What does it mean when an organ in our body fails? (Organ Failure) Let's talk about this!

When someone tells us they have "organ failure," our hearts immediately race, right? It's a scary word. But it's important for us all to be aware of what it means, why it happens, and what can be done. So today, let's talk about it simply, in a way that you can understand.

What exactly is organ failure?

Simply put, organ failure is when one or more of your body's vital organs stop working properly. This can happen gradually over time (what we call chronic failure), or it can happen suddenly (what we call acute failure).

Imagine, we have some organs in our body that are essential for us to survive. These are what we call vital organs . When such an organ starts to fail, we need outside help to do the work that that organ needs to do. Sometimes with such help, the organ can recover. But sometimes it doesn't. When the organ failure reaches the final stage, it can even be life-threatening.

What essential organs can fail?

Several of the major, essential organs in our body may become dysfunctional in this way.

Liver

Your liver is an amazing organ. It does hundreds of jobs. The most important of which is to filter toxins from the blood. Liver failure can happen suddenly or gradually over time.

Kidneys

The kidneys are the ones that remove waste products from your blood as urine. They also keep the body's fluid and electrolytes in balance. Kidney failure can occur suddenly or over a long period of time. In our country, conditions like diabetes and hypertension are more likely to damage the kidneys.

Heart

The heart is what pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout our bodies. When the heart starts to weaken, it affects the entire body. In heart failure , the heart's function can decrease suddenly (acute heart failure), or it can gradually worsen over time (congestive heart failure).

Lungs

The lungs are the most important part of our respiratory system. They are the ones that supply oxygen to every tissue in the body. Respiratory failure can be sudden or long-term.

Small intestine

The small intestine absorbs most of the nutrients our body needs from the food we eat. If the small intestine fails, the body may not get enough nutrients and conditions such as malnutrition may develop.

Brain

The brain is the one that tells all the other organs in our body to do their jobs. Some degenerative brain diseases can cause the brain to gradually fail. Acute brain failure is a process called brain death . If the brain or brainstem dies, the other organs also gradually fail.

Sometimes, not just one organ, but several organs can fail at once. Doctors also call this multiple organ failure , total organ failure , or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome .

What exactly is sensory loss?

When we say "organ failure," we think that the organ has completely stopped working. But that's the end stage. What it really means is that the organ is at a point where it can't do its full job. That is, it's not working properly , it's only doing part of its job. As the amount of work decreases, we need more and more help from outside. In acute failure, this help may be needed suddenly, and it may even be temporary. In chronic failure, a long-term plan is needed.

What happens when an organ fails?

Chronic organ failure usually progresses through several stages. Doctors define these stages slightly differently for each organ. There are usually four or five stages. The last one or two of these are considered "end-stages." By now, the organ has been severely damaged and its function has greatly diminished. To survive, you will need artificial life support or an organ transplant .

Acute organ failure either begins in these final stages or progresses to them very quickly. It requires immediate treatment. However, acute multi-organ failure can occur in several stages. Because our vital organs help each other, sometimes when one organ fails, it can cause a chain reaction that can lead to the failure of other organs as well.

How do we feel when we have sensory loss?

Many organ failures have several common symptoms:

• Feeling weak, dizzy, or tired.
• Drowsiness or loss of consciousness.
• Difficulty concentrating, confusion.
• The food is tasteless.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Rapid, shallow breathing.
• Fast or irregular heartbeat.
• Fever, chills.
• Swelling of the limbs or abdomen.
• Persistent chest or abdominal pain.

In addition to these, there are other symptoms related to specific sensory dysfunctions. For example:

• Yellowing of your skin and eyes ( jaundice – this happens when the liver fails).
• A blue color under your lips and fingernails ( cyanosis – this can occur with respiratory or heart failure).

Why does this organ malfunction? What are the reasons?

There are several main causes of organ failure.

Chronic diseases

Chronic diseases can gradually damage your organs over time. Some diseases are present at birth, while others develop later in life. Once a chronic disease develops, it usually doesn't completely heal. But there are ways to minimize the damage. This damage can build up and take years to affect an organ's function or require treatment.

• Chronic liver disease: For example, diseases such as fatty liver disease and hepatitis C can cause chronic liver failure.
• Chronic kidney disease: Conditions such as glomerulonephritis and polycystic kidney disease can lead to chronic kidney failure. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are also major causes.
• Chronic heart disease: Things like coronary artery disease and congenital heart disease can gradually lead to heart failure.
• Chronic intestinal diseases: Chronic inflammatory bowel conditions, such as Crohn's disease , and intestinal pseudo-obstruction can cause chronic intestinal dysfunction.
• Chronic respiratory diseases: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can cause chronic respiratory failure.
• Long-term degenerative brain diseases: Diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease cause long-term brain dysfunction ( dementia) .

Traumatic injury

If you have a serious injury to one of your organs, it can lead to acute organ failure. Sometimes, even if the organ heals, if the injury has caused permanent damage, it can lead to chronic organ failure. This means that the organ can no longer function as well as it used to. A severe accident that affects the whole body can cause shock , which stops all the blood flowing to all of your organs. This can lead to sudden, multiple-organ failure.

• If a large part of your small intestine is surgically removed, often due to disease (this is called short bowel syndrome) , it is a major cause of permanent small bowel dysfunction.
• There is no clear evidence that traumatic brain injury causes chronic brain failure. However, it can cause brain death (acute brain failure) .

