022. He is a gastroenterologist with over 8 years of medical experience. Dr. Koinarski’s professional interests are focused in the areas of: Ultrasound diagnostics and manipulations under ultrasound control and diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower endoscopy.
 
Dr. Koinarski, what type of organ is the liver and how important is it for the general condition of the human organism?
The liver is the largest gland in the body and has over 500 functions. It is flat, asymmetrical in shape and is located on the right just below the diaphragm. It’s mass represents about 2,5% of the total body weight. It is the largest organ after the skin and the most complex organ in the human body. Responsible for digestion, metabolism, thermoregulation, detoxification and blood clotting. The liver is the only part in the human body, that has the unique ability to regenerate itself. Research proves that even if only a quarter of it remains healthy it can successfully restore its function and size.
 
What have liver diseases become more common in recent times?
The lifestyle of people in recent years – the Covid epidemic, the in-door type of living, depressive states and improper nutrition made liver diseases a natural consequence of all this. If we also consider how the pandemic has affected regular medical examinations, there is no surprise, there has been a surge in liver diseases as of late. Here is a small list of harmful agents that are most common amongst people:

• Frequent virus and bacterial infections;
• Increased use of alcoholic beverages and chronic alcoholism
• Use of unhealthy and harmful foods
• Abuse of medicinal products
• Disturbed lipid profile
• Increased arterial pressure
• Accumulation of extra weight
• Diabetes and other serious accompanying diseases

If we observer the presence of one or more of these factors in ourselves or in our loved ones, it is good to consult a doctor, do the necessary examinations, tests and if necessary take quick measures to improve the condition of our liver.
 
What are the indications that we have a liver problem?
Symptoms that something is wrong with our liver are: heaviness and pain in the lower abdomen, insufficiently fast metabolism, unexplained weight gain, constant fatigue, lethargy and unexplained irritability.
 
Are symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, melancholy related to the condition of the liver?
When the human body is under a lot of stress and is congested, the liver fails to process the harmful substances and sends the toxins into the blood, which in turn sometimes accumulates them in the fat cells and at a later stage sends them to the brain. Then there are headaches, nausea, distraction and poor concentration, depression, polar change of moods between anger and indifference. So it is important to keep our liver healthy, because the healthier our liver is, the better our mental health will be as well.
 
What liver diseases are most common?
Liver damage can be different in severity and very diverse in its cause:

• Caused by infection: There are viral hepatitis A, B and C, Epstein-Barr virus infection, infectious mononucleosis, leptospirosis and many others;
• Liver cirrhosis: Liver cirrhosis develops as a result of chronic heavy damage to the liver, in which a large number of liver cells die and subsequently connective tissue develops at the site of the damage. Viable liver cells begin to split intensely and thus, together with the newly formed connective tissue start deforming and hardening the liver, disrupting its functions. The main reasons for developing liver cirrhosis are alcoholism, hepatitis B and C and liver damage caused by medications. 
• Liver cancer: It is a severe disease with a poor prognosis and high mortality. Amongst the causes of its occurrence are liver cirrhosis as a result of hepatitis B and C, systemic alcohol abuse, contact with some carcinogenic and other substances harmful to the body.

 
Hemangiomas of the liver: Hemangiomas are benign tumors originating from blood vessels. They usually have a good prognosis and do not require treatment, but I still recommend periodic ultrasound control of their size.
 

• Parasitic cysts: They are caused by canine tapeworm parasites. With it, the parasite forms cysts most often in the liver, where it multiplies.
• Fatty liver: Hepatic steatosis is a common condition characterized by the deposition of excess fat in the liver. It is most often asymptomatic and if not addressed promptly, can lead to liver damage. Fortunately, the disease is preventable and treatable through lifestyle and dietary changes.

 
How can we restore good liver health?
The liver is an extremely special organ, as we said, because it is able to regenerate itself. This means that many of its problems are solvable as long as we change our lifestyle and take the necessary measures. Among the first steps we can take in this direction is to improve our physical condition, through exercising daily at a minimum of 20 minutes and if we are in a good shape – even more.
 
Making adjustments to improve our diet, limiting the intake of too fatty and heavy friend food, salt and products with a high glycemic index.

It is important that our menu includes green vegetables, as they are able to reduce fatty liver. Our diet should also include coffee, Brazil nuts, garlic and peanuts, because all of them not only contain ingredients, vitamins and minerals useful for the liver, but also have a powerful antioxidant effect, help detoxify and normalize fat metabolism.
It is good to stop or reduce to a minimum the consumption of alcohol, as well as to control the intake of medications, that may have an effect on our health.

Regular examinations and consultations with a specialist doctor are mandatory.
 
We, the specialist gastroenterologists from Vita, are at your disposal for questions and consultations. You can book an appointment through our number and on superdoc.bg