Bachchan Hospitalised With Liver Issues: Long Battle With Illness

Mr Bachchan’s has battled with tuberculosis, liver, hepatitis B and a host of issues in the past

Amitabh Bachchan startles the media with this revelation 

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

Actor Amitabh Bachchan has reportedly been admitted in Mumbai for issues relating to his liver. He was admitted on Tuesday, 15 October and continues to be in the hospital.

Sources have told The Quint that the actor has been hospitalised for the past three days for a regular check-up, but might get discharged today.

He spent Thursday tweeting about Karvachauth.

Bachchan has battled several health issues in the past including tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, and myasthenia gravis.

A Long Battle With Illness

In 2018, he had sent his fans in a frenzy after blogging about 'doctors fiddling with his body,' while shooting for the film 'Thugs of Hindostan' in Jodhpur.

I am getting my team of doctors in tomorrow morning to fiddle around with my body and set me up again .. I will rest and keep informed in process ..

• Hepatitis B

In the past, he has mentioned in his blog that his “stiff neck and shoulder pain” are a result of past injuries from stunts he did in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1982, senior Bachchan had lost 75 percent use of his liver after he contracted the Hepatitis B virus, following an accident on the sets of the film 'Coolie'. He details the incident and the trouble it has given him throughout his life in his blog.

In 2015, he made a startling revelation that he’s living “only on 25 per cent of his liver today, having lost the rest 75 percent to the Hepatitis B virus.”

In a quote to PTI he said,

“Hepatitis B came to me accidentally. After my accident on the sets of Coolie, I was infused with the blood of about 200 donors and 60 bottles of blood were injected into my system. One of my blood donors was carrying Hepatitis B virus which went into my system. I continued to function normally till year 2000 and almost 18 years after the accident, during a very normal medical checkup, I was told that my liver was infected and I had lost 75 per cent of my liver.”

He adds, “So, if I am standing here today, you are looking at a person who is surviving with 25 per cent of liver. That is the bad part. The good part is you can survive even with 12%. But no one wants to get to that stage.”

• Diverticulitis

Earlier in 2005, he underwent a major surgery for diverticulitis or inflammation and perforation of small and large intestines at Lilavati Hospital and was out of action for at least a month.

As FIT explained in an earlier article, diverticulitis occurs when tiny pouches inside the large intestine become inflamed, can cause intense lower abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, a fever, and sometimes a good deal of rectal bleeding, according to a Harvard Health article.

It also notes that in recent years, hospital admissions for elective surgery for diverticulitis have increased 25 percent to 30 percent. Once you develop diverticula, they are there to stay unless you have them surgically removed, according to WebMD. If the case is mild, the doctor might just recommend a high-fibre diet to avoid getting diverticulitis by ensuring the bowel movement is regular.

Aging and heredity are primary factors in the development of the condition but diet also plays a role.

• Tuberculosis

The veteran actor has also battled tuberculosis (TB) of the spine, at a time he was resurrecting his career while shooting for popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati in year 2000.

• Myasthenia Gravis

In addition, he suffers from myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease he was diagnosed with in 1984. It’s characterised by weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles under your voluntary control. It’s incurable but treatment can help relieve signs and symptoms.

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