Toxic injury

Toxins can cause both acute and chronic organ damage. They can affect any or all of your vital organs. They can come from things in the environment, from bacterial infections that produce toxins in your body, or from things you eat. Our liver and kidneys filter small amounts of toxins from your blood every day. If they don’t work properly, these toxins can build up in your body and damage other organs.

• Long-term drug or alcohol use can cause permanent liver failure ( toxic hepatitis ), permanent heart failure ( alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy) , or permanent brain failure (alcohol-related brain damage ). These also contribute significantly to long-term bowel and kidney disease. Sudden heart, liver, or kidney failure can occur from a drug overdose or sudden alcohol poisoning.
• Environmental toxins can contribute to chronic respiratory failure, kidney or liver disease, and degenerative brain diseases.
• Bacterial infections produce toxins as a byproduct. These can affect a single organ or, if they accumulate in the blood, all organs. If there is an infection in the blood, it can lead to sepsis and shock .

Loss of blood/oxygen supply

Our organs receive oxygen through blood flow. If blood flow to an organ is cut off for any reason, it does not get the oxygen it needs to function ( hypoxia ). Depending on how severe the blood supply is, this can lead to sudden or long-term organ failure. Ischemia is a decrease in blood flow to an organ. It can be acute or gradual. Shock is a sudden loss of blood flow to the entire body.

• Ischemia in any organ can cause inflammation, which can then lead to tissue death. This can happen quickly or slowly. An ischemic stroke in one part of the brain can cause sudden brain damage and, in some cases, brain death. Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of chronic heart failure.
• A major cardiac event, such as a heart attack , cardiac arrest , or stroke, can cut off blood and oxygen to other organs. This can lead to sudden heart failure or brain damage, as well as multiple organ failure. If the heart or brainstem dies, the other organs will follow.
• Shock is a sudden loss of blood flow throughout the body. It can have many causes, including infections in the blood ( septic shock ), heart damage ( cardiogenic shock ), heart blockage ( obstructive shock) , and allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock) . This can lead to sudden multi-organ failure.

How do doctors figure this out exactly?

Doctors use specific tests to detect dysfunction in various organs. For example:

• Liver function tests and kidney function tests measure chemicals in your blood and urine to get information about how your organs are working. You may then have a renal scan or a scan to look at the stiffness of your liver ( elastography ).
• Blood tests for malnutrition, followed by an enteroscopy of the small intestine, can identify small bowel dysfunction caused by malabsorption or pseudo-obstruction.
• An echocardiogram can measure the amount of blood your heart pumps ( ejection fraction) and see how well it is working.
• Neurocognitive testing and brain scans can help identify brain damage.
• A pulmonary function test can assess how well your respiratory system is working. A pulse oximetry (pulse ox) or arterial blood gas test can measure the oxygen level in your blood.
• Imaging tests of organs, such as ultrasound or CT scan .

What are the treatments for this?

In the event of acute organ failure, doctors will provide supportive care to stabilize your condition. This may include:

• Intravenous fluids (IV fluids).
• Antibiotics.
• Blood transfusion.
• Intravenous nutrition (IV nutrition).
• Oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation.
• Vasopressor medications to increase blood flow.
• Dialysis.

In some cases, an organ transplant can cure sudden organ failure.

For chronic organ failure, doctors suggest the following:

• In the case of chronic liver failure, dietary and lifestyle advice can help you manage or reverse its progression. When it reaches the end stage, you may need a liver transplant .
• Dialysis is used to treat chronic kidney failure that gets worse. When it reaches the end stage, you will need a kidney transplant .
• In cases of chronic respiratory failure , there are various types of respiratory support that can help you get more oxygen. In the final stages, you may need a lung transplant or permanent mechanical ventilation.
• Medications for chronic heart failure and its underlying conditions, such as high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. In later stages, there are various implanted devices that help the heart work, and ultimately , heart surgery options such as a heart transplant .
• Parenteral nutrition for chronic intestinal failure. You can be on parenteral nutrition for the rest of your life, but long-term treatment can cause complications. You can also have an intestinal transplant .
• Medications for the symptoms of dementia that gradually worsen. There is currently no treatment to slow or reverse its progression. There is no cure for brain death .

Is it possible to recover after organ failure?

Sometimes, after acute organ failure, the organs recover. This can happen even if many organs have failed at once. In this case, you may only need life support temporarily. In the early stages of chronic organ failure, if the underlying cause can be treated properly, it may be reversible. However, in the later stages, irreversible damage has usually occurred. For example, scarring of the organs ( fibrosis ) or tissue death.

Even if you have been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, don't give up hope . You will likely have years to try to reverse your condition. There are many treatments available to help your failing kidneys and reduce your symptoms. Some people never reach the final stages of end-stage renal disease. When you reach that stage, you can usually apply for an organ transplant.

Sudden organ failure often occurs as a result of an unexpected illness or accident. It is difficult to prevent, and it is an emergency when it occurs. Doctors in the intensive care unit (ICU) do everything they can to support the rest of your body's systems while trying to restore the organ or organs that are failing.

The most important things we need to remember

Although organ failure is a serious condition, it is important to have a correct understanding of it. Paying attention to the symptoms, seeking proper medical advice, and taking the prescribed treatment can go a long way in controlling the condition. Also, living a healthy lifestyle and properly managing any chronic diseases can reduce the risk of organ failure. If you or someone close to you has any doubts about this, do not hesitate to talk to a doctor.

` Organ failure, liver, kidney, heart, lungs, brain, symptoms, treatment