The liver is an internal organ in the human body. It is located under your rib cage exactly on the right side of your abdomen, right kidney and intestines. The liver being a dark reddish-brown organ weighs around 3 pounds.
It is essential for you to know how to keep your liver healthy because it processes the blood by breaking down, balancing, creating nutrients and also metabolizes drugs into nontoxic forms which can be easier to use for the rest of the body.
Functions of the Liver
The main functions of the liver are to regulate most chemical levels in the blood and to excrete a product called bile. It is very vital to know how to keep your liver healthy because more than 500 functions have been identified with the liver.
Some of the well-known functions of the Liver include the following:
- Liver helps in production of bile which helps to carry waste and break down fats during digestion in the small intestine
- It helps in certain productions for blood plasma so it is important to know how to keep your liver healthy.
- Liver helps in production of special proteins and cholesterol to aid carrying fats through the body which can be one of the essential functions of the liver to keep our body healthy.
- You should know how to keep your liver healthy as the liver helps in conversion of excess glucose into glycogen for storage which can be later converted for energy and it also balances and makes glucose as needed.
- Liver converts ammonia into urea, clears the blood of drugs and other poisonous substances and regulates blood clotting to maintain a healthy lifestyle
- It is important to know how to keep your liver healthy because liver helps in regulation of amino acids, and aids in processing of hemoglobin to build protein blocks and store iron content respectively.
- The other major functions of the liver are it resists infections by making immune factors, removes bacteria from the bloodstream and clears bilirubin (a yellowish pigment that occurs during the breakdown of red blood cells) which can develop problems in the liver or bile duct.
Liver Disease
The term “liver disease” refers to any of several conditions that can damage or affect your liver. Liver disease can be inherited most of the time but also it has a variety of factors like viruses, alcohol usage and obesity.
Over time, the condition of the liver disease may become worse leading to cirrhosis (scarring) which can damage your liver very badly causing a life-threatening condition. So, you should concentrate more on your diet and know how to keep your liver healthy.
Symptoms of Liver Disease
You should know how to keep your liver healthy because early symptoms of liver disease don’t cause noticeable signs. Because of this, it is difficult to diagnose liver damage or failure at first.
The symptoms of liver disease can vary from person to person. Some of the common ones are:
- Jaundice
- Itchy skin
- Abdominal pain and swelling
- Dark urine color
- Pale stool color
- Swelling in the legs and ankles
- Nausea or vomiting
- Chronic fatigue
- Tendency to bruise easily
- Loss of appetite
- Sleepiness
But as the liver progresses, the symptoms of liver disease can be more serious where you need to know how to keep your liver healthy by caring for it right away.
Liver Failure
Liver failure is a life-threatening condition which often demands you to know how to keep your liver healthy and seek immediate medical attention because liver failure happens when large parts of the liver get damaged beyond repair and the liver can’t work anymore.
Liver failure can be classified into two types:
- Acute liver failure – liver stops working within a matter of days or weeks. You should know how to keep your liver healthy because it doesn’t have any type of liver problem or disease before this occurs.
- Chronic liver failure – Damage to the liver builds up gradually over time and causes the liver to stop working.
Causes of Liver Failure
You must know the causes of liver failure by knowing how to keep your liver healthy because the liver fails rapidly. The most common conditions or causes of liver failure include:
- Overdose of Acetaminophen – know how to keep your liver healthy because large doses of this drug can damage your liver or lead to failure
- Viral infections – Viruses like hepatitis A, B, and E, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus are one of the main causes of a liver failure leading to cirrhosis or liver damage
- Certain prescription and herbal medications – Some kill cells in your liver and others may damage the duct system that moves bile through it. So, ensure to know how to keep your liver healthy.
- Eating wild mushrooms – Amanita phalloides, also known as death cap is a poisonous wild mushroom containing toxins are the causes of liver failure because it damages liver cells and leads to liver failure within a couple of days.
- Wilson’s disease – This is a genetic disease which prevents your body from removing copper. You should know how to keep your liver healthy as it can be one of the major causes of liver failure as the copper builds up in, and damages, your liver.
- Industrial toxins – You should know how to keep your liver healthy by staying away from chemicals, like carbon tetrachloride, a degreaser and cleaner, that can damage your liver.
- Alcohol consumption – The causes of liver damage result from heavy or long-term drinking that leads to liver inflammation or alcoholic liver cirrhosis where the body cannot filter toxins out of blood or produce enough nutrients as it should.
Exercise for Liver Health
You should know how to keep your liver healthy by means of a healthy diet and regular exercise which act as the best ways to maintain a healthy liver, have a healthy weight and immune system. The types of exercise for liver health are:
- Weight training – This exercise for liver health can strengthen your bones, particularly beneficial to overcome osteoporosis especially in women.
- Yoga – It causes less stress on the body, strengthens bones and muscles and encourages blood flow.
- Aerobic exercise – Cycling, running or walking outside vigorously can be a great way for blood oxygenation, and the cardiovascular system if you know how to keep your liver healthy.
Benefits of Exercise for Liver Health
These are the benefits of exercising and you should know how to keep your liver healthy by performing the exercise for liver health to prevent or avoid worsening of complications of liver damage.
- It helps you control your weight by burning off excess fat to prevent obesity.
- It increases the level of “good” high-density lipoprotein cholesterol for maintaining a healthy liver.
- It prevents and controls other diseases associated with fatty liver disease, like type 2 diabetes.
Treatment for Liver Disease at Rela MS Hospital
Rela MS Hospital is one of the most prestigious liver hospitals in Chennai to offer comprehensive care which aids you in how to keep your liver healthy and treat conditions related to the pancreas, liver, and biliary system for both inpatients and outpatients besides handling liver transplant procedures with high success rates.
You can approach this best liver hospital in Chennai as they are equipped with cutting edge technology along with a team of experts including surgeons, intensivists, anesthetists, radiologists, transplant hepatologists, transfusion medicine specialists, dieticians, endocrinologists, clinical psychologists and counselors to diagnose and treat all conditions affecting your liver.
Read also Best Liver Transplant Surgeon in Chennai.